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Comfort vs style: Covid is changing fashion industry.

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  The Covid-19 outbreak has affected many sectors, and fashion is no exception. Having gone through many layers of changes, people are navigating their personal style while keeping comfort in mind. From around-the-house alternatives to vibrant colours, here’s everything you need to know about the current  fashion  scenario. Conscious investment The pandemic has resulted in a slight shift in consumer preferences when it comes to fashion. It opened doors to new niche categories such as loungewear and co-ords, Nishit Garg, vice president and head of fashion at Flipkart tells Metrolife. Companies are witnessing maximum purchases from customers in the 18 to 35 age group. “Many consumers today are wary about the pieces they invest in and are more conscious about the choices they make,” he adds. “Additionally, with large-scale festivities and nuptials being replaced with intimate and virtual weddings, we observed an increase in demand for affordable lehengas, saris and other ethnic wear,” he

Tips To Style Pearls To Make It An Ultimate Fashion Statement

  When Harry Styles debuted a thick pearled necklace along with his grandpa attire, it was obvious that the accessory had to make big. He made multiple public appearances in a single strand of delicate white pearls, which went on to become his staple accessory. Apart from Styles, milky pearl necklaces have adorned the necks of rapper A$AP Rocky, designer Marc Jacobs, singer Shawn Mendes, and Bollywood’s own Ranveer Singh.   The history of men in  pearl necklaces  can be traced to the early 16th century, during the Mughal Empire in India, when long strands of pearls could be seen on the emperor Babur. In Europe, Henry VIII wore clothes embroidered with them during his reign as the king of England in the first half of the 1500s. Luxury  fashion  houses like Dior, Alexander McQueen, Ryan Roche, and more have sent male models down the runway wearing baroque-inspired necklaces, tiaras, and more accessories — pearl necklaces in particular — have been sported by famous faces on the red carpet

How to check hallmarking details of your jewellery.

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  Starting 16 June, all jewellers must sell hallmarked jewellery. The government has taken the step to ensure there is no mis-selling. Many times,  jewellers  may sell  jewellery  stating that it’s 22-karat, but it could be of lower purity in reality. But if a jeweller wants to, it can also fake hallmarking details. To ensure that the hallmarking on  jewellery  is genuine, there are a few things that you can look at. Hallmark is a certification of purity. A jeweller can get the hallmark certificate from assaying and hallmarking centres (AHCs). The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) accredits these centres. The jeweller must also get a licence from BIS to get its goods hallmarked. A piece of  hallmarked jewellery  tells you the purity of gold – whether it’s 18-karat, 20-karat or 22-karat. When  buying jewellery , you will notice three marks on hallmarked  jewellery —purity, assaying or hallmarking centre’s identification mark, and the jeweller’s identification mark/number. To ensure that

Stunning engagement rings inspired by royalty.

  It is believed that the first bejewelled engagement ring was presented by Archduke Maximilian of Austria to his future bride in 1477.   Engagement rings   only truly became popular, however, in the early 1800s, helped along by Prince Albert designing and giving Queen Victoria a gold ring featuring diamonds, rubies and an emerald, styled in the form of a serpent – a symbol of wisdom and commitment. Since then, the design choice of regal   engagement rings   have reverberated into contemporary pieces available today, with brides adorning their   vena amoris   with inspiration taken from these original royal influencers. Read on for   Tatler ’s pick of the most glittering rings fit for a royal. Queen Elizabeth II – Diamond Solitaire In July 1947, the late Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark presented the future Queen Elizabeth II with a ring by Philip Antrobus. The Prince helped to design the ring using diamonds that originated in a tiara belonging to his mother, Princess Alice of Batte

Elegant pearl jewellery for glamorous June birthdays

  The pearl is the only ‘gem’ in the world produced by a living creature; rising from the sea as opposed to originating from the depths of the earth. Up until the 19th century, pearls were predominantly worn by nobility, be they Kings, Queens, Maharajahs or Chinese Emperors, set into crowns or sewn onto clothes, to symbolise power and wealth. La Peregrina (meaning ‘The Wanderer’) is the most legendary pearl of all; 55 carats and renowned for its   perfect   symmetry. It was discovered in the Gulf of Panama in the 16th century and first owned by a succession of Spanish monarchs, and later gifted to Queen Mary I of England, who can be seen wearing it in historical portraits. It was bought at auction in 1969 by Richard Burton, as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor, who had Cartier design a necklace of pearls and rubies around it, based on a portrait of Mary Tudor. And in 2011, after Elizabeth’s death, La Peregrina was sold by Christie’s, fetching $11.8 million. Coco Chanel declared, ‘a  woman  n

Gemstones: Fashion statements and a new hotspot for investment

  The traditional engagement rings are slowly being replaced by gorgeous gemstones such as Sapphires, Ruby, Emerald, Turquoise, and Amethyst. Most brides today prefer rings with pop-up colours instead of all-white or all-yellow. Celebrities from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Blake Lively wear coloured gemstones not only to serve sentimental and astrological purposes but as a luxury style statement too. Gemstones, Royals and sentiments In the past, Napoleon bought an elegant sapphire ring for Empress Josephine. Even today, Royals have not shied away from expressing their love for  gemstones . Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton wears the same Sapphire studded engagement ring that once decorated late Princess Diana’s hands. The ring is well above half a million dollars today, but no one can put a price tag on the  sentimental value  it holds for Prince William and his family. Gemstones as style statements The growing popularity of gemstones can be witnessed clearly as many celebrities now u

Jewellery Makers Gain On Mandatory Hallmarking Of Gold Jewellery.

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  Shares of  jewellery  makers rose after the government reiterated its move for mandatory  hallmarking of gold jewellery  but extended its deadline to June 15 given the lockdowns in th various parts of the country to deal with Covid-19 pandemic. Kalyan Jewellers rose 5 per cent, Titan Company advanced rose as much as 3 per cent, Thangamayil  Jewellery  rose 2 per cent, PC Jeweller advanced 3.13 per cent, Rajesh Exports climbed 1.7 per cent and Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri advanced 1.5 per cent. Analysts say that listed  jewellery  retailers and makers will benefit from government’s move for mandatorily hallmarking  gold jewellery. Gold  hallmarking is a purity certification of the  precious metal  and is voluntary in nature at present. According to World Gold Council, India has around 4 lakh jewellers, out of which only 35,879 have been certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). In November 2019, the government had announced that hallmarking of  gold jewellery  and artefacts wou