Kapoor, who has tied up with the Great India Place in Noida and the City Square Store in Rajouri Gardens in the capital to sell 'The Real Effect', has kept the price range of the collection between Rs.2,000 and Rs.6,000.

'We will be setting up another outlet in Gurgaon next month,' he said.

Silver was first mined in ancient Anatolia, present day Turkey, during the Bronze Age in 2500 BC. India traded silver as its currency, along with gold till the late 18th century when coins were replaced by metal alloys.

The lure of silver is more enduring than that of gold for it has a place of its own in the crafts history of India, Kapoor said.

'Now, the trend is sterling silver,' Kapoor said. He started the 'The Real Effect' range in Britain in 2001. 'I often use platinum in the UK,' said Kapoor, who has been in the business for the past 30 years.

'Earlier, I dealt with gemstones,' he said. Kapoor's headquarters are located in Hatton Gardens in the UK and he employs in-house artisans to design his jewellery.

Giving insight into the buying patterns of Indians and the British, Kapoor said, 'British buy silver as treasures while Indians buy silver as fashion jewellery.

'In India, silver is cheap and is found in abundance. Though Indian women are fond of ethnic silver jewellery, the steep prices have forced them to opt for lighter contemporary jewellery.'

Encouraged by the response, the designer is planning a new range of coloured zirconia and silver in 2010.