BRIC-A-BRAC

Bathija describes the two branches of the store at Colaba and Khar as ‘father’ and ‘son.’ She might not be far off the mark considering that the Khar branch of the store is a well-lit,smaller version of the one at Colaba,quaintly done up in muted shades of off-white and gold.

The things to look out for at the newly opened Curio Cottage at Khar are the bejewelled belts which are being introduced for the first time with a motley mélange of abalone shells,corals,turquoise and smoky topaz embedded on them and the animal-printed scarf necklaces with oversize,statement pendants in wood,cornelium,silver and amethyst.

“We felt that the tribal look was really gaining momentum. That’s why with our signature pieces we’ve added a bohemian touch with feathers,Turkish beads,cord tassels and starched yarn,” says co-owner Ekta Bathija.

The new collection also includes oversize wood and resin cuffs with silver or black rhodium plating and Bakelite bases embellished with polki jewellery along with other semi-precious stones. But what makes you itch to dole out the moolah are the striking mesh patterns— a phalanx of gold-plated metal and silver stunningly twisted into globules of intricately-worked bracelets and cuffs.

While the outrageously funky pieces adorn one corner of the store,the other is lined with traditional trinkets with layered kundan work and Indian stones from Jaipur and Rajasthan. “With the wedding season looming large,they’re in high demand,” says Bathija,who along with her husband acquires the stones from the far-flung areas of Turkey,Afghanistan and Japan. “The turquoise stones are mostly from Afghanistan and the pearls from Hong Kong and Japan,” says Bathija. Some of the patterns are based on Chinese artwork. While neck-pieces and bracelets embrace a large variety of patterns,the earrings are mostly classic pieces with glazed silver moonstones and hoops encrusted with pearls and other stones.

But the admirable feat that Curio Cottage has managed to pull off is making many of their accessories a patchwork quilt of so many precious stones,without it being a mismatched mish-mash of baubles.