She is very careful to preserve the uniqueness of each crafted piece; "My customer veers towards the artistic with an affinity for pieces that are purely one of a kind. The pleasure lies in knowing that you are the only person wearing that particular creation." Her best experience is designing each piece according to the individual's personality. She loves the challenge that goes with the job. "The most challenging part of my job is to come up with intricate yet elegant designs. You will find craftsman anywhere but the real challenge lies in bending the metal to bring out your designs," she claims.
She feels that the most appealing aspect in metals and gemstones used in a jewellery piece are the stones set in gold, running the entire gamut. "Therein lies a cornucopia of colors, with a special emphasis on the delicacy that is involved at setting a perfect polki," she elaborates. More than 90% of her jewellery is in gold. She experiments with white gold and platinum but yellow gold is making a bold statement this season, she believes.
Her creation is a survivor of all trends that hit the fashion jewellery market. Her clients are steering from mass produced jewellery preferring to own and enjoy individualistic pieces, where there is a fusion between their personality and the creation. In India, the wedding and festival seasons raise the jewellery shopping graph. "The Indian jewellery market is thriving and will reach further heights as weddings become more elaborate. There is a renewed interest among the young to collect pieces of value with unusual blending, which make them truly eye catching, while lasting through their life times, further ensuring they can be enjoyed by the next generation," comments Alpana.
Alpana uses the traditional Jadau craft with Victorian and French forms. Her signature work is dedicated to remixing the traditional Jadau jewellery from Rajasthan to contemporary tastes. "Jewellery isn't meant to make you look rich, it's meant to adorn you." Her collection is fusion of traditional polkis, kundan and uncut stones assembled into a more linear and modern design. "A piece has to have intrinsic value, which is always reassuring. The designs then enhance the creation making it a pleasure to wear and a joy to own," she concludes.