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A specialist in making authentic Jadau jewellery Manali Bothra now aspires to carve a niche for herself as a watch designer By Neha Ved

Hailing from a traditional Marwari family that has been in the jewellery business for the past 150 years and married into another, Manali Bothra took to jewellery designing like a fish to water. She started designing on a small scale for friends and relatives and today 19 years down the line she heads Nayaab, a design studio that specialises in Jadau jewellery.

“Jadau is a very traditional form of jewellery and one requires a lot of patience to make it. However, authentic Jadau jewellery is rarely available these days and people hardly realise it if they have been  duped. My attempt is to provide them trustworthy jewellery,” says Manali. To ensure her customers get what they want, she personally supervises every piece’s construction. In fact, she is one of those few jewellers who have their own manufacturing unit. With the help of her team that includes experts in the various aspects of making Jadau, Manali hopes to sustain a dying art.

Manali’s latest collection for the Indian bride is traditional and shimmers with diamonds galore, and yet the creations are modern and light. “Bridal sets often need to be rich, full and with a lot of work done on it which makes it difficult to be worn once the wedding is over. So I’ve designed this collection in way that is rich yet sophisticated enough for other occasions,” she reveals.

As the name Nayaab suggests, every creation is unique and keeping in line with their motto – once created, never repeated – Manali soon plans to launch a collection of watches, which is not just a time keeping device but rather a piece of jewellery. A trendsetter, she believes there are some things that never go out of style. An ardent adherent of natural creativity, she does not believe in creating only to follow a trend. “The traditional look will always remain ‘in’. It’s up to the creator to put forth designs that suit the times. I believe in giving my customers something that will want to cherish and which is truly ‘Nayaab’, she emphasises.