Chandelier Earrings ........ When East meets West

A creative design knows no boundaries. When the soul of an artist soars with wings of inspiration it breaks all barriers of limitations till it reaches a scintillating explosion of a new creation. 

Such was the coming of the Chandelier Earrings when East was inspired by the West. 

 The ancient cultures of India left an indelible mark on the jewellery designs of the world. Several new innovative concepts in  design coming from the West are obviously influenced by the jewellery cache of Indian designs, but sometime in the late twentieth century the East was inspired by the West!

Indian jewelers modified their traditional jhumkas, jhalars and chand-balas to give them a more westernized chic appearance by innovating the design format of earrings based on non other than the Chandeliers....the magnificent and elaborate ceiling lights of the Palaces and Opera houses of the Western world which were like a bejewelled piece of art hanging from atop!                                                                                                                          

 

The word 'chandelier' is instantly synonymous with class; ornate hanging lights that are just as much decoration as they are light sources. From its beginnings it was associated with wealth and power and a burning symbol of success and social status. 

During the 18th century glass chandeliers were produced by Bohemians and Venetian glass-makers who were both masters in the art of making chandeliers. Bohemian style was largely successful across Europe and its biggest draw was the chance to obtain spectacular light refraction due to facets and bevels of crystal prisms

The sheer lavishness of these chandeliers set the standard for royal grandeur across Europe. For example, in 1667 Charles II of England proudly noted that he owned a rock crystal chandelier made in the Louis XIV style. France set and unified the fashions across Europe during this period and French Baroque would continue to influence designers, being revived on multiple occasions in the coming centuries..

In India the Princely states imported these magnificently grand crystal Chandeliers from England, France and Italy to adorn their Palaces. The most favoured styles of Chandeliers were the ones that were resplendent with hundreds of crystal prisms refracting the light of the electric bulbs glistening like a collection of a thousand diamonds, creating an aura of glitter and splendor in the Durbar Hall of the Maharaja. 

Different coloured crystal prisms were also used to set each chandelier apart. Blue, green and red glass crystals to impersonate Sapphire, Emerald, Rubies and Diamonds. A favourite facet of the Indian penchant for Chandeliers was the crystal 'droplet' which represented a diamond!

These expensive and stylish Palace and in later times home decor heirlooms, gave a unique and brilliant inspirational pathway to design in the twentieth century to jewellery in India.

The Chandelier Earrings!

Long Earrings practically touching the shoulders are designed in the style of these hanging opulent ceiling chandelier lights.Dazzling Diamonds, Sparkling Sapphire, Resplendent Rubies, Incredible Emeralds and other twinkling translucent gems are used to create a spectacular copy of the illuminated Glass Prism Chandelier.

As in their electric counter-part these gorgeous, stunningly glittering earrings are a status symbol as only the very wealthy can afford such a mix of precious gems or just flawless diamonds in a single piece of ornament. 

A woman wearing a pair of Chandelier earrings is an alluring picture of prominent wealth, grace, style and class in the social corridors of the high strata she moves in.

A pair of Chandelier Earrings says it all!