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The India International Jewellery Week is back with a bigger second edition.

If there is one fact that can go unchallenged,it’s that Indians love jewellery. One of the biggest markets for gold and other ornaments,India has a long and rich history in jewellery crafting,as well as it’s consumption. Its a wonder then,that the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) only got around to organising the first India International Jewellery Week in 2010. With some shows running as much as an hour later than scheduled,one would have thought that the event wasn’t exactly a success. We were inexperienced during the first one, confesses Rajiv Jain,Chairman of the GJEPC. We only had an idea of how it should be. In fact,we made a lot of decisions a little late and we didn’t have a lot of time to get it all together,although we did manage to get a lot of attention here and abroad, he says. This year,however,the plan was set into motion fairly early in order to get many more participants on board. In the final count,IIJW 2011 has 27 participants,including both designers and design houses. Some of the biggest names in the business,such as

Gitanjali Group,Amrapali,Tanishq and Anmol Jewellers,will be showing their works at the event,besides two major international brands Boucheron and Harry Winston.

It is only in it’s second year and already IIJW has become an important event for the country’s jewellery brands. Vijay Golechha of Golechha Jewellers says,India is no longer simply adept at making jewellery. We now also have expertise in designing jewellery. By participating in the IIJW,were hoping to make that very clear. Designer Alpana Gujral agrees. For me,its about displaying my signature jewellery so that people can understand and appreciate the identity of my collection. Its my chance to showcase the ingenuity of Indian design and remove the stigma that jewellery in India is only copied from western designers, she adds.

While Indian fashion design has steadily been gaining attention and credibility,both at home and abroad,jewellers feel that it’s about time they got their due as well. For instance,Tarang Arora,the designer and head of international operations for Amrapali,says its no longer enough to showcase their creations alongside garments. With every fashion week,the limelight is always on fashion designers and their collection and they arent usually comfortable sharing it with the jewellery designers and giving them credit. Hence,for us,IIJW is the perfect opportunity to be in the spotlight, says Arora.

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