“We can defy society by being happy & content” - anonymous
If you are wondering how I keep happy with my fake diamonds then maybe you should ask yourself, how you feel happy as a fake person? - 𝒞𝒵.
In regards to Part 1 https://www.lilacnights.com/post/eid-ul-fitr
This is not a paid partnership & although no one shares their secrets or fav hunts, you can still drop me a message for brand enquiry but it has to stay between us
I received my necklace which was going to arrive next month, yesterday… and I realised that it doesn’t have kundan but diamonds (I’m talking about the Green choker with Jhumkas 6th image) Its very sparkly and beautiful… I couldn’t share all the chokers here but I have them in the other post, it’s been long since I’ve taken anything for Eid, I have all the details regarding my clothes in those two links which I’ve shared at the beginning of this article… I’m not a big fan of Joules now, I have their necklace (8th pic) you can clearly see the difference in the lustre & shine of the kundans compared to the first set - Joules was for 6500/- after discount, it was the priciest of all chokers, the first one was for 3850/- after discount but I luckily had a coupon, thanks to some glitch my app was stuck and I was busy shaking & toggling it which somehow gave me that discount code, I had just shopped for my Gharara, that expensive choker and batua and the coupon which accidentally popped up said “You haven’t shopped in a long time, here’s we missed you coupon.” I have come up with three different looks… and like I said, “When it comes to Indian wear, my personal style is a classic blend of both Glamour & Antiquity. Be it Indian or Middle Eastern, both the cultures are very elegant and modest and it’s all about dressing up and celebrating life so if I’m wearing something like that I would want it to be exactly the way it has been passed on from generation to generation like traditional Heirloom pieces… for me a “modern version” of Indian clothing is not like going a notch higher but way below my standards - not because I find it raffish or anything, it just doesn’t look rich enough.”
I mandatorily wanted a sharara fringe dupatta with an extra organza odhni, I have it in the 7th image, I got everything that I wanted (from that particular look) quite serendipitously, without much effort on my part, I just visualised it and something or the other happened and I got exactly what I had in mind… that organza dupatta matches the whole set a lot more in real life. You can go through all those three different looks which I’ve created… the middle one is however my personal favourite, their Marodi embroidered lapel is perfect for Eid and other festivals - because it also looks like an Arabic pattern, like I said both the cultures have always been similar, they’ve always been blended together like an intricate design on a finely woven silk yarn… we all think alike, I love the material, it’s in pure Chanderi Silk and the Dupatta is also great, there is flower butti in metallic threadwork.
I got it from my Favourite Brand (they are located in Jaipur) I have paired it with an extra Organza dupatta, some Chandbalis and a beautiful pair of Velvet jhuttis
I came up with one more look in a refreshing Mojito palette... it has shades of Lime Green, Jasmine (white and pale green) & Baby Pink
These Garnet Gold Plated earrings are extremely elegant & beautiful
And these are my choker sets
I wanted something exactly like this right from the beginning, as a teenager when I was 15-16 I saw a gorgeous Kundan Bridal set, at Tanishq, they had it on display in the window (town branch) and I was always fond of Tata enterprises and Ratan Tata, so I always liked his brands, I had already seen the TVC and I wanted to try it out and although the staff knew very well that I was too young to buy it, they were very happy to help me because of my enthusiasm… this Kundan Choker reminded me of that and I wanted something exactly like this, I have always liked Chokers and had I been very sociable or outgoing like before, I would have been the first to bring them back in trend. Their (not talking about Tanishq anymore) service was great and they were also very quick to send it across…
Next, this choker has beautiful Pink & Mauve beads (much like the cover image, I just realised she too has purple beads) 2650/- after discount and & first time purchase coupon, I think it's from an in-house brand of one of my favourite Designer Markets**
This one has diamonds instead of Kundan beads and it exudes that typical Maharashtrian Bride look, again, I would always admire that style whenever I would browse all those Jewellery catalogues, I love the green Jhumkas, the colour is perfect, its not too garish or tacky and at the same time, it's not that dark either. I love the fact that is laced with diamonds because they sparkle a lot and it goes very well with overall style/theme. It also looks very expensive...
My camera's contrast is making it a bit flashy here but it's very beautiful in real life, this necklace was supposed to come in May but they delivered it by Mid April
Next, I got this from Joules by Radhika, it is beautiful, I like the style & everything but it's not as appealing as the images and I feel the first set has sparklier kundans. I don't think I would be spending here again, all of their products were on discount (like maximum other brands that I've shared here) so I got this one because it went with my overall look with the Batua & all but I'm not that impressed, the service was also very poor.
I don't have these earrings, I'll be matching it with something else from what I already have, I always wanted a lightweight Organza Silk Gharara
This is not my pic but I can't stop admiring this vintage Burlesque style Bridal necklace, I wish the world would've retained it's quaintness and modesty, because that is what makes everything so elusive at the end of the day. The design is very beautiful and vintage looking and at first glance one might think it’s some traditional heirloom piece but the set is not actually that pricey or “expensive”, its a re-edition of the classic style… there are a few diamonds in the centre (which I’m sure are artificial) and rest are just pearls and plastic beads, nonetheless it has the appearance of that classic Victorian Wedding necklace and it proves that design and innovation or brainpower/creativity has more value than actual diamonds or gemstones
You'll find such inspirational photos in my Journal on Tumblr: @thesecretattic I also share animated pics for added visual appeal
My shopping didn't end there... looks like I have raided maximum jewellery shops all across India. I realised that I would be opting for something like this for my wedding, I have mentioned all the pros and cons of artificial and real jewellery in this article https://www.lilacnights.com/post/weddingbands I don't think I would want to spend lakhs on my wedding or put all that "financial pressure" on my dad/me, myself. Secondly, even if you are investing in it as an asset, no one would want to sell their wedding jewellery… so I’d rather invest in something else, something far more lucrative, or directly open an FD (fixed deposit account) to keep my money in place without putting it in a heirloom article, which would keep me emotionally attached. Whether you are getting married or making a formal commitment, your feelings, vows, promises etc. are far more important than something which only “symbolises” it… if they are sincere then they are priceless. So I don’t think spending 2.5 - 3 lakh per set is going to be feasible & realistically speaking, in today’s times, when we are all on the verge of having a financial breakdown, we can always put some money aside to secure our future instead of relying on selling anything… the making charges almost add up to 60-70% of the total price tag which is eventually subtracted from the overall resale value so I don't see it as a good investment. I won’t be getting all these beautiful precious stones that easily in real sets anyway and I’m not someone who’ll settle on all gold, most established brands lack creativity & design ideas, their jewellery (I have a real diamond bracelet so I'm speaking out of personal experience) doesn't have that lustre or sparkle, the diamonds also look quite tainted, so it doesn't make much sense unless you are opting for a higher carat or their luxury line. Moreover, they always have that regular looking classic jewellery because maximum brands are not ready to reintroduce something vintage, like most others who are into artificial ones, something from the 90s or 60s or even the age old Royal era of the 1700s. I chose this… it’s very beautiful and it’s for 20k, it has real Kundan ( I wasn't aware that Kundan beads are also distinguishable) and it’s gold plated. I can buy all my sets + maang tika, bangles, bracelets etc. within 60k instead of spending 2.5 to 4 lakh per set and all other stuff additional.
They have many matching sets and chokers for other functions/close relatives as well so I’m sure I’ll be getting something from here…
For now I got this Meenakari Choker from another store, it again reminded me of the 90s, it’s one of the best Meenakari necklaces I’ve seen so far, it's the one I liked the most... it has slate grey beads to balance out the striking shades of red and green Meenakari tiles, isn’t it a beauty?
I also got this beautiful Rustic choker set in an Antique Bronze finish with Taupe stones & golden pearls…
My choker shopping ends here, next I’ll be getting some Maang Tikas, they are easily available nowadays for 350/- bucks, my most fav brand has beautiful maang tikas too, for 2500/- and they totally justify the price tag, you won’t find such gorgeous coloured gemstones that easily, they’ve also got a unique pattern.
Xoxo
Zara 𝒞𝒵. **Designer Markets: Unlike Bridal Parlours in the west, we have Designer Markets in India, they are like purveyors of mini souks and ethnic trousseau, they host a range of designer items and couture wear, they also keep catalogues and runway collections, traditional jewellery, fine jewels, shoes, bags & all other accessories.
