Sabyasachi Heritage Jewellery is a return to the highest form of Indian craftsmanship. It is a commitment to conserving and celebrating India’s ancient jewellery crafts and techniques.
THE DECONSTRUCTED MAHARANI NECKLACE
Sabyasachi reinterprets the royal jadau necklaces of India. These historic handcrafted necklaces adorned the ancient royals and aristocrats. The threaded rope clasp or ‘sarafa’ has been transformed into a broad sash in Sabyasachi’s iconic printed velvets. While a more contemporary frame layers together precious gemstones with handcrafted techniques and legacy crafts.
REINTERPRETING JADAU
There is something so rustic yet sophisticated about jadau that it lends itself to the traditional, as much as the contemporary. An age-old craft, jadau was introduced to India by the Mughals, and perfected by the artisans of Rajasthan. A painstaking artisanal endeavour, setting a single stone can begin at sunrise and end at sunset.
FINE BENGAL FILIGREE
An ancient traditional craft form, fine Bengal filigree has been passed down from one generation to the next. The practice is not just a lifetime commitment but a way of life.
THE EAST OF BENGAL CHANDBALIS
“One of my mother’s favourite pieces of jewellery were her gold chandbalis given to her by her grandmother. They were handcrafted by a goldsmith from Manicktala, Calcutta, using the old Bengal filigree technique. She wore it with reckless abandon with her short bob, scandalous sleeveless sari blouses, coin sized black bindi and a very peculiar Benarasi in an offensive shade of turquoise. A few hundred miles to the east, the legendary Runa Laila wore hers with a black Benarasi sari and her signature bob, gyrating to qawwali and disco on Doordarshan. Two progressive women unknown to each other, interpreting tradition in their distinct style.”
SOUTHERN GOLD
Nakashi is a centuries-old repousse technique, completely crafted by hand to create a beautiful engraved, three-dimensional effect in gold. A southern Indian craft, where a sheet of gold is worked with chisels from both sides to create incredible scenes. Sabyasachi curates a special collection of the finest of Temple and Nakashi jewellery in 22k gold.
“In ancient India, expressions of opulence were fluid. Maharajahs and musicians, warriors and thinkers—confident in excess. They were never restricted by colours, shapes or gender, their jewellery cut across the spectrum. This is the India that I want to preserve.”
