Fledgling jeweller Vasundhara Parakh set up her eponymously named business just two months ago, but her jewellery already has a signature style that suggests she has been honing its look and feel for years.
A London-based designer of Indian origin, Parakh's creations are graphic and contemporary yet clearly influenced by traditional Indian jewellery design. Her choice of gemstones mirrors the vibrant colours of her heritage - orange, blue and green aventurine; black onyx and turquoise - and she combines 18ct and 24ct yellow gold to give each piece that rich, authentic glow for which Indian jewellery is famous. Parakh graduated from Milan's famed Domus Academy with a Master's degree in design, and there is a sculptural quality to her work that suggests a discerning eye for structure and proportions.
She sources all of her gemstones in India and has them cut to her exact specifications. Orange aventurine features significantly in her collections, chosen for its sorbet-like colour and luminosity. Polished squares of the semi-transparent stone are stacked in layers, inspired by the terraces of carbonate minerals in Pamukkale, Turkey, while Indian Summer pieces contrast lozenges of semi-transparent, iridescent aventurine with cabochon-cut red tourmalines in statement rings and earrings.
Dividing her time between London, where she sketches and conceptualises her ideas, and India, where her pieces are handmade by a small group of lapidaries and craftsmen, Parakh currently sells her jewels - which range in price from £1,000 to £5,000 - by private appointment. She is currently looking for a UK stockist.
