A timeless sparkle for the senses
Childhood memories have a profound way of getting embedded in one’s imagination, unfolding throughout a lifetime. For Mumbai-based Abhishek Rastogi of Novel Jewels, seeing his grandmother decked up in her finest jewels left an indelible mark.
“It goes back to the time when we lived in Lucknow. My Pinterest board was my grandmother’s jewel chest, and my Instagram feed was everything that would come out of the age-old marble and wood-carved storage. During every festival, she would pull out a silver box filled with heirloom pieces such as the striking navaratna-studded signet ring, the long Basra sautoir, the elaborate karnphools, and the stunning coin haar, and matched them with her graceful saris,” says the head of product design, research and development of the corporation.
The early impressions have found an outlet all these years later. Rastogi, along with Dilip Gaur, director, Novel Jewels, tapped into the nostalgia of such heritage pieces from across India to bring out a new brand—Indriya. Launched under the aegis of Aditya Birla Group (ABG) in multiple cities, the collection makes India’s centuries-old heritage take centre-stage, framing the way jewellery is perceived and manufactured. “It was essential for the brand to draw inspiration from the country’s diverse art forms, literature and the countless stories passed down through generations. Elements from these rich legacies needed to be intricately woven into the narrative of the jewellery interlaced with vibrant regional distinctiveness,” says Rastogi.
The term Indriya has its origins in Sanskrit and serves as an ode to the five senses. “The senses that power our consciousness and make us truly feel and explore the world,” says Gaur, who recalls the effort it took to put the brand together. “It emerged from an extensive consumer research study involving over 4,000 participants. We sought to understand the desires and preferences of our audience. We aimed to capture the pulse of the market while showcasing the craftsmanship of 3,500 artisans from 13 different locations, who dedicated over two million hours to bring the initial 15,000 pieces to life,” he says.
A showstopper piece is the Gulposh—‘covered with flowers’—necklace. True to its name, the design focuses on the enchanting beauty of the Indian rose. “The mastery of this piece with an interplay of polka, matched with rubies and diamonds, highlights the vibrancy of the gulab.
We dedicated a great deal of time to it because it was the first creation that embodied our creative vision for Indriya—a necklace that reflects the brilliance of craftsmanship, technology and storytelling” says Rastogi, adding that it took months to source the exact shade and size of rubies “to recreate the mystique realism of nature’s most beautiful flower”.
Then, there’s the Swarnavarya necklace, which masterfully combines many different techniques, including vieni-taar, chapai, wire kundan, kasu, stamping and hand hammering. “The center pendant is a result of the painstaking technique of takkar using carved red, green and white gemstones to mimic the beauty of a lush garden,” he says. Another stunning piece is the Kannah earcuffs. The stories of Krishna that Rastogi heard from his mother growing up inspired this piece made of lustrous green and blue gemstones framed by diamonds. “What better form than a peacock feather to bring alive the aura of Krishna?” he says.
With the substantial effort of introducing new designs nearly every couple of weeks, both Rstogi and Gaur have been in the relentless pursuit of creating a comprehensive design bank of all kinds of pieces; from everyday wear to pieces for occasions of all kinds, statement pieces to elaborate bridal jewellery. In light of this, Gaur remains optimistic about the future of Indriya. “Given the bourgeoning jewellery environment and the ongoing shift towards a more organised market structure, there lies great opportunity for branded players like us. Furthermore, as affluence grows and customer preferences evolve, the jewellery category will shift from being purely an investment to becoming a means of making personal statements. We aim to leverage this,” he says.
Interestingly, this vision comes from a man who grew up in an India where everything essential was rationed. He remembers standing in long queues for nearly everything. Now, he is focused on creating a brand of premium products that reflect the new age of abundance. “I strongly believe in the power of frugality which has stood me in good stead while running businesses in tough times. The result was developing incredible tenacity and that’s my superpower,” he says. With this unstoppable drive and an arsenal of talented people like Rastogi, the brand is set to revolutionise the jewellery market. Availability: Indriya.com