Two brands have come up with beautiful additions to their initial collections. Rendered in lustrous gold and diamonds, the designs are infused with an inherent creative process.
Brand: Harakh
Founder: Harakh Mehta
Latest Launch: Mumbai-based designer Harakh Mehta made his debut in 2017 at Couture Show in Las Vegas with quite a few collections comprising fine and high jewellery. Sunlight collection was one among them. Mehta recently added 18 pieces to the Sunlight line, in yellow gold, embellished with round and baguette-cut diamonds. “The use of yellow gold and custom-cut calibrated baguettes is a depiction of the sun rays.” Also, the smaller everyday stackable pieces from the series are available in rose and white gold.
Design: The new pieces came about when clients requested that Mehta design something that matched their pieces from the initial Sunlight collection. “We added on pieces that can be stacked and layered; these are very much on trend. We carefully curated the new styles, while keeping our DNA intact,” he adds. The new series is comprised of 18 pieces, including necklaces, bangles, statement earrings, hoops, cocktail rings, and some minimalist versions. “Some of the pieces are distinctly different from the earlier Sunlight motifs, especially the dome-shaped pendants and rings with gold granulation.”
The designer explores ancient goldsmithing techniques and craft style that were once very popular in India. The purpose, he explains, is two-fold.
“I wanted to share something with the world that was stunning, yet fresh and new. I also wanted to support local artisans or karigars, as we call them, who needed training and expertise on what worked well in an international market. We researched a variety of techniques and chose Pota, because it had rarely been done in jewellery – it is a craft typically used on fabric. It took us a lot of convincing to get the artisans to trade their threads and work with metal instead.” The karigars perfected the work in gold – and the pieces turned out to be exactly as Mehta had imagined. “The Pota technique brought to life the idea of little drops of sunlight! It was a big win and at many levels.”
Brand: Shimell and Madden
Founders: Emma Madden and Luke Shimell
Latest Launch: A few years ago, Shimell and Madden unveiled their Parallel collection at the Goldsmiths Fair in London. The design saw a departure from their previous circular collections; quadrilateral regularity dominated the creations – structural style, textured details too remained intact. “We wanted to explore a new direction. We set out to create pieces using connections that were only right angles, relating each line to one another by either being parallel or perpendicular.”
The duo has now brought new life to the fan favourite Parallel series with 10 pieces. “We are lucky enough to be able to continue working at our private studio and we have been combining that with working from home.” This year, the designers released only a very small amount of new work and concentrated on bespoke commissions, which have steadily been growing.
Design: The design aesthetic, explains Madden, is influenced by geometry and a sense of ‘balanced beauty.’ Mathematics has always been their starting point, while the geometric aesthetic comes from their shared love of the subject and its use throughout art and culture. “We use simple repeated forms to layer, combine, and cut away sections to reveal more intricate structures.” Parallel is an exploration of line and layering. Each element in the jewellery is created from hand-drawn wire to a specific dimension. “This process hardens the metal, making it very durable. Each section is aligned and joined to create the structure of the piece.”
The Parallel line comprises a statement ring set with a mirror cut amethyst, but the main body of the collection features 18k yellow gold and white diamonds. “We wanted the structure to speak for itself without the addition of many gemstone colours.” The texturing is stunning and is achieved through a special technique that creates microscopic cuts on the surface of the precious metal. “On mass, these marks give a reflective shining texture, a bit like velvet,” she adds. Shimell and Madden use conflict free diamonds and recycled gold in their works.
