A bride sat across from me last month with her grandmother's old jewellery box open on the table between us. Most of it was polki, heavy and formal, the kind of set you wear once and then lock away. But tucked in the corner was a pair of earrings in bottle green and coral pink enamel, small, almost casual, and she asked me if they were "too old-fashioned" to wear on her Mehendi. I told her the opposite is true this season. Meenakari, the centuries-old art of enamelling on gold, is having the biggest moment it has had in a decade, and it is one of the few bridal jewellery trends I am telling every single client to lean into right now.
The Aesthetic:
Meenakari is colour applied to metal, fired in a kiln until it fuses into the gold itself, and it is technically unforgiving in a way that machine-made jewellery simply is not. The house of Sunita Shekhawat out of Jaipur has spent nearly three decades reviving this exact craft, working in the traditional Rajasthani style alongside French enamelling techniques like plique-a-jour and champleve that almost no one else in India practises at this level. What you get is jewellery with actual depth: peacock blues, poppy reds, and that specific bottle green that looks nothing like a printed pattern because it was painted, layer by layer, by hand. It reads as heirloom the day you buy it, not five years later.
What I love styling this into is the Mehendi and Haldi wardrobe specifically. Meenakari jhumkas or a choker in enamel work has a warmth and playfulness that suits daytime festivities in a way that cold, sparkling polki does not always manage. It also photographs beautifully against yellow, marigold orange and mint, which happen to be exactly the palette most of my brides are choosing for their pre-wedding functions this year.
The Stylist's Touch:
Here is where I see brides go wrong: they treat meenakari as a "second outfit" jewellery choice, something lighter for the smaller events, and then default back to an all-polki, all-diamond look for the wedding day itself. I am pushing my brides this season to do the opposite and let meenakari carry weight even in the main ceremony, particularly in a haath phool or a maang tikka, where the enamel work catches light against the skin in a way that pure stone setting cannot replicate. Layer it against a zardozi or gota patti lehenga, not a plain silk one, so the handwork on the fabric and the handwork on the jewellery are speaking the same language.
The other thing I always tell clients is to buy meenakari with the reverse in mind. A well-made piece is enamelled on both the front and the back, which is precisely the detail that separates an heirloom-grade piece from a costume one. Ask to see the back before you commit. If it is plain gold on the reverse, you are paying heritage prices for half the craft.
Why This Trend Has Staying Power
Bridal jewellery in India moves in long cycles, not seasonal ones, and the reason I trust this one is that it is being driven by genuine craft revival rather than a passing aesthetic. Sunita Shekhawat opened India's first Museum of Meenakari Heritage in Jaipur, which tells you where the house sees this going: not as a trend cycle but as a preservation project. When a jewellery house is investing in a museum, not just a marketing campaign, it usually means the craft has real depth behind it, and that gives me confidence recommending it as an investment piece rather than a one-season buy.
It also solves a genuine styling problem I face every wedding season: the bride who wants colour and warmth in her jewellery without looking like she is wearing costume pieces. Meenakari gives you saturated colour with the weight and permanence of fine jewellery, which is a combination that is surprisingly hard to find elsewhere on the shopping circuit right now.
How I Shop This For My Brides
If you are building your jewellery wardrobe for a 2026-27 wedding, I do not tell clients to replace their polki and diamond sets. I tell them to build a third category alongside those two: a meenakari set for the colour-forward functions, chosen with as much care as the main bridal set. Think of it as expanding your jewellery vocabulary rather than picking a side.
A few practical notes I share in every consultation:
Start with one statement piece, a choker or a set of jhumkas, rather than trying to build a full meenakari set at once. Let it anchor one function and build from there.
Check the reverse of every piece before buying. Enamel on both sides signals real craftsmanship, not a decorative front only.
Pair meenakari with handwork fabrics like zardozi, gota patti or hand-embroidered organza so the jewellery and the outfit feel intentional together, not accidental.
Green, coral and a deep poppy red are the strongest meenakari shades this season. They photograph exceptionally well against yellow and ivory outfits for Haldi and Mehendi.
If budget is tight, ask heritage jewellers for smaller meenakari pieces, a ring or a pair of earrings, before committing to a full set. The craft translates beautifully even in miniature.
Treat a meenakari piece as something you can rewear well beyond the wedding, with a saree or even with western wear, which is not always true of heavier polki sets.
The SGK Philosophy
I always tell my brides that jewellery is not the finishing touch, it is part of the architecture of the look, chosen with the same intention as the lehenga or the drape. Meenakari asks you to slow down and actually look at what you are wearing rather than simply reaching for the biggest, most obviously expensive piece in the case. That is exactly the kind of choice I want for every bride I dress: considered, personal, and something she will still love wearing a decade from now.
If you are starting to think about your bridal jewellery wardrobe, I would love to walk through it with you, piece by piece, function by function, until it feels entirely like you.
With love and style,
Shreya Gupta Kedia
Founder, SGK Styles
