She might be the granddaughter of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, who was quite famous for his fabulous jewellery from Cartier, but for Jyotsna Singh, jewellery happened much later in life….
“I didn’t discover jewellery late in life; it was always around me. Even then, though I was totally fascinated with it, I never thought I’d be a designer one day,” says Jyotsna, who is currently in India for her exhibition.
It all started with a bit of envy for Jyotsna when, “I used to see jewellery on people that I’d fall in love with and begin a conversation by asking them where they got it made etc… Then, I contacted a few of suppliers and started with selling their stuff. This was around four years ago. Even at that time, I didn’t think I’d be a designer or have a store of my own or anything,” she says.
January 2010, however, brought about a change in Jyotsna’s life. She quit corporate America after 30 years and decided to do something on her own. “I couldn’t have stopped working. So I started designing jewellery; it was my true calling. I also realised that every time I’d see a piece I’d like, I would tell myself that if I had done it, it would be different. I never went to any gemological institute and neither have I studied jewellery designing; I just go with my instincts,” she adds.
Incidentally, Jyotsna travelled to Jaipur, met with karigars and made a few necklaces. According to her, “they were really bad but they sold!” A push of encouragement kept bringing her back to the gem city of India and she churned out one design after another. It was somewhere around that time Manjusha (her brand) was born. “What I do now, is that I design the pendant first. I have a certain concept in mind but Ican never tell what it will eventually look like. Then, I go to Jaipur and get the stones placed. The piece actually emerges from there — it’s like magic because you don’t know how it will end up as, because it takes four to five people to assemble a necklace,” says Jyotsna. But necklaces aren’t all that Jyotsna makes. A series of earrings, bracelets and bangles are up for grabs too. With the agenda to keep it affordable, Jyotsna works with silver and semi-precious stones mostly.
And to make it appealing to the rest of the world, there’s always a touch of India on her creations. “This line is actually more fusion in nature and yes, I do use elements of Indian designs a lot. For instance, I’ve used a bit of the navratna design on pearls or jadau in its simpler version,” she says. However, Jyotsna also knows that to reach out on a global scale, slight changes in the designs have to be made.
Inspired by her grandparents’ jewellery, designs by Cartier itself, and even the Art Deco movement from the 20s, Jyotsna finds her inspiration in anything beautiful and that beauty finally translates into something more tangible. Of course, she can’t help but share with those who carry the same passion for jewellery.
Jyotsna Singh is showcasing her latest collection at Devatha Plaza, Residency Road from August 4 to 6. For more details log into www.manjushajewels.com
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