Jewelry's beauty still lies in the eye of beholders
Jewelry's beauty still lies in the eye of beholders
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post/Surabaya
Like fashion, jewelry takes the same fickle path, going from one
trend to another, sometimes in retrospective mood or looking to
the brave new world of the future.
Fashion design trends tend not to stand out for their
individuality, as they borrow from previous trends and styles.
Yet while in fashion the line is quite clear, with a few big
names and a legion of imitators, in the jewelry industry there is
more freedom for brands with a particular design.
At the recent Indonesia Jewelry Exhibition 2004, each brand
showed its particular strengths, with crowds flocking to the
Shangri-La Hotel for the four-day expo.
Yet, it is obvious that whatever the trends, for jewelry
enthusiasts no price is too much when they like what they see.
Indonesian world-class companies like Prima Gold, Pauline,
Elegance and Elite Gold showcased glamorous motifs inspired by
nature and classical lines with diamonds, absolute gold or white
gold and colored precious stones.
Exhibitors from Singapore and China tended to delve more into
Western simple designs.
Companies classified in small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
have particular and unique designs not to be missed. Craftsmen
from Bali, Yogyakarta, West Nusa Tenggara, Aceh and host East
Java displayed strong traditional influenced jewels of varying
materials, with gems, gold, silver, bronze and pearls.
Aceh's Keuchik Leumik still showcased its renowned traditional
Pintoe Aceh motif -- lushly carved miniature doors -- for
pendant, brooches, earrings, rings and bracelets. Similarly,
Bumbunan, the Balinese classical royal motif with meticulously
layered details, is the leader among goldsmiths in the area.
Jewelry lovers also flocked to stands of international brands
which were displayed at top Singapore Tianpo jewelry store. The
store is home to internationally famous brands like Italian
Tagliamonte, Raima and Staurino Fratelli.
Italian Nino Tagliamonte, who was present at the exhibition,
said the event was a great chance for him and his company to
determine the local market's potential. His Vicenza-based company
presented Venetian cameos in diverse combinations -- gold, metals
and stones.
His experience showed that the competition was not about the
design so much as in approaching potentials buyers, making them
aware of his products and convincing them of their merits.
"Each company must have distinctive styles, therefore there is
no need to worry about being out of date or having almost similar
motifs. Lovers of our jewelry know what they are looking for,
they just need to be told we are here," he said.
While big companies generally earn awed looks for their
beautiful designs and huge prices, SMEs do better in snagging
business deals and individual transactions.
Fortunately, the majority of women here still regard jewelry
as an investment, but appreciate its esthetic qualities.
"Our traditional advice tells us that jewelry is an investment
but some people get it wrong, because if now we are speaking
about investment, then they should go for gold bars. Jewelry is
part of fashion and it means design and the meticulous job done
must be paid for dearly, too," said Iskandar Iksan, chairman of
Indonesian Gold and Jewelers Association (APEPI).
Commenting on the flood of visitors, Iskandar said that local
goldsmiths and jewelry traders must be given more chances to
display what they have.
He added that the prolonged economic crisis had not had a
devastating effect on his sector.
"The purchasing power may have weakened but it has not
vanished. They (jewelry lovers) are still buying but perhaps
those items that are more affordable to their budget," he said,
admitting that the last five years showed a decline in the
jewelry purchase in the country.
The proof of his statement could be seen in corners of the
hotel ballroom, where women, of all ages, stood patiently in line
to pay for their stuff.
Nana Tommy bought pearls from a West Nusa Tenggara stand. She
is also a hobbyist, as she loves to design and make her own
jewelry, including hairpins made of gold and gems that she uses
on her head scarf.
"I prefer pearls to gold, gemstones or silver. They are more
flexible to go with my fashion orientation," said Nana.