03 August,2011 10:36 AM IST | | piali dasgupta
That's what jewellery does. Or so believed Norwegian figure skater and film star Sonja henie. The purpose of wearing jewellery has possibly evolved in the Botox Era. But for someone who makes them, jewellery connotes fulfilment and joy
u00a0
You can chase green half your life doing jobs that have only paid your bills and offered nothing else. But your passion will find you eventually. Even if it is at the age of 55. Ask Jyotsna Singh, the grand- daughter of the late Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Jyotsna, who's holding her first exhibition in town from August 4 to 6, quit corporate life in January 2010 to start her jewellery line called Manjusha. The designer, who shuttles between San Francisco and Delhi, says, "I don't have a design background, but the flow was so easy that it felt like a spiritual journey. Designing jewellery was intrinsic. I called the line Manjusha as it means a treasure chest of jewels."
She makes contemporary, versatile jewellery in silver and semi precious stones so that the prices are not prohibitive and claims that the pieces add as much grace to a saree as they do to a jumpsuit. "I use a lot of beautiful contemporary stones like smokey and golden topaz, green amethyst, turquoise, rose quartz, crystals, aventurine, citrine, lapis, coral, carnelian and labradorite for my signature neck pieces and earrings," she states. Pearls are also a huge part of her collection.
Since she has patrons in Brazil, India and the US, her line had to be very international. But Indian influence peeks in through her contemporary kundan and jadau pieces. "If I were to describe my jewellery, I would use a mundane word like 'beautiful'. I use geometric designs, drops and flowers and no two pieces are the same," maintains Jyotsna.
Growing up in the royal family of Patiala, she saw a lot of beautiful stone drops, diamond and ruby jewellery and gorgeous chandeliers in sapphires, pearls and emeralds. "I inherited some of them. These jewelleries certainly have had some bearing on my aesthetics as they all have a royal touch," she avers.
Her grandfather's famous Maharaja necklace was the most expensive piece commissioned to Cartier, according to the jewellers. "Nanaji loved jewellery. In 1928, he took a trunkful of jewels to Cartier to make the Patiala necklace. There were seven major stones in the necklace made of platinum, the largest being a 234 carat diamond that was the size of a golf ball. It covers almost three quarters of a man's chest," recalls Jyotsna.
"At some point, the family started selling some of the diamonds and in 1990, they found the necklace without the major diamond. The family had sold it to someone and Cartier bought it back. They wanted to redo it and looked for a replacement for the big diamond, but couldn't find any. That's when they redid it with zircon. It has been exhibited in London and New York. Nanaji always wanted to approach European jewelers as they are known for their exquisite craftsmanship the world over," she reveals.u00a0
She inherited the same passion for jewellery and wants to travel to South East Asia with her line. But before that, she lets us in on why most jewellers get their jewellery crafted in Jaipur. "When I went to Brazil, where 60 per cent of the semi precious stones come from, the gems were more expensive than the ones in the US. I learnt that while all the raw stones come from Brazil, they are sent to Jaipur for cutting as Brazil doesn't have stone cutters. And the Brazilian government levies a 200 per cent import duty on their own stones when they are brought back into the country. So Jaipur is the preffered city for every jeweller," explains Jyotsna.u00a0u00a0
Where Rugs and Riches, Devatha Plaza, 131, Residency Road
On August 4 to 6, 10 am to 7.30 pmu00a0
For Rs 3,900 to 25,000
Call 41125662
