Pandering to the royal flush
They made the world’s largest emerald necklace - a 2,200-carat single centre stone. They believe in the niche glory of Indian royalty; the aspirational lure of seller and buyer alike. They are Symetree, a handcrafted luxury jewellery brand born in Jaipur, which has opened a new store that speaks of its core philosophy of pandering to the royalty trope.
In a 19th-century restored haveli, located on the very hillock where British painter Thomas Daniell sketched the Qutub Minar in 1789, now stands the purveyor of handcrafted luxury jewellery.
Abhishek Haritwal, who founded the Symetree brand in 2005, admits that while it is Jaipur-based, he could not ignore the fact that India’s bridal capital is Delhi.
“Being here is extremely important for us. We have been in Khan Market for close to 14 years and wanted to take this experience further,” he says.
The inspiration for Symetree is typical Jaipur where palaces, forts, fables and fantasy represent grand history, The handcrafted pieces on sale are a fusion of tradition and the contemporary, which makes sense to the new buyer.
Now upmarket stores are not just about the shop window; they need to tell a story. Symetree’s Delhi signature sight is the Qutub Minar that towers over the restored haveli.
“The architecture at the time had a blend of Rajput and influences. We have managed to restore the building to its original glory. There is araaish stucco on the walls, hubcaps on the top of the roof and arches which form the lead motif of our story, Tirbari,” he says. The innermost and most private space inside the store is Rani Mahal that houses the finest of jewels
The brand’s latest offering is The Sawai: One and a Quarter, a limited-edition collection of rare uncut diamonds and emeralds; it is supposed to be a tribute to Jaipur royal family.
Rajasthan’s exotic export is royalty, and Symetree has cottoned on to its cachet. The pieces are cleverly matched with contemporary-coloured gems but with age old settings.
“Sawai, was the title the British gave to most of the prominent ruling families of India. This goes well with our collection which aims to be larger than life. Under the Sawai brand, we did a bloom of royalty; an uncut diamond and a very unusual-shaped pear,” he shares.
Other prominent collections include the Nawalgarh, a desert fortress in Rajasthan.
“All our signature pieces with varied colours, tourmalines, rubies, sapphires and emeralds are under Nawalgarh,” says Haritwal.
East Meets West is for international clients such as Hillary Clinton, Hilary Swank, Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey and Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. At their boutique luxury level scale, they might be the only brand which is ‘mines to market’ with mining assets in Africa as well as in India. Conscience with class is a trademark of this ode to royalty.