JOIN USFor jewellery designer Vinita Michael, her journey into creating exquisite jewellery designs was unplanned. She was a bharathanatyam dancer and jewellery came to her life through the pieces she wore as part of the costume.
Vinita’s passion evolved from 2004 once she joined NIFT and hasn’t looked back since then.
“It was during my days of dancing that I realised that jewellery excites me. After my course and internships with leading jewellers, I knew that I wanted to take the passion forward,” says Vinita.
Her creations bring together great designs and intricate craftsmanship. Of many things, filigree, chasing, engraving and etching are some of the metal crafts that have encouraged Vinita to experiment with the unlimited possibilities.
Her inspirations are self-motivated. “I like to explore different themes and designs in every collection that I work on. Every collection I develop is unique,” says Vinita.
She says that each of her collections has different stories and it is after she has gone step-by-step with each facet that she transcends into the technical aspects.
“My designs are a mixture of my intuitions and things that I have seen or experienced in the past.”
Vinita likes her designs to be striking yet functional. About her newest designs with BlueStone, she says that the Ziba collection explores something new.
“Inspired by exotic Persian art, the designs are edgy and bold, which represent the modern woman who isn’t afraid to experiment. I’ve also taken inspiration from the Taj Mahal, not specifically the monument, but the inlays of the marble work,” she says. This collection has been crafted in gold, diamonds and coloured gemstones.
Vinita says that though there is a change in contemporary jewellery designs compared to the yesteryears, there is not much that has changed in traditional bridal wear. “There is a large crowd for jewellery which wants to adorn themselves with exclusive creative pieces, without having to compromise on the design value,” says Vinita. She loves working with gold as the colour doesn’t fade. “I also love the metal because it is durable,” she says. Her favourite gem to work with will always be diamonds. “Diamonds are truly a woman’s best friend.
I started associating with them more after I learnt gemology. The story of how much a piece of charcoal has to go through to become a sparkling diamond is a fascinating one. Also, even after years, they still stay the same way as they were when they were bought,” she says. Coloured gemstones like emeralds and rubies are also classic options, says Vinita. “They are very classy yet have a contemporary touch.”
Vinita’s designs have been worn by Bollywood celebrities Sonakshi Sinha, Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut. “My favourite customer is Priyanka Chopra. She has worn my designs a couple of times and they differed according to the occasion,” says a proud Vinita.