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.

- Shanoo Bijlani

Tell us how you arrived at the name MiRA for your brand. 

MiRA is abbreviated from two names Milky, my cousin from whom I learned the basics of jewellery designing, and my own name Radhika. MiRA (pronounced My-Ra) merges self (My) with the Sun (Ra). God Ra in Egyptian mythology symbolises power, creativity, light and individuality. MiRA aims to imbibe all these qualities in its designs.

Are you trained in jewellery designing? 

I am a self-trained designer and completed a diploma in gemmology with distinction from Sindhar Institute of Gemology, Kolkata.

A happy-go-lucky person, I found myself appreciating art and design at every level as I went on with the flow of life. What particularly gave rise to my brand though, was a summer that I spent helping my cousin, Milky, design jewellery. I was so fascinated by the whole process that I decided I wanted to design my own creations.

The amalgamation of my love for gemstones and the act of designing, resulted in collections that were appreciated by all. That boosted my confidence and inspired me to take this profession seriously.

When did you start your journey? 

It’s been seven years now. I started selling my creations from a store called Kali in Kolkata.