Delicate Darlings

Don’t be fooled by their intricate and dainty demeanour. Shachee Shah’s Venetian-lace-inspired collection is as enduring as they come—and we reckon it’s the next big thing in jewellery design.

With several awards in her kitty, Mumbai-based jewellery designer Shachee Shah has had a sparkling track record. Quite literally. The Tahitian Pearl Trophy in 1999 and multiple awards by De Beers in 1998 and 2005, are just some of the many laurels Shachee can be proud of. She learnt the ropes in 1998, when she was sponsored by De Beers to study jewellery trends in London and Paris. The maisons of Chanel, Bulgari, Boucheron, Chimento and Poirey exposed her to state-of-the-art production techniques and knowhow, besides expanding her aesthetic horizons. After being associated with the big guns of diamond and gold jewellery, such as Forevermark, Asmi, De Beers and Sangini, Shachee is in the limelight for her exquisite Venetian lace line. The collection is a marriage of two of Shachee’s greatest loves: fashion and jewellery. At first sight, you’ll probably think it is made of actual lace—with the texture, detail and effect of the fabric—only to find out it is an illusion. Once you touch the pieces crafted in 18-carat gold, embellished with pearls and diamonds, the illusion turns to admiration. She talks to us about the inception of this spectacular collection.

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Tell us about your first brush with jewellery design. Where did it all begin?

In 1996, after studying commerce from Jai Hind College, Mumbai, my love for art and creativity was a-calling. I went looking for a course in fashion at SNDT University in Juhu, Mumbai. There, I found a new course and enrolled for the Diploma in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing. So I changed my mind just like that.

How did you go about developing this signature technique of creating fine lace-like textures?

Apart from design, jewellery is also a lot about manufacturing techniques—by immense R&D, working with metals hands-on and creating samples. I have achieved the lace texture on gold with the same detailing and finesse, to make exclusive, signature pieces in the real sense. My love for fashion has been totally reflected here. I have used lace motifs. Lace has a special quality of being hidden while being seen, transparent while being opaque... That’s what I have translated into a piece of fine jewellery through the use of micro-engineering manufacturing techniques.

How different is it from filigree?

Filigree is an ancient technique, mainly worked on with wire. In my Venetian lace collection, too, I have worked with wire but it has a fusion of other techniques to achieve that textile-like effect.

What is your favourite piece among the ones you have created?

Every piece of the collection is a limited edition piece. I try not to replicate the same designs. So there is always some newness to look forward to. However, so far, my favourite is the peacock earring, where both peacocks have feathers going in different directions (they are not alike). Also, the oval earrings with pearls, where the weave and threadwork of the piece have a different feel. I am also partial to the cuff bangle with a brocade feel.

Tell us about the Venetian influence.

My scholarship with De Beers took me to Europe and I went to a lace school in Venice where the design elements, grace and technique fascinated me. I decided to incorporate that finesse into metal.

What are your other inspirations?

Inspirations are all around us, but the challenge is to recognise them and execute the observations and ideas so they make sense. Creating pieces by myself, working with tools, learning and researching gives me a different high, so my pieces have a fresh, exclusive, never-seen-before flavour. It allows me to work without boundaries.

What kind of time goes into manufacturing a piece? What is the price range like?

It depends on the size of the piece and the level of intricacy involved. The smallest piece will take a week while a larger piece may take around a month. I put in seven hours of work per day. The prices range from ₹75,000 to ₹5,00,000. However, the average cost of most of the pieces are between ₹1,00,000 and ₹1,50,000.

What can we expect from you next? Would you like to experiment with other metals?

I’m looking at working with carvings on different materials. There will also be a heavy influence of the revival of antique museum pieces from bygone eras.

From the May 2014 issue of L’Officiel India.