Amid the beauty of Italy, 34-year-old Pradhyuman Maloo, creative director of Nornament, found himself transfixed by the exquisite cameo jewellery pieces he saw during a recent trip. Adorning the windows of several high-end stores in famous fashion districts, these pieces captivated his gaze with their Victorian charm. Steeped in the romanticism of the yesteryears, cameo became Maloo’s muse, one that has inspired the new collection by his luxury jewellery brand based in Mumbai and Kolkata.
Created first by the ancient Sumerians, cameos were originally used as seals. During the Renaissance, they evolved into wearables in the form of jewellery became a wearable statement, followed by the golden Victorian era. “Characterised by intricate carvings on corals, stone and shells, cameo continues to carry a remarkable appeal even today, both in its classic form with iconography centered on mythology, landscape, botanical motifs and portraits, as well as contemporary iterations. Articulating our focus on the latter, we highlighted the centrepieces with diamond polkis, diamonds, gold and pearls,” says Maloo.
Every piece carries a narrative. For instance, take the the pendant with a portrait of an elegant dame. Hanging from a string of polki, highlighted with diamonds and pearls, it features a delicate leaf-like design on its frame “showing her surrounded by beauty, leaving her in awe”.
In another one, there’s a portrait of a lady playing the piano with her cat resting on top of it, depicting a moment of leisure. The pendant hangs on a multilayered string of pearls. An off-beat rendition is that of an owl perched on a flowering tree. The picturesque setting of the pendant is brought out with carved, diamond-studded flowers and gold wire detailing.
“The sun and moon piece, on the other hand, emphasizes how we all draw energies from these celestial bodies. The central part of the pendant, therefore, comprises these two elements with an outline of yellow diamonds around the sun and white diamonds around the moon,” says Maloo, who often turns to nature for inspiration. “Mindful observation of our environment not only soothes me but also allows for new ideas to germinate. It is in those quiet moments that great clarity emerges,” he adds.