Modern India: Van Gelder

After nearly 40 years of selling antique jewelry, a Dutch brand has released its own collection while staying true to its roots.

Raised among beautiful jewelry, Dutch sisters Noëlle and Fleur Van Gelder inherited their love for Indian designs from their mother, Bernadette Van Gelder-van der Ven. Recognizing the unique quality, beauty, meaning and potential of traditional Indian jewelry almost 40 years ago, she founded Van Gelder Indian Jewellery in ’s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands.

The family brand specializes in sourcing antique jewelry from India, selling it to clients in Europe. Since joining the business in 2000, and taking the helm in 2012, the sisters have continued to build the heritage collection and expanded its global reach.

Contemporary crossover
Last year saw the launch of the company’s first contemporary collection, subdivided into themes: Colors, Jali, Jodha Bai and Chandra. Jali, meaning lattice in Hindi, refers to the lattice windows common in Mughal architecture, while Jodha Bai, a famous warrior queen of India, has lent inspiration for the collection. Chandra is the Hindi word for moon. The sisters’ passion for India feeds their inspiration, driven by extensive knowledge of materials, design and craftsmanship.

The collection draws on stories of Indian culture, ritual, history and materials; objects of nature; and architectural elements. It supplies a fresh perspective and modern interpretation of many Indian elements. The result is an assembly of one-of-a-kind pieces that showcase the Van Gelder aesthetic sense and style, which appeals to collectors of fine jewelry in both the East and the West. Remarkably, the contemporary pieces boast the same qualities as the antique ones, and can be paired together seamlessly.

“We demonstrate the uniqueness of Indian jewelry in the way it marries beauty, significance and wearability. We know of no other style of jewelry that is so rich in meaning, technically superior, diverse in style and colorful as Indian jewelry,” reveals Fleur.

“Only the highest-quality, sustainably sourced [semiprecious and precious] gemstones and metals — gold and silver — are used and crafted by our own team of highly experienced artisans in Jaipur. We also take into account the meaning and symbolism of individual materials,” adds Noëlle.

Sister act
The siblings are now creating a legacy of their own. Fleur, who studied painting and restoration, is responsible for all the design-led work, while Noëlle, with a background in art history, curates the heritage collection and oversees research, operations, client services and media relations.

The calendar for the coming year is already full. The brand, which was previously based in a small space in the historical city center of ’s-Hertogenbosch, has moved into its own gallery in the town. Having launched the new collection in Europe, the sisters are continuing to expand their presence there, as well as committing to several exhibitions and events across Europe and India. “Through our collections we create and pass on a legacy that not only looks good, but also feels good to be a part of. We aim to create timeless, quality pieces that [maintain] relevance in any context, and Bernadette couldn’t be more proud!” says Fleur.