Rekindle your silver streak

Suman Mishra recycles silver from old zari sarees and antique jewellery to create a youthful brand of jewellery inspired by the sights and sounds she encounters through life


A ring from the Kimberlite collection

It may sound like a clich ufffd but Suman Mishra admits that she woke up one fine day and realised her calling lay in making jewellery. Delhi-based Mishra studied for a Masters in Social Work and worked as a journalist before she was ultimately bitten by the artistic bug. At that point, she had no formal training in jewellery-making; however, she soon worked on pursuing the craft and set up her own design label in 2008.u00a0

"My aim is to offer eco-friendly jewellery that is artistic and functional. Early on, I decided to stick to silver jewellery as it is unpretentious and youthful," she states, adding that she works only with recycled silver to preserve the precious metal reserves.

"I scout around for discarded silver. It can come from a zari saree or an heirloom I've purchased. Thereafter, the silver is purified and my karigars use it to replicate the designs," she adds.

Her initial creations were inspired by jewellery from around the world, and featured Masai, Tibetan, Nepali and Aztec motifs. Soon, she graduated to abstract themes and non-geometric organic shapes with random incidents serving as her muse. Hence, the changing of seasons, traditional festivals and nature have served as her inspiration.

"I have created a Rangoli collection, which was inspired by the form and symbols seen in a rangoli while my Bohovillea collection was all about being Boho chic and leading a bohemian lifestyle," she says. It isn't all heavy-duty jewellery, she reminds us. She chose to design Kimberlite, a collection inspired in part by the Kimberlite volcanic rock in South Africa and the name of her friend Kimberly.

Call 09811704341
email sumanmishra123 @gmail.com
log on to www.smishing.com
cost Rs 1,400 onwards