No. 01
Layered Temple Haar
Five-strand gold bead haar with a temple pendant
No. VES-01 · Necklaces & haar
The Garima Edit · Collection IV of VI
Vesara
The bride's trousseau
In Kanchipuram a silk comes off the loom: peacock green, bordered in gold like a temple wall. Before the wedding, the bride's mother lays the family's temple jewellery upon it, one piece at a time.
22 pieces on the silk
Act I
The silk from the loom
The weavers of Kanchipuram work real gold into the border, row upon row of temple towers. Our temple jewellery is made to be worn beside it.
No. 02
Temple Pendant Necklace
Antique gold necklace with a carved temple pendant
No. VES-02 · Necklaces & haar
No. 03
Lakshmi Nagar
Repoussé Lakshmi hair ornament with a gold-bead border
No. VES-03 · Maang tikka
No. 04
Thali Pendant
Temple marriage pendant with a lattice crest
No. VES-04 · Mangalsutra
No. 05
Ruby Temple Kada
Tamil Nadu gold kada with carved scrolls and rubies
No. VES-05 · Bangles & kada
No. 06
Yali Kada
Heavy temple kada with a carved deity face
No. VES-06 · Bangles & kada
Act II
Gold from the temple walls
The motifs come from the temples themselves: Lakshmi on her lotus, peacocks, the yali with its curling tail, worked in repoussé and set with kemp.
No. 07
Peacock Chand Bali
Crescent earrings with peacocks, rubies, emeralds and pearls
No. VES-07 · Earrings & jhumkas
No. 08
Temple Jhumkas
Gold bell jhumkas with green beads and pearls
No. VES-08 · Earrings & jhumkas
No. 09
Pearl Leaf Earrings
Seed-pearl leaf drops below jewelled tops
No. VES-09 · Earrings & jhumkas
No. 10
Ghungroo Payal
Anklet of clustered gold bells
No. VES-10 · Anklets & payal
No. 11
Panchlada Haar
Five strands of gold beads with a small pendant
No. VES-11 · Necklaces & haar
No. 12
Padasara
Mysore foot ornament with chased terminals
No. VES-12 · Anklets & payal
Act III
Adorning the bride
A nagar for her hair, a mango mala, jhumkas that ring as she turns, a thali on its gold thread: each piece is put on in its own order, as it always has been.
No. 13
Garuda Earrings
Jewelled earrings with Vishnu riding Garuda
No. VES-13 · Earrings & jhumkas
No. 14
Surya Tikka
Forehead pendant of the sun god with a coin fringe
No. VES-14 · Maang tikka
No. 15
Deity Pendant
Gold pendant with a deity on a lotus, set with turquoise
No. VES-15 · Pendants
No. 16
Garuda Drop Earrings
Gem-set drops with coin and pearl fringes
No. VES-16 · Earrings & jhumkas
No. 17
Vishnu Pendant
Vishnu on a lotus with nagas, set with precious stones
No. VES-17 · Pendants
No. 18
Mango Mala
Collar of gold mango motifs set with stones
No. VES-18 · Necklaces & haar
Act IV
To the temple at dawn
Jasmine in her hair, lamps at the doorway. The procession leaves for the temple, and the gold is seen for the first time in the morning light.
No. 19
Deity Kada
Gold kada with figures carved around the rim
No. VES-19 · Bangles & kada
No. 20
Kemp Medallion
Round gold pendant with ruby centre and lotus petals
No. VES-20 · Pendants
No. 21
Gold-bead Anklet
Anklet of gold beads with a granulated clasp
No. VES-21 · Anklets & payal
No. 22
Temple Taweez
Gold amulet case with domed ends and finials
No. VES-22 · Pendants
The trousseau is ready
Made for the bride
Vesara designs are made in 22k gold with an antique temple finish, set with kemp, rubies or emeralds as you wish. Choose any piece to tell us how you want it made; we call you with the weight and price.
The photographs
- Entrance to the Temple of Minakshi, Madurai — Linnaeus Tripe, 1858 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0)
- The sacred tank, Madurai — Linnaeus Tripe, 1858 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0)
- The western gopuram, Madurai — Linnaeus Tripe, 1858 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0)
- The outer prakaram, Madurai — Linnaeus Tripe, 1858 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0)
- The great pagoda, Madurai — Linnaeus Tripe, 1858 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0)
Made to order
Don’t see it?
Describe the piece you have in mind, or bring a photograph to the showroom. We make it in the metal, stones and size you choose.
- I
Tell us
The look, a reference, the weight and budget you have in mind.
- II
We sketch
Our craftsmen draw it and call you with the weight and price.
- III
We make it
Hand-finished in our workshop, ready to wear.