The Pop Star of Fine Jewellery: Interview with Pavit Gujral

The beauty of unravelling the unexpected-especially in the timeless field of jewellery design, is discovering an individual who is equally adept at designing unique pieces and bringing them to life. One of those jewellery maestros…or as we fondly love to call her, the ‘Pop-Star’ of fine jewellery is Pavit Gujral-an Indian based master craftswoman, who creates each artistic piece by hand with perfect attention to detail, from an exquisite idea to final jewel. Her passion for developing new techniques and introducing meticulous levels of detail to the art of jewellery design led to the foundation of Pavit Gujral Designs. Born in Calcutta, and raised in Chandigarh, India, Pavit had exposure to two completely different and unique cultures. Calcutta is all about art, history, and chaos, whereas Chandigarh is a relatively modern and well-planned city. Both cities have played a vital role in inculcating her interest in art and design. She takes inspiration from nature, architecture, and her travels and is also a certified scuba diver.
All her symbolic pieces are curated with utmost attention to detail. Isn’t it fascinating to see imaginations transform, into an artistic reality with a luxuriant twist? That’s what you are bound to feel when you not only see, but wear Pavit’s designs. Her goal is to not only design one of a kind, trendsetting jewellery, but also to educate us about the varieties of gemstones that prevail in our world. With a degree in Gemmology, this spellbinding designer aims to create bespoke, high jewellery pieces that are bold, innovative, opulent and unique that can make the wearer feel empowered. Each of Pavit’s pieces conveys an encapsulating narrative that makes the wearer the walking definition of ‘In a room full of art, everyone would still stare at you.’
A firm believer in the concept of not following the trends, but rather creating avalanches of trendsetting jewellery, dive into the harmonious and empowering realms of Pavit Gujral and prepare yourself to be astounded. Just like I have since Pavit Gujral is one such designer that we should all watch out for.

Q.1 Hi Pavit! It is such a pleasure to have you featured in our magazine! Before we start, I would like to know your story. How did the art of Jewellery design find you? How did you come to create such a strong signature style that abundantly prevails in every collection of Pavit Gujral?
Pavit: Being born in a country vastly rich in culture and art has had a major influence on my inclination towards design. Since a very young age, I knew that I was going to be in the design industry, especially shoes. However, my love for gemstones and colour drove me towards Jewellery and I went on to pursue my Graduate gemologist degree at the renowned Gemmological Institute of America, New York. I have a very strong bond and love for nature and animals and they have majorly influenced my designs. As a person I am drawn towards things that are unique & trendsetting and the same characteristics can be seen in my designs. All the pieces are bold, inspired and bespoke.

Q.2 True to your name, ‘The Pop Star’ of Jewellery Design, I just had a glimpse of your Instagram page and believe me when I say…your designs are absolutely stunning. What I appreciate most in your work is the sense of dynamism, movement, an unconventional story to tell, and alluring, sharp, luxuriant details. Can you tell me about your design process?
Pavit: All my pieces are inspired and have a story to tell! I have various collections inspired from nature, animals, travels and scuba diving. The design process starts with an inspiration or idea which is then conceptualized into a sketch and 3D render. The finalization of the design takes the majority of the time as it requires a lot of skill and understanding to perfect a design. My pieces that are inspired from animals – Squirrel Ring, Al Maha Brooch, Langur Earrings etc. specially take longer as its key to get the anatomy right! Once the design is finalised, I go on to choose the best suited gemstones of the highest quality for my pieces.
Many times, I tend to create a design around a special gemstone that I purchased during my travels. Such designs are very unique and have a beauty in the randomness of shapes.

Q.3 The origin of gemstones is increasingly important along with traceability and ethical sourcing. In light of this, fine jewellery is usually high in monetary value, what often makes it exceptional is that it’s steeped in significance. Your goal is to not only design one of a kind, trendsetting jewellery but to also educate people about the variations that exist in gemstones. What can you tell us about this ‘significance’ that prevails in every gemstone, from your perspective?
Pavit: I think the significance is directly correlated with the uniqueness and rarity of a gemstone. Every gemstone is unique in terms of its colour, chemical properties, shape and origin. I love using exotic and colourful gemstones that are ethically sourced and are of the highest quality. I also tend to use a lot of lesser-known gemstones such as Kunzite, Spessartine Garnet, Tsavorite Garnet and Moonstones. I also love playing with unique combinations of colours! For example, I used blue and orange in my Twilight collection with Tanzanites and Padparadscha Sapphires or light blue and purple carvings in my Bellflower Earrings with Turquoise and Amethyst.

Q.4 How would you describe your style of jewellery and the wearers who buy them? How would you decide on what type of materials would be used in designing your collection?
Pavit: The style of my Jewellery is definitely ‘Bold’ and the wearer has to be bold as well to carry them off. However, that said, I feel my Jewellery can be adorned by all age groups! The buyers of my jewellery would be people who appreciate my jewellery as art pieces. All the pieces are set in 18 Karat Gold with rare and colourful gemstones of the highest quality. `I soon plan to experiment with Titanium as well, as it allows you the freedom to have coloured metal and makes the pieces much lighter.

Q.5 Are you in a very different place from where you were when you designed the first collection for your brand? Are there any colour palettes that you refer to, when creating a specific design for an up-and-coming collection?
Pavit: One thing that has remained common from my first collection to the most recent one is that all the pieces are ‘inspired’. That said, my knowledge has definitely evolved when it comes to the manufacturing of a pieces. I am currently working on an ‘Arab World’ collection wherein I am taking inspiration from the colours of the region – red, green, white and black. The collection will also consist of pieces inspired from the region’s topography, animals and flora.

Q.6 What inspires you? Is there a particular era, person, or place that you gravitate towards?
Pavit: Nature and animals have been my biggest inspiration. I have the ‘Sylvan Collection’ inspired from the forest; the ‘La Fleur Collection’ inspired from flowers; the ‘Marine Collection’ inspired from my scuba diving and of course, the ‘Voyage Collection’ inspired from my travels. Inspiration is everywhere!

Q.7 Your Black Forest Collection has won the “Best Necklace” award at IJ Jeweller’s Choice Design Awards 2020. This includes your ‘Dancing Fish Collection” which achieved 1st place in the prestigious Saul Bell Design Awards. What went through your mind when you discovered you’d not only won…but also impacted the mindsets of many?

Pavit: It felt great! Both the awards happened simultaneously, one in the US and one in India. Seeing my pieces win the awards in such diverse countries felt amazing and affirmed that I am headed in the right direction.

Q.8 What is the next big thing we can look forward to seeing from you and your brand? Or would you want to keep it as a surprise for us, the magazine and the readers to see?
Pavit: I have 2 new collections coming up. One inspired from the Arab World and the other is the Men’s Collection which would also have some statement brooches! Stay tuned!

Q.9 Lastly, what is that one life motto you live by? And what advice would you like to share with the next generation of creative minds who aim to carve a niche for themselves in the jewellery industry?
Pavit: Be Bold & Unique! Don’t be afraid to stand out or do something different. That’s how great creations come to life…