Dubai-based jewellery designer on designing gemstones with a twist

A gemologist by education, and a jewellery designer by profession, Pavit Gujral is a Dubai-based jewellery designer whose creations are known to intertwine with the elements of nature. Be it starfishes and parrots dangling from one’s ears, or daisies and fishes nestled between collarbones, Pavit’s designs reflect unique styles, with a story behind them all. Recently showcasing her designs at the Dubai Design District, Pavit won the prestigious Inhorgenta Award in Munich, Germany, for her crab earrings from her Marine collection. The designer, who graduated from the Gemological Institute of America, has previously won the Saul Bell Design Awards in the US, and the IJ Jeweller’s Choice Design Awards in India.

Voyage, Marine, Sylvan, Memoir and Le Fleur, the designer’s collections are heavily influenced by a harmonious concoction of art, nature, moments and architecture, enriched deeply with the history of the gem. Sapphires, rubies, diamonds and topazes are no stranger to her as she takes pride in infusing colour and grandeur into her pieces, while paying ode to the stone. Ahead of her win, the designer opens up on her love for gems, and the journey to creating a niche.

The muses behind Pavit’s creations are not only limited to elements of nature, but she also takes inspiration from architecture. “Especially when I travel, I keep an eye out for different sorts of architecture because I feel the design industry is interconnected. Be it fashion design, jewellery design, or interiors or whatever architecture, that is one of my main inspirations. I even did projects on Zaha Hadid’s building.”

Gemstones are the main element in her designs. Pavit incorporates the colour and class that these precious stones bring into a piece. “As a gemologist, gemstones are something that I really want to promote, especially the lesser-known gemstones which are rarer and more valuable than the known ones.”

With changing trends and styles, bold jewellery has taken a backseat lately with more minimalism and simplistic designs coming to the front. But Pavit believes there is a market for her niche. “I think there was always a niche market for artistic jewellery, which is something that I try to do. I know I’m targeting a niche market for people who appreciate art, but I think that market is getting bigger and there are more people who are looking at jewellery as art and not just an investment,” says Pavit. Following trends is not something that she abides by, and instead prefers to create her own trends. “All my pieces are inspired by ideas that come very spontaneously and that’s why I can’t be following a trend. If I do, then somewhere or the other I will be compromising.”

The jewellery designer goes by the term ‘jewellery popstar’ on Instagram, a term inspired by her iconic inspiration, Lady Gaga, as she hopes to become the first of her kind in the industry.

Hailing from Punjab, India, the colours that Pavit infuses into her works are inspired by the colourful nature and diversity of her country. She even designed an inter-cultural piece, which was the Indian tikka, inspired by Egyptian pyramids. “Tikkas are usually round or crescent shaped, so I ended up doing a triangle version of it, which has never been seen before and all the diamonds in it were also triangular. I love playing with shapes and colours.”

Be it on her Instagram feed or in her exhibitions, there is always a detailed story and history of the gemstone mentioned either in the form of a post or a QR code. Pavit goes by the principle of educating people about what they are wearing and adding more value to it through its rich history. “There’s a piece, which I have designed with my grandmother’s old stones, so that is something they really enjoy knowing about. Otherwise, it’s just a piece of jewellery. The story adds value to it.”

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

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