Mumbai based jewellery designer Shachee Shah’s exquisite range of Art Jewellery on display at Amethyst Chennai is a connoisseurs delight, finds out Richa Tilokani.
Shachee Shah’s latest jewellery collection is a range of traditional handcrafted art jewellery, showcasing exquisite lace texture on gold. The range includes signature classic and modern pieces, harnessing surface treatments that are rejuvenated when worn.
The young designer shares how she got started, “Post studying commerce at Jai Hind college, my love for fashion drove me towards SNDT university. There, I pursued a one- of- a kind course introduced by the University- Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing in 1996. This intensive 3-year course included training under professors from UK and exposed me to international curriculum in India. Here, I learnt not only design but also the entire manufacturing bench working, metal smithing etc.”
Jewellery forever
To make her jewellery stand out, Shacche worked hard to achieve the distinctive lace texture on gold. She undertook a lot of research and development, working with metals hands-on and creating samples to create the exclusive and signature pieces in her latest collection. “I have used LACE motifs and recognized that lace has a special quality in terms of playing with the idea of being hidden while being seen, transparency versus being opaque and translated them into a piece of fine jewellery through micro-engineering manufacturing techniques,” she shares.
Shachee is also intrigued by the concept of bringing together our past heritage, our pragmatic present lifestyle and the sensibilities of what our visionary future might look like. “My pieces are rooted in the best quality of creation and the designs are forward inspiring. Through my work, I bring out the best from my craftsmen who are from the lower socio-economic group but have immense talent – they just need to be recognised for their brilliant craftsmanship!” she says with a smile.
Jewelry made in India is distinctive from others due to the strength of our craftsmanship, believes Shachee. “The beauty of Indian jewelry is seen from its heritage. I aim to showcase my designs as a reflection of our inherent skills that define jewelry making in India,” she says.
Making her mark
On the future, Shachee believes she it’s a great time for the industry every body wants branded products. “Clothes, bags, shoes, watches, make- up, beauty care- every field, designer and brand has its distinctive place today, so why not jewellery?” she says. Big designers are known for their distinctive styles and she hopes that one day, her pieces of jewellery will also be recognized just like those of Chanel, Van Cleef Arpel, Cartier etc.
Indeed as the industry evolves in India, one hopes that it will not be long before customers are able to recognise a Shachee original jewellery just as easily as they would recognize a Sabyasachi or a Tarun Tahiliani creation.
