Revelling in his accomplishments, the diamond merchant speaks to Guardian 20 about his experience of creating different designs for various celebs.
Q. Hollywood celebrities adorned their styles with your designs at the Oscars red carpet this year. Was there any pressure of creating each piece differently from the other?
A. It was a defining moment for us to have these renowned celebrities opt to wear our jewels at the red carpet on such a prestigious global platform. Celebrities prefer to choose from our range of high jewels at our brand. These jewels have been carefully curated by securing diamonds that are sourced from all around the world. I spend a lot of time with jewellery craftsmen, which eventually inspires me to create unique one-of-a-kind designs and strive for excellence. It is this meticulous craftsmanship and drive to innovate — paired with the finest gems used to create a jewel that delights a woman and allows her beauty to shine through—that is most important to me and is what makes this brand jewels stand out.
Q. Did the celebrities brief you in advance, as to what they were going to wear at the red carpet, so that you could match the trinkets with their attire?
A. We received a brief from the stylists before their appearance on the red carpet for a better selection of jewels. We went through a process of curating various looks which could complement their attire for the occasion. For instance, all the celebrities wore jewels from different collections offered by the brand. While Karlie chose to wear the regal Mughal choker paired with En Tremblant earrings, Taraji and Olivia chose jewels from the Luminance collection. Kate Upton chose the classic embrace bangle along with earrings and ring from the Luminance Collection. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, one of the three muses of the previous Nirav Modi ad campaign, wore earrings from the brand’s celestial collection of the vanity fairy party.
Q. Could you tell us about your creative process?
A. We have a fairly standardised process when creating our jewels. The process begins with an inspiration which can come to me from various sources. I then give a detailed narrative to my creative team who translate my vision onto paper and create a detailed, hand-painted gauche that very closely resembles what the jewel will look like once it is completed. After the gauche is approved, the jewel goes into production. Post production, we have final quality checks by a team of international experts.
Q. What materials and techniques did you use?
A. At Nirav Modi, diamonds are set using ingenious and unique techniques to bring out their best sparkle. In each of our jewels you will find an element of the art in the setting of the diamond. Additionally, there is astute technology that has gone into making it what it is. Crafted to possess movement and fluidity, each jewel is crafted to catch light so that it shines with all its brilliance. We are deeply involved at every step of the selection, the cutting and the polishing of our diamonds to ensure maximum sparkle. Each jewel is finished with finesse, till the last detail, even the clasps and the posts. For example, a lot of jewels will have hidden clasps so that the jewels shine to their maximum from any angle you look at it.
Q. What was your inspiration for this collection?
A. Inspiration comes from so many sources — nature, art, poetry and architecture — and is sometimes found in the most unexpected places.Each and every woman who chooses to wear my brand jewels becomes our inspiration and muse. We appreciate the fact that she is well-travelled, possesses an international aesthetic sensibility and values the finer things in life. Making more than just a statement, our design muse wears jewellery to exude a sense of assurance of the best quality and inherent savoir faire.
Q. How do you define luxury?
A. Simple, yet evocative; pristine perfection; exquisite craftsmanship; the purest and most exceptional materials — together combine to make luxury what it is. The resulting experience stirs you, awakens your inner radiance, and brings out the jewel within. For me, luxury is excellence personified; it is a filter through which I view all my design goals of creativity, artistry and comfort. When I am engrossed in this mission, I see vivid visions of beauty and grace.