He is the man of the moment, having recently been declared the Gem of The Year 2011 at the National Jewellery Awards organised by India’s apex trade body for the sector, the All India Gem & Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF). %% Awards and Anand Shah are not strangers to each other. He has a long history of winning them, and the fame of his pioneering work has spread far and wide beyond the shores of the country. Last year, for example, the World Gold Council pronounced Shah as one of the Top Ten designers in the world. Now that is some accolade! More routinely, Shah has been winning the Solitaire Design Awards at the IIJS for the past eight consecutive years. %% After this track record, it comes as a complete surprise to learn that neither does Anand Shah hail from a jewellery family – nor one having connections with the industry – nor has he undergone any training in designing.%% Hailing from the state of Rajasthan, Shah is the youngest amongst his brothers boys. Their father had a background in finance. Almost following his father’s footsteps into the world of finance, Shah graduated from the Lala Lajpatrai College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai.%% But it was not to be. It was rather a passion, and what was almost like a hobby that he had in college, that eventually became his career, and the fulcrum of his success story. “Designing always came naturally to me,” says Shah. “During my college days I used to design campaign posters for my friends. Then I designed visiting cards and offices and homes too. Just as a passion. All this eventually culminated into my designing jewellery.” %% Soon after college, and after indulging in various design assignments, Shah joined a jewellery company in the early 1980s, which had a showroom in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. This proved to be a turning point of sorts for him. %% While with the jewellery company, Shah learned the intricacies of the trade – about buying gold, gemstones and so on. After getting a grounding in the trade, he went to Italy and purchased some chain making machines. “My career in the jewellery industry started with machine made Italian jewellery,” says Shah. “For these there was not much scope for designing. Later on, I also started making hollow jewellery. This was perhaps my first step towards designing.” %%

Shah displayed his penchant for innovation from then itself. But, he believes, there is no let up on development. “Every creation is a learning process,” he says philosophically in his soft, understated manner. “Right from my first design till now I am evolving as a designer and the process continues.”%% On the other hand, the basics, he feels, remain the same. “Honestly, I do not see much difference in my first years of designing and now except for the fact that now I am being recognised and appreciated,” he smiles. “Otherwise, my first award winning design of gold and wood was a masterpiece but it went largely unnoticed.” Though the artist and designer in him may think so, the piece he is referring to actually catapulted him to the public gaze and then to centrestage. It is a piece that industry insiders even today speak of with reverence and awe. %% Anand Shah has brought in a fresh breath of air to the gold jewellery industry which is otherwise known to be hidebound and traditional. He has always had an innovative edge and that has led him to explore and experiment with different materials, methods and forms.%% “I use anything from wood to precious and semi-precious stones,” he says. “My most favourite stone is tourmaline. This stone has very soothing hues and imparts a feeling of peace. I love making jewellery in gold because gold is very malleable and provides one with immense possibilities. This inherent quality of gold allows me to re-form it as my creativity desires, satisfying my visual dreams.”%% After virtually pioneering the use of wood and other materials, Shah has gone on now to use oil paint for his jewellery, thus introducing another new feature. “I love using oil paint as it allows me to bring out the minutest details,” he says.%%

On the other hand taking form to a new level was Shah’s piece last year which wound round the neck, and over the ear as a earring in one single fluid piece. Then there was the winning design of the bangle, which opened out like a flower with several individual “petals”.%% The artist and designer within Shah is not constrained by any particular sources of inspiration. The whole wide world is his muse. “In fact, there is no single source of inspiration, where I am concerned,” he elaborates. “Ideas come to me spontaneously and from anywhere. If I look at a flower, a bird, some motif, some piece of art, some painting – anything just gets transformed into a design in my mind.”%% Though innovative, Shah does not believe in creating the outrageous. “I firmly believe that a designer piece should always be wearable,” he says. “It should not just become a ramp piece which a person cannot wear on any occasion.” As a result, there is no contradiction between the designer jewellery Shah creates and what the market wants or desires. “I do not make any effort to balance the needs of market while making jewellery,” he explains. “Every piece that has been designed by me has been sold in the market without any variation. I do not change design to suit someone’s requirement.”%% An ardent traveler, Shah says, “I love traveling. I have an equal passion for sky scrapers and mountains. I love the hustle and bustle of New York and Paris; and I equally enjoy the serenity of Switzerland and Vienna.” %% As a parting shot, we enquire of the designer about which is his most fulfilling piece and which is his best work. “Yet to come,” he replies cryptically. Spoken like a true artist.%%

He is the man of the moment, having recently been declared the Gem of The Year 2011 at the National Jewellery Awards organised by India’s apex trade body for the sector, the All India Gem & Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF). %% Awards and Anand Shah are not strangers to each other. He has a long history of winning them, and the fame of his pioneering work has spread far and wide beyond the shores of the country. Last year, for example, the World Gold Council pronounced Shah as one of the Top Ten designers in the world. Now that is some accolade! More routinely, Shah has been winning the Solitaire Design Awards at the IIJS for the past eight consecutive years. %% After this track record, it comes as a complete surprise to learn that neither does Anand Shah hail from a jewellery family – nor one having connections with the industry – nor has he undergone any training in designing.%% Hailing from the state of Rajasthan, Shah is the youngest amongst his brothers boys. Their father had a background in finance. Almost following his father’s footsteps into the world of finance, Shah graduated from the Lala Lajpatrai College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai.%% But it was not to be. It was rather a passion, and what was almost like a hobby that he had in college, that eventually became his career, and the fulcrum of his success story. “Designing always came naturally to me,” says Shah. “During my college days I used to design campaign posters for my friends. Then I designed visiting cards and offices and homes too. Just as a passion. All this eventually culminated into my designing jewellery.” %% Soon after college, and after indulging in various design assignments, Shah joined a jewellery company in the early 1980s, which had a showroom in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. This proved to be a turning point of sorts for him. %% While with the jewellery company, Shah learned the intricacies of the trade – about buying gold, gemstones and so on. After getting a grounding in the trade, he went to Italy and purchased some chain making machines. “My career in the jewellery industry started with machine made Italian jewellery,” says Shah. “For these there was not much scope for designing. Later on, I also started making hollow jewellery. This was perhaps my first step towards designing.” %%

Shah displayed his penchant for innovation from then itself. But, he believes, there is no let up on development. “Every creation is a learning process,” he says philosophically in his soft, understated manner. “Right from my first design till now I am evolving as a designer and the process continues.”%% On the other hand, the basics, he feels, remain the same. “Honestly, I do not see much difference in my first years of designing and now except for the fact that now I am being recognised and appreciated,” he smiles. “Otherwise, my first award winning design of gold and wood was a masterpiece but it went largely unnoticed.” Though the artist and designer in him may think so, the piece he is referring to actually catapulted him to the public gaze and then to centrestage. It is a piece that industry insiders even today speak of with reverence and awe. %% Anand Shah has brought in a fresh breath of air to the gold jewellery industry which is otherwise known to be hidebound and traditional. He has always had an innovative edge and that has led him to explore and experiment with different materials, methods and forms.%% “I use anything from wood to precious and semi-precious stones,” he says. “My most favourite stone is tourmaline. This stone has very soothing hues and imparts a feeling of peace. I love making jewellery in gold because gold is very malleable and provides one with immense possibilities. This inherent quality of gold allows me to re-form it as my creativity desires, satisfying my visual dreams.”%% After virtually pioneering the use of wood and other materials, Shah has gone on now to use oil paint for his jewellery, thus introducing another new feature. “I love using oil paint as it allows me to bring out the minutest details,” he says.%%

On the other hand taking form to a new level was Shah’s piece last year which wound round the neck, and over the ear as a earring in one single fluid piece. Then there was the winning design of the bangle, which opened out like a flower with several individual “petals”.%% The artist and designer within Shah is not constrained by any particular sources of inspiration. The whole wide world is his muse. “In fact, there is no single source of inspiration, where I am concerned,” he elaborates. “Ideas come to me spontaneously and from anywhere. If I look at a flower, a bird, some motif, some piece of art, some painting – anything just gets transformed into a design in my mind.”%% Though innovative, Shah does not believe in creating the outrageous. “I firmly believe that a designer piece should always be wearable,” he says. “It should not just become a ramp piece which a person cannot wear on any occasion.” As a result, there is no contradiction between the designer jewellery Shah creates and what the market wants or desires. “I do not make any effort to balance the needs of market while making jewellery,” he explains. “Every piece that has been designed by me has been sold in the market without any variation. I do not change design to suit someone’s requirement.”%% An ardent traveler, Shah says, “I love traveling. I have an equal passion for sky scrapers and mountains. I love the hustle and bustle of New York and Paris; and I equally enjoy the serenity of Switzerland and Vienna.” %% As a parting shot, we enquire of the designer about which is his most fulfilling piece and which is his best work. “Yet to come,” he replies cryptically. Spoken like a true artist.%%

He is the man of the moment, having recently been declared the Gem of The Year 2011 at the National Jewellery Awards organised by India’s apex trade body for the sector, the All India Gem & Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF). %% Awards and Anand Shah are not strangers to each other. He has a long history of winning them, and the fame of his pioneering work has spread far and wide beyond the shores of the country. Last year, for example, the World Gold Council pronounced Shah as one of the Top Ten designers in the world. Now that is some accolade! More routinely, Shah has been winning the Solitaire Design Awards at the IIJS for the past eight consecutive years. %% After this track record, it comes as a complete surprise to learn that neither does Anand Shah hail from a jewellery family – nor one having connections with the industry – nor has he undergone any training in designing.%% Hailing from the state of Rajasthan, Shah is the youngest amongst his brothers boys. Their father had a background in finance. Almost following his father’s footsteps into the world of finance, Shah graduated from the Lala Lajpatrai College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai.%% But it was not to be. It was rather a passion, and what was almost like a hobby that he had in college, that eventually became his career, and the fulcrum of his success story. “Designing always came naturally to me,” says Shah. “During my college days I used to design campaign posters for my friends. Then I designed visiting cards and offices and homes too. Just as a passion. All this eventually culminated into my designing jewellery.” %% Soon after college, and after indulging in various design assignments, Shah joined a jewellery company in the early 1980s, which had a showroom in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. This proved to be a turning point of sorts for him. %% While with the jewellery company, Shah learned the intricacies of the trade – about buying gold, gemstones and so on. After getting a grounding in the trade, he went to Italy and purchased some chain making machines. “My career in the jewellery industry started with machine made Italian jewellery,” says Shah. “For these there was not much scope for designing. Later on, I also started making hollow jewellery. This was perhaps my first step towards designing.” %%

Shah displayed his penchant for innovation from then itself. But, he believes, there is no let up on development. “Every creation is a learning process,” he says philosophically in his soft, understated manner. “Right from my first design till now I am evolving as a designer and the process continues.”%% On the other hand, the basics, he feels, remain the same. “Honestly, I do not see much difference in my first years of designing and now except for the fact that now I am being recognised and appreciated,” he smiles. “Otherwise, my first award winning design of gold and wood was a masterpiece but it went largely unnoticed.” Though the artist and designer in him may think so, the piece he is referring to actually catapulted him to the public gaze and then to centrestage. It is a piece that industry insiders even today speak of with reverence and awe. %% Anand Shah has brought in a fresh breath of air to the gold jewellery industry which is otherwise known to be hidebound and traditional. He has always had an innovative edge and that has led him to explore and experiment with different materials, methods and forms.%% “I use anything from wood to precious and semi-precious stones,” he says. “My most favourite stone is tourmaline. This stone has very soothing hues and imparts a feeling of peace. I love making jewellery in gold because gold is very malleable and provides one with immense possibilities. This inherent quality of gold allows me to re-form it as my creativity desires, satisfying my visual dreams.”%% After virtually pioneering the use of wood and other materials, Shah has gone on now to use oil paint for his jewellery, thus introducing another new feature. “I love using oil paint as it allows me to bring out the minutest details,” he says.%%

On the other hand taking form to a new level was Shah’s piece last year which wound round the neck, and over the ear as a earring in one single fluid piece. Then there was the winning design of the bangle, which opened out like a flower with several individual “petals”.%% The artist and designer within Shah is not constrained by any particular sources of inspiration. The whole wide world is his muse. “In fact, there is no single source of inspiration, where I am concerned,” he elaborates. “Ideas come to me spontaneously and from anywhere. If I look at a flower, a bird, some motif, some piece of art, some painting – anything just gets transformed into a design in my mind.”%% Though innovative, Shah does not believe in creating the outrageous. “I firmly believe that a designer piece should always be wearable,” he says. “It should not just become a ramp piece which a person cannot wear on any occasion.” As a result, there is no contradiction between the designer jewellery Shah creates and what the market wants or desires. “I do not make any effort to balance the needs of market while making jewellery,” he explains. “Every piece that has been designed by me has been sold in the market without any variation. I do not change design to suit someone’s requirement.”%% An ardent traveler, Shah says, “I love traveling. I have an equal passion for sky scrapers and mountains. I love the hustle and bustle of New York and Paris; and I equally enjoy the serenity of Switzerland and Vienna.” %% As a parting shot, we enquire of the designer about which is his most fulfilling piece and which is his best work. “Yet to come,” he replies cryptically. Spoken like a true artist.%%