Tasteful, sauvé, friendly and dynamic, Sumit Sawhney is the right amalgamation of class and creativity. His jewellery designs have won hearts over the country and have dressed up the Bollywood divas and social celebrities with equal aplomb. He is a photographer, painter and everything artful. Vivid creativity, fluid designs and wearable art pieces that tell a story make him one of the most sought-after jewellery designers of India. Priyanka Desai meets up with the young designer to know more of him.%% There was once a boy who was different than the rest. He believed in the power of art and looked up to it as his prayers. His inclination towards creating wearable art was evident to his parents at his tender age of eight. The young lad would perceive chalks as his gemstones and wires as his precious metals. He would spend hours in his room carving beautiful pieces of jewellery when most boys wouldn’t have an idea about what jewellery really is. When his mother thought that her baby boy would be one of the reasons behind Bollywood divas’ unique looks and a revolution in India’s jewellery design industry, she was absolutely right. Just a few years later, a name has been making perpetual rounds in India’s celebrity circuit and that name is Sumit Sawhney. Sumit is the quintessential example of urban youth of India. He is sophisticated, stylish, soft spoken, well heeled and well read. He has a warm demenour and on just one chat you know that he is a complete people’s person. We caught up with him recently to understand how such a young man is taking the jewellery industry by storm. %% While throwing light on his childhood days and his inspiration to create the jewellery masterpieces, he shares, “From my childhood I have always been artistically inclined. As an eight-year-old child I would carve chalks and bead them in wire to make neckpieces. I also used to make jewellery from clay and grape twigs. World art and mythology would always fascinate me. My mother Arti Sawhney is a renowned furniture designer and observing her designs and the craft of manufacturing would always fascinate me. As a child she would take me around to visit tombs, temples, galleries and museums. Travelling with her to different countries gave me a lot of exposure. That is where it all began— the understanding of motifs, design balance and basic aesthetic sense.” %% He further adds, “Growing up in an environment where my talent was nurtured and getting inspiredby my mother along with the freedom to choose the profession I wantedcontributed for me to take up jewellery design as a profession. Jewellery and the gemstones would always interest me. I would collect various gemstones from my travels. I knew that jewellery design has something that I would enjoy doing which involves technical detailing with aesthetics. I took up fine art in high school. After that I gained my technical skills in designing and grading of precious stones from JDTI and Gemological Institute of America, respectively. After working with prestigious jewellery houses and exporters, I decided to use my expertise to create my jewellery brand, Apala.” %%

Sumit launched his first store in August 2006 in Galleria, Gurgaon at the age of 23 and the second store at Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi in December 2008. Over the years his jewellery is adorned by renowned artists, celebrities, socialites and have won patrons who cherish his creations around the globe. Celebrities who have adorned Apala by Sumit include Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Mugdha Godse, Shraddha Kapoor, Lara Dutta, etc. He has been regularly featured in various fashion magazines. He has also presented his collections at various reputed national and international fashion shows and exhibitions. Recently he presented his latest collection Carved Incarnations at India International Jewellery Week(IIJW) 2013, Mumbai. He also shares his insights on jewellery on various platforms including popular fashion and luxury publications, mainliners, channels and websites. %% When quizzed about his latest collection at the IIJW 2013, he expressed, “Creating jewellery is my prayer, an ultimate joy and my connecting medium with nature and God. My latest collection ‘Carved Incarnations’ was showcased recently at IIJW where divinity, cosmic energy and nature met art. I am blessed with some of best artisans from all across India who do some of the most intricate gemstone carvings and sculptural metal detailing. This collection was perfect amalgamation of reviving the ancient carving techniques with my contemporary fusion aesthetics. So my state of spirituality and combining the dying jewellery crafts led to the conception of Carved Incarnations. This silver jewellery collection incorporated icons of Gods and Goddesses by carving their incarnations in gemstones studded into the jewellery. The collection fuses kundan technique, antique tribal Indian silver styles, nature inspired and spiritual elements, along with motifs, jaalis and textures. Getting the traditional workers to work with an enhanced modern edge was not an easy task. Since I am trained in manufacturing, at times I would sit down and bench work the jewellery myself to explain what I wanted. From the sketches to the finished product it turned up the way I had visualised. For me this is the best expression of my passion and creatively it is very fulfilling.” The Carved Incarnation collection includes jewellery pieces like: Meditative Heights Bangle, Cosmic Glory Necklace,Lakshmi Aamantran Necklace, Balaji Shrine Pendant, Bodhi Tree Necklace, etc. %% Speaking more about the traditional jewellery making techniques, he says, “I have deep appreciation for the rich design heritage rooted in India. It has given me my signature jewellery style: fusion. It is an absolute blessing to be born in India, where every state you go to, has a rich regional craft to offer. I try to incorporate the traditional Indian jewellery making techniques, combining them with my modern techniques and my aesthetic sensibilities. The traditional Indian techniques help one to relive the ancient era in the modern times. I work with traditional techniques such as Chitrai or Chitrakari/ Repousse, Rava Kaam or Granulation. Filigree/ Tarkashi Kaam(worked with wire and tarkash, a wire drawer) and kundan techniques.” %%

While sharing his interesting anecdote from his career, Sumit articulates, “A year back a 76 year old European woman visited my showroom. She had never worn earrings and nor did she have her ears pierced. She was so mesmerised with my earring designs that she got three pairs of earrings and decided to get her ears pierced to enjoy my creations. This was truly a high for me.” %% He has an even more intriguing incident from his training days to share with us. “This dates back to my student year of manufacturing. A German teacher, S.R. Schroder has trained me. His training is something that I cherish till now.We had a design project to carve sea life in wax and then cast it. I had created almost 80 explorations/designs on paper. I was quite satisfied with my chosen design, which happened to be an angelfish. I carved it and it took me good three days to make it. I was extremely excited about my creation and kept telling my teacher that I think this is my best creation. But, somewhere inside I knew since it was a simpler design to execute and that’s why I had manufactured it. According to him it was not my best potential, he took me near the furnace and threw my angel fish carving in the fire. He said this was not enough exploration and I should have sketched more.I was in tears and shocked. Since this was a project based for a limit of five days, I had only two days left. I had no optionbut to start sketching more designs. In this process I made almost 70 more designs and I realised that yes there is something better coming up. Finally I agreed with my teacher to manufacture a three-dimensional sea horse. Frankly, it was one of the toughest projects, emotionally and creatively. Yes, it truly did turn out to be a masterpiece. It had all the details and textures and looked as if it had life. This gave a unique edge to my college years and made me understand that don't give up till you give your best,” he reminisces with a smile. %% He certainly stood by the mantra of giving the best and now has women across the world swooning over his designs. When asked to describe the kind of woman who adorns his jewellery pat comes the reply, “From the fashion mavericks to the serenely graceful and the intellectual women are the ones who adorn my creations. Most of the women who wear my creations have a bold personality and want to make a style statement.” Speaking about men’s preferences in jewellery, he states, “Men prefer minimal and no clutter jewellery. Geometric and textured jewellery works the best for men.I personally prefer my jewellery to be more rugged and contemporary. I do not like shiny metal with my personality. Brooches is my new fad, I complement them with plain-woven jackets and coats.I have a taste for woven fabrics and earthy tones. Most of my outfits are custom made and self designed.” %% Sumit’s entire range of jewellery is manufactured in silver with precious and semi precious gemstones. When asked about the reason behind the usage of silver, he says, “There are several reasons behind using silver for my jewellery. One, I am not worried about wastage. Second, I can get more detailing in my carvings and mold the metal according to my will and vision. It frees me from monetary constraints as the metal is not so expensive and importantly, it does not hamper my creativity. Also, I enjoy working the metal with different plating colours and patina finishes. %%

My favorite gemstones include shades of tourmailnes, as it has many hues and a wide variety to work on. Red corals have a strong colour and add life to the pieces. I love to work with Lapis Lazuli as it has an excellent vibrancy and its pure blue colour fascinates me. Gemstones like labradorite and threaded quartz also interest me as each gemstone has its story to tell with different shapes of the inclusions.” %% From his design process we shift our chat to the other designers around the globe. When asked to pick his favourite design from another designer’s collection, he is in deep thought. After a thought, he exclaims, “It is difficult to pick out one particular piece, but I love the combinations of coloured stones used in creations by Van Cleff and Arpels, specially the nature inspired jewels!” %% W then incline the conversation towards his other hobbies and passions. “Photography, oil painting, snorkeling and fine dining are some of my hobbies. I photograph most of my jewels. Music is a major inspiration in my creation process as the music I listen to influences my design mood. If I were listening to Indian instrumental, the collection would be India centric. Whiledesigning a spiritual collection I listen to chants or meditative music. For floral designsit has be soft jazz and Avant Garde collection would call for peppy music. For fusion jewellery I listen to world music.” %% As our time is running out for the interview, we request him to give a quick advice to our aspiring designers. “If you want to be different, be original. Try not to look at jewellery catalogues while designing. Incase reference is required, look for direct inspiration from origins meaning nature or architecture and not the jewellery piece itself,” he signs off. %%

Tasteful, sauvé, friendly and dynamic, Sumit Sawhney is the right amalgamation of class and creativity. His jewellery designs have won hearts over the country and have dressed up the Bollywood divas and social celebrities with equal aplomb. He is a photographer, painter and everything artful. Vivid creativity, fluid designs and wearable art pieces that tell a story make him one of the most sought-after jewellery designers of India. Priyanka Desai meets up with the young designer to know more of him.%% There was once a boy who was different than the rest. He believed in the power of art and looked up to it as his prayers. His inclination towards creating wearable art was evident to his parents at his tender age of eight. The young lad would perceive chalks as his gemstones and wires as his precious metals. He would spend hours in his room carving beautiful pieces of jewellery when most boys wouldn’t have an idea about what jewellery really is. When his mother thought that her baby boy would be one of the reasons behind Bollywood divas’ unique looks and a revolution in India’s jewellery design industry, she was absolutely right. Just a few years later, a name has been making perpetual rounds in India’s celebrity circuit and that name is Sumit Sawhney. Sumit is the quintessential example of urban youth of India. He is sophisticated, stylish, soft spoken, well heeled and well read. He has a warm demenour and on just one chat you know that he is a complete people’s person. We caught up with him recently to understand how such a young man is taking the jewellery industry by storm. %% While throwing light on his childhood days and his inspiration to create the jewellery masterpieces, he shares, “From my childhood I have always been artistically inclined. As an eight-year-old child I would carve chalks and bead them in wire to make neckpieces. I also used to make jewellery from clay and grape twigs. World art and mythology would always fascinate me. My mother Arti Sawhney is a renowned furniture designer and observing her designs and the craft of manufacturing would always fascinate me. As a child she would take me around to visit tombs, temples, galleries and museums. Travelling with her to different countries gave me a lot of exposure. That is where it all began— the understanding of motifs, design balance and basic aesthetic sense.” %% He further adds, “Growing up in an environment where my talent was nurtured and getting inspiredby my mother along with the freedom to choose the profession I wantedcontributed for me to take up jewellery design as a profession. Jewellery and the gemstones would always interest me. I would collect various gemstones from my travels. I knew that jewellery design has something that I would enjoy doing which involves technical detailing with aesthetics. I took up fine art in high school. After that I gained my technical skills in designing and grading of precious stones from JDTI and Gemological Institute of America, respectively. After working with prestigious jewellery houses and exporters, I decided to use my expertise to create my jewellery brand, Apala.” %%

Sumit launched his first store in August 2006 in Galleria, Gurgaon at the age of 23 and the second store at Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi in December 2008. Over the years his jewellery is adorned by renowned artists, celebrities, socialites and have won patrons who cherish his creations around the globe. Celebrities who have adorned Apala by Sumit include Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Mugdha Godse, Shraddha Kapoor, Lara Dutta, etc. He has been regularly featured in various fashion magazines. He has also presented his collections at various reputed national and international fashion shows and exhibitions. Recently he presented his latest collection Carved Incarnations at India International Jewellery Week(IIJW) 2013, Mumbai. He also shares his insights on jewellery on various platforms including popular fashion and luxury publications, mainliners, channels and websites. %% When quizzed about his latest collection at the IIJW 2013, he expressed, “Creating jewellery is my prayer, an ultimate joy and my connecting medium with nature and God. My latest collection ‘Carved Incarnations’ was showcased recently at IIJW where divinity, cosmic energy and nature met art. I am blessed with some of best artisans from all across India who do some of the most intricate gemstone carvings and sculptural metal detailing. This collection was perfect amalgamation of reviving the ancient carving techniques with my contemporary fusion aesthetics. So my state of spirituality and combining the dying jewellery crafts led to the conception of Carved Incarnations. This silver jewellery collection incorporated icons of Gods and Goddesses by carving their incarnations in gemstones studded into the jewellery. The collection fuses kundan technique, antique tribal Indian silver styles, nature inspired and spiritual elements, along with motifs, jaalis and textures. Getting the traditional workers to work with an enhanced modern edge was not an easy task. Since I am trained in manufacturing, at times I would sit down and bench work the jewellery myself to explain what I wanted. From the sketches to the finished product it turned up the way I had visualised. For me this is the best expression of my passion and creatively it is very fulfilling.” The Carved Incarnation collection includes jewellery pieces like: Meditative Heights Bangle, Cosmic Glory Necklace,Lakshmi Aamantran Necklace, Balaji Shrine Pendant, Bodhi Tree Necklace, etc. %% Speaking more about the traditional jewellery making techniques, he says, “I have deep appreciation for the rich design heritage rooted in India. It has given me my signature jewellery style: fusion. It is an absolute blessing to be born in India, where every state you go to, has a rich regional craft to offer. I try to incorporate the traditional Indian jewellery making techniques, combining them with my modern techniques and my aesthetic sensibilities. The traditional Indian techniques help one to relive the ancient era in the modern times. I work with traditional techniques such as Chitrai or Chitrakari/ Repousse, Rava Kaam or Granulation. Filigree/ Tarkashi Kaam(worked with wire and tarkash, a wire drawer) and kundan techniques.” %%

While sharing his interesting anecdote from his career, Sumit articulates, “A year back a 76 year old European woman visited my showroom. She had never worn earrings and nor did she have her ears pierced. She was so mesmerised with my earring designs that she got three pairs of earrings and decided to get her ears pierced to enjoy my creations. This was truly a high for me.” %% He has an even more intriguing incident from his training days to share with us. “This dates back to my student year of manufacturing. A German teacher, S.R. Schroder has trained me. His training is something that I cherish till now.We had a design project to carve sea life in wax and then cast it. I had created almost 80 explorations/designs on paper. I was quite satisfied with my chosen design, which happened to be an angelfish. I carved it and it took me good three days to make it. I was extremely excited about my creation and kept telling my teacher that I think this is my best creation. But, somewhere inside I knew since it was a simpler design to execute and that’s why I had manufactured it. According to him it was not my best potential, he took me near the furnace and threw my angel fish carving in the fire. He said this was not enough exploration and I should have sketched more.I was in tears and shocked. Since this was a project based for a limit of five days, I had only two days left. I had no optionbut to start sketching more designs. In this process I made almost 70 more designs and I realised that yes there is something better coming up. Finally I agreed with my teacher to manufacture a three-dimensional sea horse. Frankly, it was one of the toughest projects, emotionally and creatively. Yes, it truly did turn out to be a masterpiece. It had all the details and textures and looked as if it had life. This gave a unique edge to my college years and made me understand that don't give up till you give your best,” he reminisces with a smile. %% He certainly stood by the mantra of giving the best and now has women across the world swooning over his designs. When asked to describe the kind of woman who adorns his jewellery pat comes the reply, “From the fashion mavericks to the serenely graceful and the intellectual women are the ones who adorn my creations. Most of the women who wear my creations have a bold personality and want to make a style statement.” Speaking about men’s preferences in jewellery, he states, “Men prefer minimal and no clutter jewellery. Geometric and textured jewellery works the best for men.I personally prefer my jewellery to be more rugged and contemporary. I do not like shiny metal with my personality. Brooches is my new fad, I complement them with plain-woven jackets and coats.I have a taste for woven fabrics and earthy tones. Most of my outfits are custom made and self designed.” %% Sumit’s entire range of jewellery is manufactured in silver with precious and semi precious gemstones. When asked about the reason behind the usage of silver, he says, “There are several reasons behind using silver for my jewellery. One, I am not worried about wastage. Second, I can get more detailing in my carvings and mold the metal according to my will and vision. It frees me from monetary constraints as the metal is not so expensive and importantly, it does not hamper my creativity. Also, I enjoy working the metal with different plating colours and patina finishes. %%

My favorite gemstones include shades of tourmailnes, as it has many hues and a wide variety to work on. Red corals have a strong colour and add life to the pieces. I love to work with Lapis Lazuli as it has an excellent vibrancy and its pure blue colour fascinates me. Gemstones like labradorite and threaded quartz also interest me as each gemstone has its story to tell with different shapes of the inclusions.” %% From his design process we shift our chat to the other designers around the globe. When asked to pick his favourite design from another designer’s collection, he is in deep thought. After a thought, he exclaims, “It is difficult to pick out one particular piece, but I love the combinations of coloured stones used in creations by Van Cleff and Arpels, specially the nature inspired jewels!” %% W then incline the conversation towards his other hobbies and passions. “Photography, oil painting, snorkeling and fine dining are some of my hobbies. I photograph most of my jewels. Music is a major inspiration in my creation process as the music I listen to influences my design mood. If I were listening to Indian instrumental, the collection would be India centric. Whiledesigning a spiritual collection I listen to chants or meditative music. For floral designsit has be soft jazz and Avant Garde collection would call for peppy music. For fusion jewellery I listen to world music.” %% As our time is running out for the interview, we request him to give a quick advice to our aspiring designers. “If you want to be different, be original. Try not to look at jewellery catalogues while designing. Incase reference is required, look for direct inspiration from origins meaning nature or architecture and not the jewellery piece itself,” he signs off. %%

Tasteful, sauvé, friendly and dynamic, Sumit Sawhney is the right amalgamation of class and creativity. His jewellery designs have won hearts over the country and have dressed up the Bollywood divas and social celebrities with equal aplomb. He is a photographer, painter and everything artful. Vivid creativity, fluid designs and wearable art pieces that tell a story make him one of the most sought-after jewellery designers of India. Priyanka Desai meets up with the young designer to know more of him.%% There was once a boy who was different than the rest. He believed in the power of art and looked up to it as his prayers. His inclination towards creating wearable art was evident to his parents at his tender age of eight. The young lad would perceive chalks as his gemstones and wires as his precious metals. He would spend hours in his room carving beautiful pieces of jewellery when most boys wouldn’t have an idea about what jewellery really is. When his mother thought that her baby boy would be one of the reasons behind Bollywood divas’ unique looks and a revolution in India’s jewellery design industry, she was absolutely right. Just a few years later, a name has been making perpetual rounds in India’s celebrity circuit and that name is Sumit Sawhney. Sumit is the quintessential example of urban youth of India. He is sophisticated, stylish, soft spoken, well heeled and well read. He has a warm demenour and on just one chat you know that he is a complete people’s person. We caught up with him recently to understand how such a young man is taking the jewellery industry by storm. %% While throwing light on his childhood days and his inspiration to create the jewellery masterpieces, he shares, “From my childhood I have always been artistically inclined. As an eight-year-old child I would carve chalks and bead them in wire to make neckpieces. I also used to make jewellery from clay and grape twigs. World art and mythology would always fascinate me. My mother Arti Sawhney is a renowned furniture designer and observing her designs and the craft of manufacturing would always fascinate me. As a child she would take me around to visit tombs, temples, galleries and museums. Travelling with her to different countries gave me a lot of exposure. That is where it all began— the understanding of motifs, design balance and basic aesthetic sense.” %% He further adds, “Growing up in an environment where my talent was nurtured and getting inspiredby my mother along with the freedom to choose the profession I wantedcontributed for me to take up jewellery design as a profession. Jewellery and the gemstones would always interest me. I would collect various gemstones from my travels. I knew that jewellery design has something that I would enjoy doing which involves technical detailing with aesthetics. I took up fine art in high school. After that I gained my technical skills in designing and grading of precious stones from JDTI and Gemological Institute of America, respectively. After working with prestigious jewellery houses and exporters, I decided to use my expertise to create my jewellery brand, Apala.” %%

Sumit launched his first store in August 2006 in Galleria, Gurgaon at the age of 23 and the second store at Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi in December 2008. Over the years his jewellery is adorned by renowned artists, celebrities, socialites and have won patrons who cherish his creations around the globe. Celebrities who have adorned Apala by Sumit include Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Mugdha Godse, Shraddha Kapoor, Lara Dutta, etc. He has been regularly featured in various fashion magazines. He has also presented his collections at various reputed national and international fashion shows and exhibitions. Recently he presented his latest collection Carved Incarnations at India International Jewellery Week(IIJW) 2013, Mumbai. He also shares his insights on jewellery on various platforms including popular fashion and luxury publications, mainliners, channels and websites. %% When quizzed about his latest collection at the IIJW 2013, he expressed, “Creating jewellery is my prayer, an ultimate joy and my connecting medium with nature and God. My latest collection ‘Carved Incarnations’ was showcased recently at IIJW where divinity, cosmic energy and nature met art. I am blessed with some of best artisans from all across India who do some of the most intricate gemstone carvings and sculptural metal detailing. This collection was perfect amalgamation of reviving the ancient carving techniques with my contemporary fusion aesthetics. So my state of spirituality and combining the dying jewellery crafts led to the conception of Carved Incarnations. This silver jewellery collection incorporated icons of Gods and Goddesses by carving their incarnations in gemstones studded into the jewellery. The collection fuses kundan technique, antique tribal Indian silver styles, nature inspired and spiritual elements, along with motifs, jaalis and textures. Getting the traditional workers to work with an enhanced modern edge was not an easy task. Since I am trained in manufacturing, at times I would sit down and bench work the jewellery myself to explain what I wanted. From the sketches to the finished product it turned up the way I had visualised. For me this is the best expression of my passion and creatively it is very fulfilling.” The Carved Incarnation collection includes jewellery pieces like: Meditative Heights Bangle, Cosmic Glory Necklace,Lakshmi Aamantran Necklace, Balaji Shrine Pendant, Bodhi Tree Necklace, etc. %% Speaking more about the traditional jewellery making techniques, he says, “I have deep appreciation for the rich design heritage rooted in India. It has given me my signature jewellery style: fusion. It is an absolute blessing to be born in India, where every state you go to, has a rich regional craft to offer. I try to incorporate the traditional Indian jewellery making techniques, combining them with my modern techniques and my aesthetic sensibilities. The traditional Indian techniques help one to relive the ancient era in the modern times. I work with traditional techniques such as Chitrai or Chitrakari/ Repousse, Rava Kaam or Granulation. Filigree/ Tarkashi Kaam(worked with wire and tarkash, a wire drawer) and kundan techniques.” %%

While sharing his interesting anecdote from his career, Sumit articulates, “A year back a 76 year old European woman visited my showroom. She had never worn earrings and nor did she have her ears pierced. She was so mesmerised with my earring designs that she got three pairs of earrings and decided to get her ears pierced to enjoy my creations. This was truly a high for me.” %% He has an even more intriguing incident from his training days to share with us. “This dates back to my student year of manufacturing. A German teacher, S.R. Schroder has trained me. His training is something that I cherish till now.We had a design project to carve sea life in wax and then cast it. I had created almost 80 explorations/designs on paper. I was quite satisfied with my chosen design, which happened to be an angelfish. I carved it and it took me good three days to make it. I was extremely excited about my creation and kept telling my teacher that I think this is my best creation. But, somewhere inside I knew since it was a simpler design to execute and that’s why I had manufactured it. According to him it was not my best potential, he took me near the furnace and threw my angel fish carving in the fire. He said this was not enough exploration and I should have sketched more.I was in tears and shocked. Since this was a project based for a limit of five days, I had only two days left. I had no optionbut to start sketching more designs. In this process I made almost 70 more designs and I realised that yes there is something better coming up. Finally I agreed with my teacher to manufacture a three-dimensional sea horse. Frankly, it was one of the toughest projects, emotionally and creatively. Yes, it truly did turn out to be a masterpiece. It had all the details and textures and looked as if it had life. This gave a unique edge to my college years and made me understand that don't give up till you give your best,” he reminisces with a smile. %% He certainly stood by the mantra of giving the best and now has women across the world swooning over his designs. When asked to describe the kind of woman who adorns his jewellery pat comes the reply, “From the fashion mavericks to the serenely graceful and the intellectual women are the ones who adorn my creations. Most of the women who wear my creations have a bold personality and want to make a style statement.” Speaking about men’s preferences in jewellery, he states, “Men prefer minimal and no clutter jewellery. Geometric and textured jewellery works the best for men.I personally prefer my jewellery to be more rugged and contemporary. I do not like shiny metal with my personality. Brooches is my new fad, I complement them with plain-woven jackets and coats.I have a taste for woven fabrics and earthy tones. Most of my outfits are custom made and self designed.” %% Sumit’s entire range of jewellery is manufactured in silver with precious and semi precious gemstones. When asked about the reason behind the usage of silver, he says, “There are several reasons behind using silver for my jewellery. One, I am not worried about wastage. Second, I can get more detailing in my carvings and mold the metal according to my will and vision. It frees me from monetary constraints as the metal is not so expensive and importantly, it does not hamper my creativity. Also, I enjoy working the metal with different plating colours and patina finishes. %%

My favorite gemstones include shades of tourmailnes, as it has many hues and a wide variety to work on. Red corals have a strong colour and add life to the pieces. I love to work with Lapis Lazuli as it has an excellent vibrancy and its pure blue colour fascinates me. Gemstones like labradorite and threaded quartz also interest me as each gemstone has its story to tell with different shapes of the inclusions.” %% From his design process we shift our chat to the other designers around the globe. When asked to pick his favourite design from another designer’s collection, he is in deep thought. After a thought, he exclaims, “It is difficult to pick out one particular piece, but I love the combinations of coloured stones used in creations by Van Cleff and Arpels, specially the nature inspired jewels!” %% W then incline the conversation towards his other hobbies and passions. “Photography, oil painting, snorkeling and fine dining are some of my hobbies. I photograph most of my jewels. Music is a major inspiration in my creation process as the music I listen to influences my design mood. If I were listening to Indian instrumental, the collection would be India centric. Whiledesigning a spiritual collection I listen to chants or meditative music. For floral designsit has be soft jazz and Avant Garde collection would call for peppy music. For fusion jewellery I listen to world music.” %% As our time is running out for the interview, we request him to give a quick advice to our aspiring designers. “If you want to be different, be original. Try not to look at jewellery catalogues while designing. Incase reference is required, look for direct inspiration from origins meaning nature or architecture and not the jewellery piece itself,” he signs off. %%