Indian women have a long and complex relationship with jewellery, going back all the way to Mohenjo Daro. Traditionally, jewellery has formed part of the stree-dhan concept, but its allure is so much more than mere legalese. India excels in jewellery craft but the crafting has traditionally been a male domain. Mumbai-based Shachee Shah has upended this, working with her own hands on the bench. Not only that. She has brought the ancient tradition of micro mosaic to India, which originated in Italy as keepsakes that travellers took back, but is now almost lost in Europe.
Shah began her journey wanting to study fashion but discovered micro mosaic on a trip to Italy. She realised that this would be unique in India and set out to train herself in an Italian institute, learning to work with tools in the traditional way, and researching design and history in Vatican museums and ateliers in Ravenna.
Her intense study led to her brand of micro mosaic jewellery, which is Italian in concept but with an Indian heart and Indian motifs. She calls it the Garden of Bliss, with Nature as her main inspiration. Shah thinks that Nature has an unspoken voice that speaks volumes for those who want to listen and that her jewels are the little beauties that speak that voice. Art, history, wildlife and vintage objects are her other inspirations.
The raw material in mosaic jewellery consists of tiny rods of gold and Venetian glass enamel, which are formed by mixing different colours (called Smalto). These are pulled into threads at a temperature of 1200 degrees and then left to cool. The process is highly skilled and time-consuming. Each of these glass-pulled threads (tessera) are cut in microns and arranged together to create a pattern. Shah creates the pattern with her naked eye. Because each piece is completely handcrafted, it is unique and unrepeatable. All gold used is 18-karat, and the glimmer comes from natural diamonds and precious gems.
Shah’s other line of jewellery is so much like lace, you’d be forgiven for trying to attach it to your hanky. This is her invention: 18-karat gold wires woven into intricate lace-like patterns, an ethereal jewel worn on the ear or wrist. She called this the Venetian collection.
When Shah started her line, she worked on each piece herself, from the block of gold to the finished piece. Now with avid demand, she has added helping hands to her production process, but each piece still carries
her handwork in its manufacturing process.
Shah’s muse is the woman who believes in herself and amalgamates her style with story, emotion and character. This woman knows she can. Much like Shah herself, who broke into the male-dominated field of metalsmithing, which is perceived as physically punishing.
Because the jewellery is entirely handcrafted and takes time to produce, Shah prefers to work through personal appointments at her studio, and through exhibitions at stores and galleries. She has a market abroad too, with women in the UAE, UK and the USA eager to wear her jewels. All this is slated to expand in the next few years. Most exciting? She is going to introduce a new jewellery technique by the end of 2021. We can’t wait.
The raw material in mosaic jewellery consists of tiny rods of gold and Venetian glass enamel, which are formed by mixing different colours