Local jewelry designers take a cue from bold, brilliant Bollywood

As alluring as a Bhangara beat, Indian jewelry is a vibrant blend of bold colors, brilliant gold and a lighthearted musical swing. These elements -- magical when mixed with summer's bare skin and flirty dresses -- abound in the Bollywood-inspired baubles of Seattle designers Nicole Cruz, Shamila Jiwa and Clare Kittle.

Nicole Cruz
A fascination with the ornate costumes and jewelry in old Bollywood movies led painter/sketch artist Nicole Cruz to design her Yen Jewelry collection, which has been featured in Lucky and other magazines.

Crafted with high-karat gold, gold fill and sterling silver, her jewelry is embellished with semiprecious gems such as garnets, amethysts and her favorite, citrine.

Semicircles and looped, hand-coiled wire make pieces like her "Sunset" pendant an intricate work of art, and garnet and gold-filled "Maya" and citrine "Doorknocker" chandelier earrings exude classic Bollywood glamour.

Cruz's jewelry is available at www.yenjewelry.com and Madrona boutique Hitchcock.

Shamila Jiwa
Shamila Jiwa's rising talent recently earned her a spot in the emerging-designers section of this fall's New York Fashion Week. Born of Indian heritage in Tanzania, the veteran traveler describes her style as influenced by a "hybrid of cultures."

Jiwa does bold in a delicate way, relying on a decadence of texture, shape and length. "Pomegranita" gold-fill chandelier earrings with blush garnet drops dazzle with the rich allure of a maharani's crown.

Though Shamila prefers the warmth gold gives gems, she also uses silver and often underappreciated stones like the gold rutilated quartz in her "Fleches d'amour" teardrop or the smoldering, iridescent, slate-gray/peacock-blue labradorite in her "Blue Boa" necklace.

Jiwa's jewelry is available at www.shamila.com.

Clare Kittle
For Clare Kittle, luxurious 22-karat gold embodies the allure of India: women dripping with shimmering honey-hued ornaments.

She's also enchanted by the cut of Indian gems, which she says are rougher, more primal and have more soul than others she's seen. Her opulent palette of precious stones glitters with black diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds -- whatever speaks to her, with a "beautiful color or an unusual shape."

Her sapphire briolette dangle earrings and sapphire necklaces strung with lavender, ruby and pink-toned gems tempt like luscious fruit, while hand-fashioned stunners like the cultured pearl necklace and bracelet radiate glamour enough for red-carpet royalty in Mumbai.

Kittle's jewelry is available at Turgeon-Raine in downtown Seattle or by custom order via email to cakinc@aol.com.

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