Pearl Court

This is bridal jewellery in its most recognisable register. The body is a broad chandbali worked in scrolling vine and floral openwork, pierced throughout so it stays light-looking at a size that could easily have gone solid. Along the base sit five fluted jhumka bells, and below each one a round pearl.

Pearls are what keep it from tipping into glare. A piece this wide finished entirely in clear stones fights with a heavily worked outfit; the soft, non-reflective drops give the eye somewhere to rest and warm the whole thing towards gold. It is made for a lehenga or a silk saree, worn with hair up so the full width of the crescent is visible.