Spiritual Possessions - Exploring religious motifs in jewelry and accessories

Silver and gold pentacles sparkle on their stands, as window shoppers languidly gaze through the display items, few trying it on themselves. The land where spirituality and philosophy is a way of life, the people love to wear their indefatigable faith on their sleeve; a cursory glance at the display vane of an accessory shop confirms this. Clearly, a world of untapped business opportunity awaits the jewelers in the form of a spiritual range of accessories. 

The thought has found many takers in jewelers in the city. Vipul Tabrewala of Ravish Jewels, a Mumbai-based exporter with a showroom at Andheri, proudly showcases his spiritual line. “It is essential that we have religious motifs as part of our range. Though varying, there is a huge demand,” he states.

Vikram Singh, VP- production, Gitanjali Gems, too agrees to there being a demand for spiritual lines in jewelry. “We are living in a nation that thrives on faith; I don’t see why a line with the religious motif should not sell. Religious motifs are basic to Indian design pattern. My class assignment, at National School of Design (Delhi), introduced me to the basic ‘temple motif’ that is so very evident and almost obligatory in typically South Indian jewelry,” he elaborates. “Gitanjali too has a spiritual range with motifs of almost all religions that sell across the nation throughout the year,” he adds further.

Trend Interpretations

However, the jewelers don’t promote it as a separate genre of jewelry product, even though most jewelry brands sport it, like Tanishq has pendants, rings, bracelets, taveezes and earrings as part of their spiritual range. Koshy Cherian, regional sales executive, Tanishq, explains, “It is mandatory for any Indian jeweler to have a spiritual range. I can expect a consumer to walk into my store anytime and ask for a pendant with a god inscribed on it. Sales may not translate into mammoth figures, but the demand is noteworthy.”

Adora, the diamond jewelry brand, too sports a range of spiritual pendants priced at Rs 2,000 to 30,000, so does Thia, the pure steel brand of men’s jewelry, which has variations in Catholic crosses.

The most popular images that sit pretty on the display racks of independent and corporate jewelers, are those of lord Ganesha, Krishna, Hanuman, goddesses Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi and symbols like the Shree, Om, the Allah in Arabic, the Cross. Some in the western region also have Sai Baba of Shirdi in their repertoire. Most report lord Ganesha to be a favorite among consumers and so retailers generally opt to have more Ganeshas.

“Ganesha and images of other Indian deities were a rage a year and a half back,” states known designer Lina Tipnis. “One would see tee shirts and handbags strewn with faces of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Krishna, selling at fashion streets across Indian metros.

The trend has moved on to tattooing designs without disappearing from the clothes scene. It is visible in passing at remote corners of a designer wear, like a cross at the shoulder or a cuff or sleeve. Having said this, one wonders why is it not so apparent in the designer jewelry or even the branded jewelry segment?

Have faith, will market

Koshi explains, “One cannot always wear a god’s picture at wedding parties, cocktail dinners or at work. It would be a fashion disaster.” Spiritual designs, by virtue of being bold, need to compliment the personality of the wearer and the occasion. Besides, most Indians buy spiritually themed products for gifting purposes. So can one deduce that since its wearability is occasion based, there is no need to market it?

Avishek Jena, manager (Creative Communications), Hammer Plus, feels that the Indian market has an unlimited potential to absorb any product that tugs their faith. “We realized that gifting never goes out of fashion, nor are good-wishes seasonal, so we can work to gain the consumer’s mindshare.”

Pendants top the list of spiritually themed items that are gifted, followed by coins and idols made of precious metals. Pankaj Jain of Jain Jewelry Mart, Mahim, Mumbai, insists, “Consumers think that gifting gods made of precious metal are the ultimate proof of goodwill. I sell 2D idols of lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi that are neatly placed in a velvet box. Grihapravesh, engagements, thread ceremony, birth of a child in the family and many such occasions call for such gifts.”

Keval N Mehta, a Mumbai-based exporter of silverware, echoes this sentiment. He further states that coins with engravings of gods and goddesses form bulk orders from his corporate clients.

Naresh Singh, sales manager of Delhi-based Agra Chains, known to be India’s largest silver jewelry exporter, sounds optimistic. “After the advent of the Balaji soap-operas, the sale of god-related items has gone up. Every home now wants a ‘lalla-ka-jhula’ a ‘Krishna ki murti,’ among other articles that are needed when you have a separate prayer room at home. There’s the ghanti (bell), the holy vessels, and idols of various gods, all in silver, whose demand has surged up.” He adds that Archie’s Gallery has a brand of gold plated and quality assured idols that are doing good business.

The New Age Seeker

Naresh asserted a concern that most silverware retailers and wholesalers echoed. “We are manufacturers and wholesalers of 92.5 percent authentic silver items. Corporate clients who have a specific demand of coins and idols come to us with a budget. We do not compromise on quality so most often the demand gets transferred to smaller dealers. And since there is no quality check like hallmarking for the silver metal, other dealers haggle on the price and compromise on the quality to fit into the requirement of each client.”

There is a completely different set of rules for the accessories market where silver is used most often. Steel, leather, carbon fiber, beads; et al is used along with precious metals where design holds more value. Ketan Jhaveri, director, Thia Men’s Jewellery categorically mentions that he designs jewelry keeping quality in mind.

“Most of my designs are potent symbols of power since my jewelry caters to flatter the male ego,” he affirms. The cross is one amongst them. Made of 316L (the purest variety of steel available), he likes to accessorize his jewelry and mostly to convey an emotional statement.

The pursuit of spiritual possession might have led early sages to asceticism, but the new age seeker blazes the material path with greater finesse. Result, a new brand of seeker who wears his faith on his sleeve and flaunts it too. There is a wide untapped potential in the market for a spiritual line of accessory that is being neglected—in spite of the awareness.

The answer to selling spirituality as a design in jewelry does not lie in simply accessorizing the spiritual motif. Just as faith permeates our life, it is important to imbue the accessories with similar qualities of hope, strength and courage that goes deeper than the metal.