Sunita Shekhawat turns meenakari jewellery into home decor objects

Mint

2 days ago

A carousel studded with rubies, precious gemstones frozen inside an ice block, vanity mirrors embellished with diamonds—these were some of the pieces that were part of the exhibit marking the launch of the inaugural edition of collectibles by the Museum of Meenakari Heritage (MOMH) in Jaipur on 1 August.
Created by the house of Sunita Shekhawat, the 10 collectibles, created using gold and silver, present jewellery in the shape of exquisite home decor pieces. They include 4x4 boxes, decorative spoons, small vanity mirrors, and a pair of earrings with prancing horses—priced within the range of ₹5- to ₹15 lakh—all adorned with intricate meenakari work, a centuries-old Persian technique that continues to flourish in Jaipur and is renowned for its vibrant and intricate designs on metal surfaces like gold and silver.
In an interview with Lounge, Sunita Shekhawat, the force behind the brand and the founder of MOMH, talks about the new collection, the challenges along the way, and why independent jewellery houses need to keep experimenting. Edited excerpts:
Could you talk about the idea behind the collection?
It was not just about creating a collection of objects. It's a way to inform people how versatile meenakari can be. And I would like to give credit to Mrs (Nita) Ambani, who had asked us to make meenakari boxes during the wedding of her son Anant last year. Because of her input, we got the idea to create an entire new vertical.
Investment in jewellery is always a good idea but you often end up keeping it in the locker and taking it out only on some special occasions. We've essentially attempted to turn a piece of jewellery into a home decor object that can be admired every day for hundreds of years.
In this collection, we have used meenakari techniques in a completely different way. Let me explain how. When you talk of meenakari jewellery or any other form of jewellery, one piece is either six or seven inches— and they are created in parts. So, to translate that jewellery craft into an object is a whole different game because the scale changes. It took us a year and a half to come up with this collection.
What were challenges along the way?
Every medium is difficult, whether it's block printing or carpet making. But I think jewellery is more difficult because the process is all re-do. There's no space for correction. You erase it all and then correct it again.
The artisans are also not used to holding so much metal weight (two-three kilgramme) for long. (A necklace weighs about 100-200g.) Then to ensure all the colours are the same, you have to be extra careful about the heating and cooling temperatures. Everything changes with the shape, size and weight of the object you want to create.
Craft is the same, of course, but it's like telling a miniature artist to do graffiti on a big wall, and it should have the quality of a miniature (painting). Or, telling someone who makes a handkerchief to do the same artistry in a wall-to-wall carpet.
Do you have a target audience in mind?
The idea is to take Indian art and craft to Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman, PAD Paris. People should look at Indian craft in a new light; they should look at Indian jewellery as art and art as jewellery.
With the entry of more big corporate houses in the jewellery space, things have become more mass-y. The exclusiveness that was there earlier in jewellery is slowly fading away. I believe it's more important for us, independent jewellery houses, to keep reinventing and experimenting.
We are now working on photo frames and ring boxes.
Consumer demands have also changed…
Yes. We are now talking about functional jewellery, minimal jewellery, contemporising traditional jewellery. The consumer is the same; it's just that they want more variety.
In the morning, when a woman is getting ready for the office, she wants to wear a stud, or a stackable bangle. In the evening, when she's going for a party, she's making small tweaks and wearing something more dressy. For a wedding function, she's opting for something heavier.
So people are looking for jewellery, traditional as well as contemporary, for every occasion. Earlier, people used to wear jewellery even when they were sleeping at night. Now, they remove everything before sleeping. The attitude towards jewellery has changed but the fondness for it has only grown.
What about the growing trend of coloured gemstones?
That's just a trend for now, and trends come and go.