Kiara Necklace: Story Behind Kiara Advani’s Showstopper Polki Jewellery

At Jaipur Gems, the Kiara jewellery look from Bombay Times Fashion Week 2018 comes down to one piece: the Water Lotus Polki Necklace Yellow Gold Pearl. Kiara Advani wore it in the event, and it holds attention for reasons that go well beyond the name attached to it. What follows is how the piece is made, why it suited her, and how to wear it yourself.

Quick Answer: Kiara jewellery at Bombay Times Fashion Week

The Kiara jewellery look that people still search for comes from Bombay Times Fashion Week 2018, where Kiara Advani walked as showstopper wearing a Jaipur Gems Polki necklace set. The necklace is a close-set surface of pearls and uncut diamonds in 18KT yellow gold, built in sections so it follows the line of the neck.

• Piece: Water Lotus Polki Necklace, Yellow Gold, Pearl

• Craft: Nuvo Polki / Jadau

• Materials: 766 pearls (78.85 cts), Polki diamonds, 18KT yellow gold

• Weight: 161.82g, currently in stock

The piece at a glance

The Kiara jewellery moment from Bombay Times Fashion Week 2018 comes down to one piece: the Water Lotus Polki Necklace Yellow Gold Pearl by Jaipur Gems. Kiara Advani wore it in the event, and it holds attention for reasons that go well beyond the name attached to it. What follows is how the piece is made, why it suited her, and how to wear it yourself.

Kiara jewellery on the ramp: Bombay Times Fashion Week 2018

Bombay Times Fashion Week 2018 ran over some days in Mumbai, from the end of March into the first days of April. On one of the day, Kiara Advani closed a designer's show in a heavily worked lehenga. An outfit like that sets a hard brief for the jewellery. 

It has to hold its own without competing. A necklace that sits too high looks crowded against the outfit, and one that hangs loose looks borrowed.

What the necklace brought to the Kiara jewellery look:

• One continuous surface of pearl and diamond across the collarbone, with no pendant pulling the eye downward

• A warm yellow-gold base that sat comfortably with the embroidery rather than against it

• Enough presence to read from the back of a fashion week venue, while still holding up to close inspection

That is why this Kiara jewellery look has stayed in people's minds long after the show. It was not a piece picked for the season. It was fine jewellery, made the slow way, that happened to be in front of a lot of cameras.

Inside the Kiara necklace: Water Lotus in pearl and Polki

The piece she wore is the Water Lotus Polki Necklace Yellow Gold Pearl. Look closely and you will see the lotus blooms repeat at a steady interval across the necklace, each one shaped before it is set. The surface is close-set, with 766 pearls and almost no metal showing between them. From a few feet away the Kiara necklace reads as a single, even field of ivory. Up close, the rhythm of the blooms comes through.

The key details:

• 766 pearls totalling 78.85 carats, set so closely that the gold almost disappears

• Polki diamonds, placed within the lotus forms

• 18KT yellow gold, 161.82g in weight

• Jointed sections, so the line curves with the neck instead of standing away from it

That last point is the one we would ask anyone to notice first. A necklace of this weight made as a rigid collar would sit on the body like a plate. Built in sections, it moves with the wearer and settles where it should. It belongs to our Nuvo Polki Necklace sets, which is the place to start if you want to compare it with its neighbours.

The jadau setting behind the Kiara jewellery look

 The stones in this necklace are set the jadau way. Gold is softened over heat and worked up around each stone, so there is no claw holding it in place and no solder on show. The order of work matters here more than almost anywhere else in the craft. 

What the jadau method means for this piece:

• No claw settings: the gold itself holds each stone

• No visible solder between the settings

• A fixed sequence of work, because reheating would disturb stones already in place

• 18KT gold, chosen because it holds the settings rigid where 22KT would move

The choice of 18KT surprises people who assume a higher karat always means a better piece. For jadau work carrying this many stones, the firmer gold is simply the correct decision. It keeps every setting where it was placed, year after year. The full process, stage by stage, is laid out in our piece on jadau jewellery and how it is made.

Why this necklace suits Kiara Advani

Kiara Advani's personal style is often described as simple but striking. She tends to let one strong element lead a look and keeps everything else in step with it. She also wears Indian dress with a lightness that feels current rather than costumed, which is harder to carry off than it looks. 

Everything about the piece is calm. The 766 pearls sit so closely that the surface reads as one soft, even field. The lotus blooms repeat at a steady interval, so the design feels ordered rather than busy.  

Where her style and the necklace meet:

• Quiet confidence: the piece draws attention through craft, not through size or colour

• Warmth: Pearl and yellow gold suit an approachable, easy presence

• Ease of movement: the jointed build lets the necklace follow the wearer, which matters for someone as comfortable on a ramp as on screen

• Old craft, modern feel: jadau setting and the lotus motif are deeply Indian, yet the flat, even layout feels contemporary

Pearl and diamond have been paired in Indian jewellery for generations, and the combination suits a modern wearer because neither element tries to outdo the other. For the background on  diamonds, what is polki jewellery covers it, including what to look at before you buy.

How to style like Kiara Advani

What stands out about Kiara Advani in the Jaipur Gems necklace is how little else she needed. The lehenga carried the colour and the embroidery, the necklace carried the craft, and nothing else competed for attention. That balance is the part worth borrowing, and it works whatever you plan to wear.

What to take from her look:

• Let one piece lead. With a necklace like the Water Lotus, it is the jewellery for the evening and everything else supports it

• Give the necklace room. An outfit that leaves the collarbone visible lets the full width of the piece be seen, as it was on the ramp

• Keep the earrings in the same family. Small pearl or Polki earrings carry the necklace forward instead of competing with it

• Match the warmth. Yellow gold and ivory pearl sit easily with gold zari, soft pastels and deep jewel tones

• Keep hair, make-up and accessories simple, so the attention stays on the piece

If you want a fuller set around a necklace like this, start there and add slowly. Browsing the Polki Jadau pieces alongside it helps, because earrings and a maang tikka made in the same craft keep the whole set in one visual language. That restraint is what made the Kiara jewellery look work in 2018, and it holds just as well now.

Recreating the Kiara jewellery look for different occasions

The necklace - Water Lotus Polki Necklace Yellow Gold Pearl, Kiara Advani wore is an occasion piece, but it covers more occasions than people tend to expect. The pearl surface is what makes it flexible. It softens in daylight and warms up under evening light, so the same necklace can move between very different settings.

Where it works best:

• Wedding functions: the sangeet, reception or cocktail evening, with a lehenga or a saree blouse cut with an open neckline

• Festive evenings: Karwa Chauth on 29 October and Diwali on 8 November 2026, worn with a silk saree and minimal bangles

• A bride's trousseau: as the second necklace for a post-wedding reception, once the heavier bridal set has had its day

• Formal evenings : with a solid-colour kaftan or gown with a clean, open neckline

• A family wedding as a guest: well dressed without drawing attention away from the bride

Daytime ceremonies work too, provided the outfit stays lighter. In soft morning light, the pearls carry more of the piece than the gold does, which keeps it from feeling heavy before noon. For a deeper sense of the craft behind occasion pieces like this, our guide to jadau jewellery walks through each stage of the making.

More Polki necklaces from Jaipur Gems to explore

The Water Lotus is a good starting point for a Kiara jewellery look, but it does not have to be the finishing one. If it is not quite right for you, there are pieces close by that share its craft and differ in scale, colour or stone.

Where to look next:

• The Nuvo Polki Necklace sets, the category the Water Lotus belongs to, with necklaces presented as complete sets

• Pearl-led designs, if the softness of the Water Lotus is what drew you in

• Designs where the Polki sits more openly against the gold, if it was the warmth of the metal that caught your eye

• Bespoke work, if you want something made to your own brief: custom pieces take 2–6 months, and a full bridal set up to six months

Our honest advice for anyone drawn to the Kiara jewellery look is to see the piece in person before deciding. Jointed necklaces behave differently on the body than they do in a photograph, and the only real test is how one sits on you. 

The Water Lotus is available to view at our Turner Road showroom in Mumbai, where you can see how it sits and moves before you decide. Jaipur Gems also has showrooms in Chennai and Coimbatore, and in Dubai and Abu Dhabi across the UAE, each with Polki necklaces to explore up close. 

 

The Kiara necklace, and why it earns a second look

A piece made the jadau way asks for patience at every stage, and it rewards the same patience from whoever wears it. That is the real reason the Kiara necklace holds a second look. The first glance catches the pearl. The second finds the lotus blooms, the joints, the absence of claws. The Kiara jewellery moment from 2018 was never only about who wore it. It was about how it was made.

Jaipur Gems was founded in 1974 and is a second-generation family house, with over fifty years of Jadau, Polki and Kundan craft designed and made in-house. We are a member of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

Before you enquire, it helps to know:

• Your outfit: what you plan to wear will decide whether this piece or a neighbour suits you better

• Your occasion: evening, daytime or bridal will guide the balance of pearl and gold

• Your timeline: the Water Lotus is in stock, while custom work needs 2–6 months

When you are ready, explore the Polki Jadau pieces at Jaipur Gems and read more of our stories on Polki and Jadau craft.

 

Kiara jewellery: frequently asked questions

What is the Kiara necklace from Jaipur Gems?

It is the Water Lotus Polki necklace Kiara Advani wore at Bombay Times Fashion Week 2018: 18KT yellow gold, Polki diamonds and 766 pearls weighing 78.85 cts.

What craft is behind the Kiara jewellery look?

Nuvo Polki / Jadau: uncut diamonds set the jadau way, with gold softened over heat and worked around each stone, leaving no claws and no visible solder.

Why is the necklace made in 18KT gold and not 22KT?

18KT gold holds jadau settings rigid, where softer 22KT would move. With 766 pearls and Polki diamonds bedded into the piece, that firmness keeps every stone secure.

How do I recreate the Kiara necklace look for a wedding?

Let the necklace be the main piece, choose an outfit that leaves the collarbone visible and keep earrings small, so the full width of the necklace can be seen.

How should I care for Polki and pearl jewellery like this?

Put the necklace on after perfume and hairspray, wipe it with a soft dry cloth after wearing, and store it flat in its own case, as pearls are softer than gold and diamond.