#VocalForLocal: The Ephemeral Power of Stones, And What It Is To Create Jewellery With Meaning

Often jewellery purchases are made to mark a milestone moment in one’s life. Even a small buy on a whim is tied to a victory or an accomplishment of some sort. It’s only natural that those who spend decades honing their craft, put great thought into creating pieces that are treasured for lifetimes. We spoke to two unique creators from Ananya Fine Jewellery and Gazdar on their thought process with regards to selection of stones, philosophies and the hidden messages behind their work.

Ananya Malhotra, founder and creative director, Ananya Fine Jewellery

From the top

I grew up in India where jewellery holds significant importance at ceremonies and in culture. For me, it is personal and carries great sentiment and I went on to discover my true passion when studying at Central Saint Martins and GIA. I was keen to share the cultural and sentimental value jewellery has for me and seek to achieve this through my use of material and design.

All that matters

Our pieces are symbolic in both form and meaning. The designs represent something special and significant to me, such as the flow of energy or the jasmine flower, and the materials used to create our pieces have their own meaning and healing properties in themselves.

Not just a stone

I love to draw and create and thus my creative process starts and ends with my sketch book. The jewellery starts from sketches and then moves through a long process to make sure the piece is perfect. Our gemstones are sourced from around the world, we love to celebrate what nature has to offer us with different colours and regions.

Special something

Someone very dear to us recently described our jewellery as 'chameleon-like in their charm' and I believe that's what our wearers find unique - their versatility. They can be worn day to evening with a white top and jeans or with an evening gown.

Key pieces this season to watch out for

Chakra earrings and necklaces.

Shreyans Gandhi, Creative Director, Gazdar

Drenched in history

Gazdar started its operations in 1933 at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, and is the oldest running store at the Taj. In 1961, Gazdar displayed its remarkable array of jewellery as a part of an elite fashion show held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The collection boasted some of India’s finest and most opulent jewels. The patronage of Gazdar extends from the royal families of Jaipur, Gwalior, Baroda, Bikaner, Patiala, Hyderabad, Kashmir, and Surgana to the royal families of Thailand, Bahrain and Qatar. Gazdar was the official evaluator and advisor to the Nizam of Hyderabad’s fabulous collection of jewellery. For the past 90 years, we have been fortunate to have the patronage from a global clientele through various auction houses such as Christies, Sotheby's, Bonhams, etc. Our pieces have been recognised and appreciated at various auction houses across the globe from Mumbai, New York, London, Paris, Geneva.

It’s the source that matters

Focussing on the natural stones, Gazdar uses extraordinary gemstones, that display rich colour, spectacular lustre and exceptional clarity, as the starting point for creating exemplary jewellery. The collections draw inspiration from nature, history, art and imagination. Our gemstones are sourced from mines across the world such as Burma, South Africa, Canada, Zambia, Colombia. While acquiring our gemstones, we make sure each stone is perfect in its colour, clarity, lustre and cutting style. Gazdar also sources gemstones that are without any treatments. Gazdar is also known for housing various collectable vintage pieces (Indian as well as Western) that demonstrate the expertise and finesse of the artisans and lapidaries of the past. Every piece is distinctive of a certain era and provenance. Vintage jewellery is priceless art, precious heritage!

One in a million

The patronage for Gazdar has maintained over decades, completing 90 years next year, because of the rich use of gemstones, masterful craftsmanship and honesty that the brand values. Quality at Gazdar is never compromised when it comes to its pieces. Whether it is a uniquely sourced gemstone or a vintage jewel, the process of acquisition goes through various levels of evaluation and consideration. We have an exceptional team that is adept at getting the best pieces. At Gazdar, most of our pieces are based on timeless and eternal designs, and appeal to diverse generations. They are pieces that can be passed on from one generation to the next.

Key pieces this season to watch out for

This season, customers are looking out for designs with intricate and textured gold work such as the bracelets and rings with fine craftsmanship. The unusual scratchwork, wire, rope-work and other techniques that have been popularised since the ‘80s are a testament to Gazdar’s unique use of gold textured elements. Engraved yellow gold creates a perfect framework for wearability and uniqueness. Another very popular trend is the resurgence of brooches. Whether it is men or women, we are noticing the revival of uniquely crafted and vintage brooches. We are seeing brooches being adorned on jackets, sarees, scarfs, shirts. The pop-up features some iconic brooches - studded with gemstones, textured gold, vintage Tiffany and Mellerio pieces.

Find pieces from Ananya Fine Jewellery and Gazdar at our limited jewellery pop-up at the Le Mill store.