The imitation games

Celebrities and designers are now increasingly picking up ‘destination jewellery’ for their sojourns — they look as good as real, and cost a fraction of the price

Wear them. Flaunt them. Dazzle in them. And even if you happen to lose them, it’s not a bother. Say hello to destination jewellery.

Recently, television personality and socialite Kim Kardashian West was reportedly held at gunpoint in a lavish, luxury apartment in Paris, and robbed of jewellery worth $9 million.

This is a real nightmare that almost every celebrity dreads. With social obligations, wedding functions and press conferences across the world, stars are compelled to carry with them a bevy of precious ornaments. Here’s where destination jewellery options makes an entry, providing much relief for many of our celebrities back home.

Made up of semi-precious material, destination jewellery are handy while travelling to foreign locales, inform stylists and designers. “Many of our clients complain of losing their solitaire rings and earrings when they are travelling and when they have to change them frequently,” says Nita Goyal, designer at Diosa. “We use silver instead of gold to craft these pieces, and have a mix of semi-precious and synthetic stones that are cut in the same way as diamonds. Since we have them handcrafted by the same craftsmen, who make luxury lines, the quality of the jewellery does not suffer, while the price is as less as one-tenth of the original.”

Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali reckons that the idea of destination jewellery is derived from the much-loved concept of destination weddings. “The concept probably draws inspiration from destination wedding. Most destination jewellery is essentially high-end fashion jewellery, or costume jewellery,” she explains.

“You can get a good quality piece of jewellery for anything between '10,000 to '30,000. Suhani Pittie has a great collection” says designer and stylist Sonaakshi Raaj. “It depends on you and your budget, in terms of spending for imitation jewellery. You’d rather be secure when you’re travelling and partying, instead of having the headache of carrying your original jewellery — those are more of a liability.”

Designer Pria Kataria Puri shudders as she discusses the concept of destination jewellery, having nearly faced a situation similar to Kim’s in the past. “I was travelling from a high-end bar to a Chinese place in Dorchester,” she recounts. “On the way, a friend had to get out of the cab to pick something up. Even as he was getting out, we noticed four or five men following us with bikes and hockey sticks in hand. We pulled in our friend and asked the cabbie to make a run for it. The guys had probably followed us from the bar, knowing it’s a high-end place. Had they caught us, they would have made away with crores of rupees worth of jewellery and designer watches. And those were just our daily wear!”

Actress Sophie Choudhry chimes in, “Nowadays, our jewels aren’t even secure in a hotel safe and carrying them along while traveling is definitely not worth the stress. I think you can get amazing statement pieces instead, and they look a lot cooler too.”

Both Farah and Sonaakshi recommend destination jewellery to their clients. “Even I like to travel light abroad, and this is the perfect solution for those who have to attend a lot of functions and weddings abroad,” says Farah. Adds Sonaakshi, “For weddings and travels especially, it’s recommended that you carry imitation jewellery of a decent value, which are glamorous, yet authentic looking.”

Says Priya, “These are usually high end costume jewellery. You can get beautiful pieces of traditional costume earrings for anywhere between Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,000. Full sets, which would cost up to Rs 30 lakhs were they real, costs only about Rs 50,000, when you opt for destination jewellery.”

She, however, says that it’s the gems that are usually expensive, but there’s a middle way out for those who don’t really enjoy the feel of destination jewellery pieces. “Some people buy gold jewellery and have them customised with semi-precious stones, since it’s the gems that cost the most,” she reveals.

— With inputs from Dyuti Basu