Ancient Secrets 2022: A tradition continues...Treasures from an era gone by. The Lure of the Past Preserving the Old and Vintage
Ancient Secrets 2022:
A tradition continues...Treasures from an era gone by.
The Lure of the Past Preserving the Old and Vintage
Chennai, 8th July 2022: Prince Jewellery unveiled its 22nd edition of Ancient Secrets, an exhibition and sale celebrating Indian antique jewellery @ its Cathedral Road Showroom in Chennai. The exhibition and sale has come a long way since 1999 when it was first opened at the Prince Jewellery’s Spencer Plaza Showroom. Today, ‘Ancient Secrets’ attracts both the young and the old to the showrooms and experience some of the vintage jewellery, which was once sought after.
Ancient Secrets 2022 will witness an array of unique, rare collections from a bygone era and relish in pieces long forgotten from Chettinadu, Parts of Calicut and Travancore. God, Goddesses, Nature and Animals are all formed part of the inspiration for the designs and a craftsmanship worth cherishing.
After a brief hiatus due to Covid, this year, Prince Jewellery has come up with even more arrangements than the previous editions to give its Cathedral Road Showroom, where the expo takes place, a traditional and vintage look to the ambience. Vintage classic cars from 1950s & 1960s like Singer and Morris along with a legendary bike from Jawa will welcome the visitors at the entrance. The interiors will pose traditional Chettinad style designs. It is certain that the mood will make the old feel nostalgic and the young to get a chance to have a feel of the bygone era.
"Jewellery making is an art that has been handed down from one generation to the next for not just several years but several centuries. Prince Jewellery was the first in reviving the interest in antique jewellery through its annual event ‘’Ancient Secrets’’, when it was all but forgotten. I am fortunate enough to witness the evolution of jewellery over the years through four generations. Intricate handmade jewellery designs of the past have always fascinated me and that is the inspiration for our expo. Our skilled craftsmanship and our inspired new creations of the bygone era are unique and cannot be replicated. For instance, rakodis, once a hair ornament, have been used as pendants; seven-stone studded ear pieces have been used to embellish necklaces; the traditional pambadam, thandatti and kopu are too heavy to be worn as it is, have been converted to elegant jhumkhas.” said Mr.Princeson Jose, Chairman and Managing Director, Prince Jewellery.
“From ornaments for the head – to rakodi and chutti, ear and neck pieces, Oodiyanam (waist belt) to bangles and bracelets, from all over India, Prince Jewellery has put together an enviable collection that connoisseurs will recognise for authenticity, intricacy and elegance. Prince’s Ancient Secrets collection is not just the display of antique jewellery from a bygone era but the designs and craftsmanship which Prince has introduced embedding these traditional pieces into tasteful modern settings that will appeal to young and old alike. Traditional jewels instantly create a feeling of emotional richness, and designs which are unique. Its awe inspiring to see and feel the craftsmanship of jewellery from that era”, Mr. Princeson Jose further added.
Ancient Secrets 2022
Date: From 8th July 2022 to 17th July 2022
Venue: Prince Jewellery, Cathedral Road Showroom, Chennai
Time: 10.30am – 8.30pm Phone: 044 4203 6655
Showroom will be open on Sundays. Ample valet parking available
About Prince Jewellery:
Prince Jewellery was started by Princeson Jose in 1983, but the roots of the brand can be traced back to his grandfather who, in 1933, commissioned a goldsmith in his textiles and spices shop in Ponkunnam village in Kottayam district. He began in a small way, with his wife designing jewellery on request from neighbours and friends. Then, seeing the demand, he started displaying jewellery in his shop. “He had a pendulum clock and few other items in one part of the showroom. He removed them and used that space to display the jewellery,” recollects Mr.Princeson Jose.
The next generation continued the tradition and, in 1958, his father established a store in Chennai, and soon after, a manufacturing unit in Thrissur, which led to their establishing a wholesale business in gold. A third-generation jeweller, Princeson Jose and his wife Sheeba Prince are passionate about antique jewellery and diligently add to their collection during their travels. The effort of this year-long diligence is ‘Ancient Secrets’. “The moment one Ancient Secrets gets over, we start working for the next year,” he says, displaying passion for jewellery, especially antique. Princeson Jose’s wife Sheeba Prince takes care of merchandising while sons Joseph and Antony Prince, certified gemmologists from the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA).
Prince Jewellery, started with a 650 square feet showroom in Panagal Park, T.Nagar in 1983. Today, the showroom has grown to 10,000 square feet and has one more in Cathedral Road. In 2008, showrooms were opened in Thiruvanthapuram followed by one in Jayanagar, Bangalore and Coimbatore. Prince Jewellery followed it up with another showroom at Tambaram in Chennai.
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Few unique pieces which are on display – Ancient Secrets 2022:
Gold Pendant (Kilikadukan): Kili means bird set in rubies, emeralds and uncut diamonds. Birds like peacock, parrot and garuda were revered and worshipped and has been a source of inspiration for many a jewellery
Necklace of coins: As statement of wealth, necklaces of coins trace their antiquity to the Mahabharata. This neckwear has intricately carved patterns strung together on gold beads.
Classic Neckwear:
This classical simple hollow worked gold filled with lac are strung together. Lightweight, they formed as part of a daily wear ornament
Gopuram Necklace:
A necklace with pendants in pyramid form resembling temple gopurams, with central piece Surmounted by raised spheres symbolising the four cardinal directions
Thaali Necklace:
A variation of thaali inspired by design, tracing back to Puddukkotai and parts of Kerala. Pendants in the form of “spires” strung together to form this neckwear fringed with floral shaped in the finest of rubies.
