Signity India is organising a by-invitation seminar on the stone – marcasite, which seems to be gaining its popular foothold in the jewellery circle once again. The seminar is slated on June 12, 2009 at the Hotel Hyatt Regency, Mumbai. “With the recent rise in popularity of marcasite not just in India but all over the world, we feel there is a need to inform the Indian trade about the multifaceted use of this traditional stone. The best way to do this is by hosting a seminar, said Mr. Rajendra Jain, General Manager of Signity India.

The seminar planned for June will address all aspects of the material and the stone, its historic development, the use of marcasite in various design directions, information about processing, the world silver jewellery market and the current marcasite jewellery market. This traditional opaque jewellery stone cut from genuine pyrite, has been a favourite for centuries for its use in the manufacture of exquisite sparkling jewellery.

“Swarovski is the leader in cutting marcasites of unrivalled quality and has been a major supplier of the stone for decades. We want to guide the vast pool of Indian artisans to develop exciting new designs with marcasite,” Jain added.

The company has initiated various ways to promote the use of marcasite in jewellery. It had organised the MarcasitEment Design Contest last year held in cooperation with NIFT, underlining that the use of the stone, which proved fruitful especially in the current economic climate. “With limited possibilities of using new materials in jewellery, it is advisable to develop new designs with marcasite. Its unique soft-steely sparkle lends a particular elegance to any jewellery,” the Signity general manager underlined.

The seminar will be further enriched by the presence of speakers including Mr. Kurt Zbinden, Signity Regional Director South East Asia & Indian Subcontinent as well as Mr. Christoph Lechmann, Product Manager Marcasite, D. Swarovski & Co. Austria.