A couple wears a set designed by Shiudkar; (right) Children’s sets are inspired by lord Krishna. Pic Courtesy/Shraddha Bhatwadekar

Back in the day, the ornaments would be made at home, by stringing together halwa balls — made of sesame seeds, cardamom seeds, milk, cloves, dried coconut, rock sugar, cashews and almonds — in between golden beads. They were also commonly found at Maharashtrian-dominated areas like Dadar. Over the years, with the tradition transforming into somewhat of a trend, creators like Shiudkar and Kolhapur-based Shraddha Bhatwadekar have cropped up, who take orders from their home and ship their creations across India and the world. “The jewellery for women is modelled on real ornaments like necklaces, chokers, nath, mangalsutra and bangles. Nowadays, traditional styles of jewellery, like tanmani, chinchpeti and tushi are also being fashioned out of halwa,” informs Shiudkar. With customisation becoming all the rage, sleeker designs are made on a canvas of cloth or cardboard, with detailing like paper/cloth flowers, lace, beads and more. “Men’s ornaments — previously limited to a long necklace — include edible watches, pens and laptop covers, too,” elaborates Shiudkar.

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The cost of halwyache dagine ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 for kids, and Rs 800 to Rs 5,000 for couples, based on quality, detailing and delivery costs. The relation with her customers, says Shiudkar, is not just transactional. “From the moment I start designing the ornament, I get to be a part of their special moment. When they send pictures of their haldi kumkum or bornan, I feel included in their happiness,” she tells us.

CALL  9930461327 (Madhuri Shiudkar); 9011031107 (Shraddha Bhatwadekar)