New India-made coasters, napkin rings, serving trays attractive

Suppliers leverage material diversity and workmanship to come up with aesthetically pleasing designs.

The latest coasters, napkins rings and serving trays from India adopt materials, and feature details and embellishments that enhance visual appeal.

Most makers utilize wood, bamboo, bone, horn, resin and metal. Brass, copper, zinc, iron, aluminum, steel and other alloys are popular options for the last. Suppliers prefer the materials as these durable, lightweight and accommodate different designs.

Patterns in bamboo, wooden, bone, horn and resin pieces can be manually carved, engraved and embossed. Metal releases, meanwhile, come in various colors thanks to an array of surface treatments. Select versions come with stripes and checkered designs.

Some serving trays are enamel-painted or nickel-plated with engraved borders and handles. A number of bone and horn coasters have an antique or burnt finish.

As regards ornamentation, beads, faux pearls, resham thread and mother-of-pearls are common. The first are often made of glass, wood, bone and metal, and come in bright hues.

D-Raj International uses contrast-colored stones for its napkin rings.

2 S Collection offers leather coasters with stitch detailing.

Models are also available in a range of shapes. Many designs resemble celestial bodies, plants and animals.

India-made coasters and napkin rings start at $0.20 and top $2.50 while serving trays go for $8 to $15. Prices are determined by the material, detailing, trimmings and surface treatment.

There are between 400 and 500 suppliers in the line in India but the numbers are expected to increase in coming years because of strong demand from the US. Europe and Australia are the other key markets. Central and South America, South Africa, New Zealand and Japan are the emerging export locations.

See a comparison table of coaster, napkin ring & serving tray suppliers on GlobalSources.com