In this issue

India’s passion for diamonds burns just as intensely as the fires deep within the belly of the earth that gave rise to these miracles of nature. For centuries, India was the only centre for trading diamonds, and the love affair with the gemstone continues to this day – more than 95% of diamonds in terms of volume are still cut and polished in the country.

Palanpuri Jains of Gujarat traditionally controlled almost 90% of the diamond trade in the country. And Riddhi Doshi, a Mumbai-based bespoke jewellery designer and a Palanpuri by birth, can’t get enough of them. Known for her bespoke creations suffused mainly with diamonds of various shapes and cuts, Riddhi believes that just as each diamond is different, so is every individual who wears them. No two of her modern classic pieces are ever repeated. For Riddhi, it is all about creating a special piece for every valued client. Read about her interesting journey into the world of designing in Creative Charisma.

This season clearly belongs to fancy-cut sparklers, marquise, drops, ovals and more that are used to express curvaceous, sinuous motifs of nature in jewellery. Marie Bärsch, a renowned German fashion photographer, exclusively creates stunning visuals in this issue for our Cover Feature that showcases diamond jewellery with a high design quotient.

This issue of ADORN also highlights two maverick designers from India – Razia Kunj in New Talent, and Debasmita Ghosh in Fashion Forward.

With the wedding season upon us, ADORN puts together different looks pairing high-end jewellery with haute couture, in Brides of India.

The Artistic Expressions Of Riddhi Doshi

A strong in-built design sense combined with a lineage of Palanpuri community diamond dealers proved to be fortuitous for Riddhi Doshi, a Mumbai-based jewellery designer, who has been steadfastly making a name for herself in the bespoke jewellery segment.

6 mins

Ahead Of Her Times

Padma Shri recipient SHAHNAZ HUSAIN needs no introduction. The woman who broke the glass ceiling is one of the most recognised entrepreneurs who revolutionised the cosmetic industry by advocating the use of natural, herbal Ayurvedic products in India and abroad. The founder, chairperson and managing director of the Shahnaz Husain Group of Companies forayed into this field four decades ago, long before ‘organic’ and ‘herbal’ became household words. Recently, Harvard University added her business model as a case study to its curriculum.A style icon, Shahnaz belongs to a family of eminent legal luminaries. Her Oxfordeducated father, former chief justice N.U. Beg, instilled in her a love of poetry and English literature, and forced her to think beyond just business. Thus, Shahnaz pioneered vocational training in beauty in India in keeping with international standards.Women’s empowerment and humanitarian activities have always been close to her heart.In an email interview, Shahnaz speaks about her distinctive style, her love for jewellery and watches, her quest to promote Ayurveda beauty care and her future plans.

8 mins

The Ebullient Art Of Razia Kunj

Teasing out and chiselling an alluring and classy piece of jewellery from a piece of wood can be a challenge as it can be difficult to manipulate it to get the desired result. Wood is organic and is expressive, according to RAZIA KUNJ, the creative founder of the eponymous label that she founded two years ago. Her handmade jewellery collections with colourful Indian motifs have a playful, quirky edge and are infused with a feisty spirit. Blending the natural character of wood with her artistic brilliance, Razia’s collections are earthy yet contemporary in form.

5 mins

Taking Glass To A New Level

Debasmita Ghosh from Ahmedabad belongs to a breed of artists, who express their ideas by using common material – in her case she prefers the humble glass. In December 2017, Debasmita launched her brand Aadikara, meaning the first creator, and another name for Lord Brahma. In a short span, success has followed this NIFT and NID Design postgraduate. She manipulates glass to create beautiful, nature-inspired designer jewellery that blew our minds.

3 mins

Read all stories from Adorn

Adorn Magazine Description:

Adorn is India’s first magazine dedicated to the art of fine jewellery. It is published and circulated in India by Spenta Multimedia, the country’s largest custom publisher. The bi-monthly publication that was started in 2010 is the premier source of information for jewellery connoisseurs and designers. Adorn chronicles India’s jewellery design capabilities and keeps an eye on global trends.