CATEGORIES
Vancleef Reinterprets Noah's Ark
High-end couture maison Van Cleef & Arpels retells the story of the famous Noah’s Ark by paying a gemmy homage to the biblical tale.
Ahead Of Her Times
Padma Shri recipient SHAHNAZ HUSAIN needs no introduction. The woman who broke the glass ceiling is one of the most recognised entrepreneurs who revolutionised the cosmetic industry by advocating the use of natural, herbal Ayurvedic products in India and abroad. The founder, chairperson and managing director of the Shahnaz Husain Group of Companies forayed into this field four decades ago, long before ‘organic’ and ‘herbal’ became household words. Recently, Harvard University added her business model as a case study to its curriculum.A style icon, Shahnaz belongs to a family of eminent legal luminaries. Her Oxfordeducated father, former chief justice N.U. Beg, instilled in her a love of poetry and English literature, and forced her to think beyond just business. Thus, Shahnaz pioneered vocational training in beauty in India in keeping with international standards.Women’s empowerment and humanitarian activities have always been close to her heart.In an email interview, Shahnaz speaks about her distinctive style, her love for jewellery and watches, her quest to promote Ayurveda beauty care and her future plans.
Taking Glass To A New Level
Debasmita Ghosh from Ahmedabad belongs to a breed of artists, who express their ideas by using common material – in her case she prefers the humble glass. In December 2017, Debasmita launched her brand Aadikara, meaning the first creator, and another name for Lord Brahma. In a short span, success has followed this NIFT and NID Design postgraduate. She manipulates glass to create beautiful, nature-inspired designer jewellery that blew our minds.
The Artistic Expressions Of Riddhi Doshi
A strong in-built design sense combined with a lineage of Palanpuri community diamond dealers proved to be fortuitous for Riddhi Doshi, a Mumbai-based jewellery designer, who has been steadfastly making a name for herself in the bespoke jewellery segment.
Girl On The Rise
ARIA MEHTA hails from an illustrious family that runs Rosy Blue, a renowned diamond company based in Belgium and India.
Bia Tambelli - Is All Soul
Up-and-coming Brazilian designer Bia Tambelli is one to watch. Her pieces are bold, modern, and centre on geometric shapes and mathematical analysis. She chats about her background, spiritualism, and what’s next for her namesake line.
Andy Lif's Rainbow Of Jewels
Andy Lifschutz grew up in Oregon and later Portland, USA. He was afforded a very artistic upbringing, which was encouraged by his parents and strengthened by the powerhouse that was his grandmother. The Los Angeles-based artist creates endearing designs under the brand name Andy Lif Jewelry.
Anna Maccieri Rossi's Everlasting Art
Her World Is All About Time. Anna Maccieri Rossi Of Italy Creates Timeless Jewels That Comprise Her Cherished Memories And Dreams, Her Present-day Moments And More.
Graff A Cut Above
Graff, a British jewellery firm, has cut and polished the majority of the 20 largest diamonds discovered in this century.
Modernist At Heart
Diverse interests make HARSHAD AJOOMAL a fascinating jewellery artist. Known for his ultramodern aesthetics, Harshad dives deep into his hobbies and learns new art forms to hone his artistic skills. Being by the sea inspires and energises him no end. But that is not all – he meditates, is an avid scuba-diver and a swimmer, and has begun to recently learn sculpting and organic farming. A seasoned globe-trotter, Harshad loves to visit museums around the world, and is fascinated by architecture and history. He has also written some children’s adventure books, which hopefully he will publish some day. Colour plays a very important role in Harshad’s avant-garde designs that lean towards abstract influences. Paying utmost importance to form and function, the talented artist has an impressive body of modern designs that transcend timeline barriers.
Surabhi Didwania's: Big, Bold & Beautiful Art
Meet Surabhi Didwania, the creative head and founder of Motifs, a jewellery brand that upholds Indian crafts and heritage.
Moody Greys
The New-Gen Woman Goes Back To Her Roots And Adorns Herself With Silver And Gold Jewellery Inspired By Temple Motifs That Evoke Old-world Charm.
Saffronart's Dialogue On Jewellery In Praise Of Indian Jewels
Adornment in India is a way of life – it’s intricately linked from birth to death – and thus, it is not surprising that every single person owns at least one piece of jewellery.
Unorthodox Artistry
Raised on talks related to arts, crafts, paintings and design since childhood, London-based Akansha Sethi soon realised that her métier was designing jewellery that captured her travelogues, her inspirations in gold. The gifted young prodigy is already creating waves in the field.
Structural Wonders
Architect and award-winning jeweller Marcia Budet talks about her transition fromthe world of brick-and-mortar to that of gemstone and prongs.
Faidee's Love Affair With Rubies
One-of-a-kind jewels took centre stage at the world’s first ‘Burmese Ruby Exhibition’ helmed by Faidee, with the jeweller’s favoured motifs holding sway over visitors.
The Art Of De Grisogono
Swiss jeweller de GRISOGONO’s 163.41-carat perfect white diamond is the largest of its kind ever to come to auction and the most valuable gem the house has ever set. It is also the first step in a game-changing move on the cusp of its 25th anniversary.
Gold Lust
The new-age bride-to-be references the past, but adds a fresh spin by opting for heavily detailed 22-karat gold jewellery that is handcrafted with ancient techniques and adorned with uncut diamonds and rubies. Paired with exclusive and trendy ensembles that reflect her high style, she proves that she is a trendsetter in the true sense of the word – her chutzpah and swish demeanour tell all.
A Mix Of Old And New
Gut instinct to follow one’s choice of profession, and a zeal for all things creative and thinking out of-the-box – a combination of these traits has made this first generation, Kolkata based jewellery designer Radhika Jain popular. She speaks about the genesis of her brand MiRa and her journey thereafter.
Evergreen Beauty
The PAPYRUS watch by Cartier is a breathtaking composition that ingeniously unites its creativity as a jeweller and expertise as a watchmaker in a dazzling, viridescent display of gemstones.
Pushing The Envelope
When ANAM PATEL couldn’t find the kind of jewellery that she wanted in stores, she decided to create them herself.
the eloquence of art deco
the moscow kremlin museum highlights the luxury, glamour and exuberance of haute couture and jewellery during the art deco era through its exhibition, the ‘elegance and splendour of art deco’ from september 30, 2016 to january 11, 2017 at the one pillar chamber of the patriarch’s palace.
Deborah Pagani Redefines Art Deco
DEBORAH PAGANI’s charming pieces resemble horseshoes and pills, which are every bit sparkly, eclectic and beautiful as you can imagine. ‘American Made’ is something that is essential to her brand, says the designer whose Jewellery production is firmly established in her home city, New York. Deborah redesigns and decodes Art Deco silhouettes. Aesthetically, that translates into creations undeniably classical in their construct, and especially refreshing – inherently stylish with a modern twist.
Yves Spinelli Follows His Heart
Sometimes, it’s a good thing ‘What happens in Vegas’ doesn’t quite stay in Vegas – luxury jewellery brand Spinelli Kilcollin, for instance, has garnered many loyal fans for its hip stackable linked rings. Known for absolutely cool, chic and fun designs, LA-based Spinelli Kilcollin is now carried in over 50 luxury boutiques worldwide, including Barneys, Colette, Dover Street Market, Maxfield, Harrods, Montaigne Market and Lane Crawford. SMITHA SADANANDAN finds out from founder and designer YVES SPINELLI how it all began.
A Journey Of Design
The iconic Italian jewellery house, Picchiotti, completes 50 years. Here’s a look at their milestones.
Neha Dani: New Age Impressionist
A recent entrant into the field of jewellery making, Delhi-based NEHA DANI is already being counted in the stratosphere of rare jewellery artists. Although her detailed renditions in customcoloured rhodium-plated 18-karat gold set with a multitude of gemstones draw heavily from nature, the one-off, sculptural pieces resemble artworks of impressionist painters.
cut from a different cloth
an artist is an artist after all, and aditi amin, a painter by hobby and banker by profession, chose to channel her creative energies into making fashion jewellery. the only similarity between her age-old hobby and her new-found passion was the canvas. yes, she uses the canvas as her base for jewellery and decorates it with crystals, glass, beads, woven zari braids and more. according to her, the label ‘by aditi amin’ is an amalgamation of her varied experiences and her quest to present before the world statement pieces which are bold, unique, fun and avantgarde. aditi says, “designing larger-than-life statement jewellery pieces is an expression of art.”she tells us about how this medium of creativity has helped her find her calling.
takes the road less travelled
she finds beauty in imperfection – the asymmetrical, creased and aged effects, the raw and rough hewn edged entities that signify the transient nature of life. himani grover belongs to a growing breed of new jewellery designers who believe in the romantic era where individualism is celebrated and the past and nature glorified. a traditionalist with her rural-at-heart creativity, himani is a story teller with a difference. her collections reflect a unique sense of aestheticism that package age-old wisdom for the new-age woman.
pearl perfect
what makes jewelmer joaillerie stand out from the crowd? smitha sadanandan takes a look at this french-filipino brand that specialises in golden south sea pearls with its precious approach to design.