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A Conversation with Namrata & Dharmesh Kothari of SYNA Jewels

December 27, 2012

Mogul Black Spinel Short Tassel Pendant with Rubellite

Mogul Black Spinel Short Tassel Pendant with Rubellite

Manjari Sihare of Saffronart in a tête-à-tête with Namrata & Dharmesh Kothari of SYNA Jewels

New York: To mark the holiday season, The Story by Saffronart presents a collection of exquisite Mogul jewelry by renowned US based jewelry design firm SYNA, founded by Namrata & Dharmesh Kothari. Well known for curating private label collections for some of the world’s most esteemed jewelry houses, Namrata and Dharmesh launched their own designer label, SYNA, in 2003. Now in its tenth year, SYNA has made its way into most high-end stores across the United States. The designer couple talk to us about the simple, classic and timeless creations of SYNA, the materials, their use of age-old inlay and carving techniques and more in this exclusive interview.

Q. Please tell us about your brand ‘SYNA’?

SYNA was born in 2003 and excels in exquisitely crafted, luxurious jewelry using colored gemstones.  SYNA means “together” It comes from synergy. The name relates to our desire to partner with people, be it our retailers, our vendors, our jewelers or our employees. We believe people can achieve great things by respecting each other and pooling their talents and resources.

Q. SYNA jewelry stands out for its use of semi-precious gemstones? Please elaborate on your choice of materials and the design philosophy?

Our design philosophy has always been to keep it simple. A piece should have only what is needed, nothing too much, and not less. You will not see pieces from SYNA with too much going on. We’re always always stripping a design to its core. We want to show the heart out instantly, and in it’s purest form, without losing its inherent character.

We believe in using the best of gemstones, which we source from all across the world. We collect roughs of various gemstones and cut the shapes we need as we want. We utilize complex methods to showcase jewelry in its simplest form possible, we never lose the inherent character of the stones, letting the natural beauty of gemstones take center stage. Everything is about achieving the most effective color display and combination. The silhouettes are classic yet striking and can complement a daytime denim or underscore a perfect little black dress. The simplicity of a SYNA piece with a twist of modern elegance is what keeps it timelessly fresh yet versatile.

Q. Do you manufacture SYNA jewelry in the United States? Tell us a little about your sourcing and manufacturing?  

We make our jewelry in the United States using the most skilled jewelers in the industry. We cut and polish our gemstones in India. And our colored stone roughs are sourced from all across the world. We’re always in the search of exotic new materials and gemstones. Being hands on right from sourcing the raw materials to the finished product, there is no compromising at any stage.

Q. Could you talk to us about SYNA’s ‘Mogul Collection’ featured on The Story?

SYNA MOGUL SIGNATURE MOTHER OF PEARL EARRINGS

SYNA’s Mother of Pearl Earrings in their signature design, the intricately latticed windows inspired by Mughal architecture

Like I said, our design philosophy has always been to keep it simple. We have taken intricate traditional Mughal shapes and extracted their purest forms and used them in our collections in simple, modern ways. Our signature & symbol is inspired by intricately latticed windows from Mughal palaces, effortlessly merged into a medallion. We proudly call it the Mogul. Our little signature identifies our roots and our design philosophy.

Being the heart of the SYNA brand are the Mogul Drops. The outer shape of the Mogul drops is inspired by the traditional red tilak, a Hindu symbol of victory,

success and good fortune placed on the forehead. We call them “Mogul” drops as they reflect the larger-than-life sizes (some even go to more than a hundred carats each). Our Mogul drops celebrate the culmination of Hindu and Mughal art influences in most architecture in India.

SYNA MOGUL DROPS

SYNA Mogul Drops

Little antiques, a child’s drawing, architecture, a landscape, door knobs, a memory , a word from a friend on the phone. There are always little things everywhere that gets us excited and thinking, be it during our travels or from our backyard. We love seeing how one inspiration fuses into another all the time.

Q. What are some of the key pieces in this collection and why do they stand out from everything else?

Our large Mogul Drops!! Each large drop is a over a 100 carats, cut to perfection and embellished with 18k yellow gold and diamonds. These can be adorned on vintage leather cords, blackened silver chains and 18k yellow gold chains (and even interchangeably). Each look transforms this simple classic piece into a versatile, chic style. We absolutely love the magic we see in the eyes of our clients when they wear these. The Mogul drops come in various sizes (large, medium and small) and in a lot of different stone species (amethyst, blue topaz, black spinel, rose quartz, blue chalcedony, moon quartz, citrine, lemon quartz, smoky quartz, rock crystal and more) embellished with 18k yellow gold and champagne and black diamonds.

Q. Please share the retail history of SYNA?

SYNA was born in 2003, when we came to the US. It’s been quite a joyride ever since, with some highs and some lows (and some serious bumps!!)  Our first collections were taken by the big names in the industry. It helped us survive the giant leap we took from India then. Today, the SYNA brand is showcased in most high-end retail stores nation-wide including Neiman Marcus & Mitchells family of stores. We choose only the best in the business in each location.

Q. Where do you see SYNA in the next 5-10 years

The last ten years have been our foundation years, long and significant. These years were also some of the most exciting years of our lives. In the next five years, we’ll see a lot of “distribution” magic within SYNA. We’re here since the last ten years, but we’re yet discovering new places. We’re still touring each city, still discovering new store locations, we’re still meeting people, people whom we will work for a life-time. We are growing each day and we’re loving every moment. The next decade will be the most crucial years for Syna, and hopefully they will be path-breaking.

 Q. What kind of buyers does the brand cater to?

Our clients are drawn to our pieces for the purity of color and elegance. They are compelled to touch the stones and get a feeling of spirituality. They love simple, sophisticated styling with an understanding of natural gemstones and appreciate fine quality.  

Q. Your recommendations to build a classic SYNA Collection

Mogul Amethyst dangling drop chain earrings with Rubellite

Mogul Amethyst dangling drop chain earrings with Rubellite

A large or medium Mogul drop on a vintage cord. Some Baubles rings and bracelets. Simple modern Paris cobblestone earrings and a little SYNA bold chakra charm pendant is a good way to start with. From there on, one can build the collection with additional drop colors & sizes (for layering) and some more Baubles colors (to add more combinations to your existing look) and more earring styles. One will be amazed to see how they can use the same piece to create different looks all the time. Usually, we meet up our clients at various events with their existing jewelry (their SYNA pieces and their other pieces) and we create their jewelry looks right away. They always leave the event surprised and awakened on how some colors do so much magic on them than the others. It’s amazing how nature gives us these gems with such potent color, each of them providing us with the opportunity to create beautiful color stories.

Baubles diamond pave stacking rings

Baubles diamond pave stacking rings

Tourmaline: A Versatile Gemstone

December 9, 2012

Manjari Sihare of Saffronart explores why Tourmalines find a special place in the hearts of gemstones collectors

An Unmounted Rubellite Tourmaline Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

An Unmounted Rubellite Tourmaline
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

New York: Tourmalines seem to have special place in the hearts of gemstone enthusiasts, primarily for two reasons – first, that these gems can be found possibly in every color one can think of, and secondly, that these stones are affordable to most.

The word tourmaline is derived form the Sinhalese word tura mali, which means ‘mixed stone’. Tourmaline is not a single mineral but a group of minerals related by the close similarity of their physical and chemical properties.

Tourmalines are mixed crystals of aluminium boron silicate, and even slight changes in their chemical composition cause completely different colors. There are tourmalines in single colors, while some may exhibit two colors in a single stone. Certain tourmalines may even change color when the light source changes from natural to artificial. Different colored tourmalines are known by different names. Tourmalines that are red in natural and artificial light are known as rubellites; red tourmalines that turn pink when the light changes are called a pink tourmalines; blue tourmalines are known as indicolites; yellowish brown tourmalines are known as dravites; green tourmalines are known as verdelites; and black tourmalines are known as schorl. Tourmalines with two colors are bicolored tourmalines, while those with more are known as multicolored tourmalines. A particularly attractive type of tourmaline is known as the watermelon tourmaline because it has a red center and is surrounded by a layer of green. When cut into, these tourmalines are green on one side and red on the other.

A triangle-shaped rubellite tourmaline, weighing approximately 4.67 carats.Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

A triangle-shaped rubellite tourmaline, weighing approximately 4.67 carats.
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

The proper lighting conditions for tourmaline will depend on the color variety. Reds, oranges and yellows generally look best under incandescent light, while greens, blues and violets appear prettier under daylight. When buying any gem, it is always a good idea to examine it under a variety of light sources.

Tourmalines are found all over the world, with the major mining areas in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, USA, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although they are so abundantly available, tourmalines of exceptional color and quality are rare. The value of a tourmaline is determined by its color, undertones, and clarity.

242 Carat Tanzanite Tiara: The Michael Scott Collection

December 5, 2012

Manjari Sihare of Saffronart shares details of a beautiful tanzanite tiara from the Collection of Michael Scott, of Apple fame

New York: I recently came across a gem collection which is touted to be the most important private collection of jewels in the United States. It is the collection of Michael Scott, the first president of Apple Computer. While Scott really needs no introduction, his name has come up in many-a-times in the infinite biographies of Steve Jobs that flooded the market after the latter’s untimely demise. With a University Degree in Nuclear Physics, Scott went onto become the President of Apple Computer in 1977, and in the short span of his five year tenure, Apple Computer became one of the most successful companies in the United States. During this time, Scott launched the Apple II personal computer and took the company public in 1980. He left the company in 1981 after  a clash with Jobs, with millions of dollars worth of company stock.

5500 carat Star Rose Quart
The Michael Scott Gem Collection

The Michael Scott Gem Collection is known to have few rivals worldwide outside of royal families. Scott’s interest in gemstones dates to the mid 1980s. Characteristic of most seasoned collectors, he began with reading extensively on gemology to build a knowledge base. He then prepared a list of pieces he desired for his collection. A select group of brokers were entrusted with the job of going after his wish-list. The collection includes spectacular examples of all major as well as rare gemstones, and jewelry, including  antique pieces from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. One of the highlights is a 5500-carat star rose Brazilian quartz which is known to be the largest  star rose quartz in the world.

Another magnificent piece of jewelry is a tiara accented with 803 brilliant cut tsavorite garnets and 913 cut diamonds encompassing a large tanzanite weighing 242 carats.

Tiara with a 242 carat Tanzanite, 803 tsavorite garnets and 913 cut diamonds
The Michael Scott Gem Collection

Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral Zoisite (a calcium aluminium hydroxy silicate). Zoisite is naturally found in a variety of colours ranging from brown to green. Treating the mineral with heat can impart it with a brilliant blue colour, and it is blue Zoisite alone which is known as Tanzanite. The mineral was named by Tiffany & Co. after the country in which it was discovered, Tanzania. Some Tanzanite may include a purplish tinge, and is the most coveted variety of the stone, as the purple and the blue complement each other magnificently.

The geographical origin of the Tanzanite can be easily garnered from the name of the gem – the East African nation of Tanzania is the only place on Earth where this beautiful blue stone is found. How Tanzanite was created and discovered, on the other hand, is anything but simple. It is estimated that the creation of the stone began over 500 million years ago with the eruption of the volcano we now know as Mt. Kilimanjaro, which caused a shift in the physical and chemical properties of the earth around it, allowing the Zoisite crystals there to develop into Tanzanite.

Tanzanite was discovered only as recently as 1967 by Masai tribesmen tending to their cattle in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. According to legend, heat from a grass fire near Kilimanjaro turned the naturally brown Zoisite crystals into a fantastic shade of blue, and the Masai tribesmen, enthralled by the sea of blue stones they had never laid eyes on before, became the first human gatherers of Tanzanite. Even today, the areas where significant deposits of Tanzanite can be found and commercially mined comprise a mere four square kilometers near the towns of Arusha and Moshi in the Merelani Hills.

A Set of Unmounted Tanzanites (25.11 carats approx.)
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

Tanzanite is one of the few gemstones that can only be found in a concentrated region of the world, and this unique factor makes it highly sought after. The ever changing political, social and economic conditions of Tanzania also ensure that the stone is coveted, since collectors and suppliers cannot turn to another source to acquire it. Saffronart is pleased to offer a range of unmounted and strung tanzanites in our collection, Everything that Glitters featured on The Story. A spectacular acquisition is a set of six unmounted tanzanites – two pear-shaped, two oval-shaped and two trillions, with a total weight of almost 25.11 carats. Tanzanite is believed to have calming and balancing properties and was added to the American Gem Trade Association’s list of birthstones, as the birthstone for the month of December.

Read more about the Tanzanites in this interesting article published by the Time Magazine.

The ABC of Peridots

December 2, 2012

A Suite of Unmounted Peridots
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

In conjunction with the dazzling collection of unmounted and strung gemstones on The Story, Everything that Glitters, Manjari Sihare of Saffronart traces the origins of the Peridot

New York: This week, Saffronart launched a collection of fine quality gemstones on The Story. On sale over the next three weeks is a beautiful selection of unmounted and strung stones including peridots, emeralds, tanzanites, rubies, amber, yellow beryls, sapphires  in different colors and tourmalines. My personal favorite of these are the peridots, vivid green stones, with a slight tinge of gold, which I find to be the ideal gemstone hue to go with a light summer wardrobe.

Peridot or the ‘golden stone’, originally known as topazion, is a variety of the mineral olivine and is transparent.  The earliest reference to the gem is in the Historia Naturalis written by the Roman historian Pliny in the 1st century. Pliny gives a detailed account of a gem named ‘topazion’ and dates its discovery to approximately 300 BCE. He writes: “Juba says that there is an island in the Red Sea called ‘Topazion,’ at a distance of three hundred stadia from the main land; that it is surrounded by fogs, and is often sought by navigators in consequence; and that, owing to this, it received its present name, the word ‘Topazion’ meaning ‘to seek’.”

Pliny’s island of ‘Topazion’ later known as Zabargad, was the largest of a group of islands off the south-eastern coast of Egypt in the Red Sea. Zabargad was once an oceanic volcano, which became visible above sea level after Africa and Asia’s tectonic plates collided. As a result of its unique mineral forming conditions, the island of Zabargad once possessed large deposits of the gem forsterite-olivine or Peridot. The ancient Egyptians treasured this beautiful green-gold gem and some of Cleopatra’s famed emeralds are now believed to have actually been peridots.

A Peridot Bead Necklace
Everything that Glitters, The Story by Saffronart

The origin of the word peridot itself is unclear. In fact, fascinated by its radiant green color, the Romans nicknamed it ‘the evening emerald’. The gem assumed the name peridot sometime in the 13th century, a term perhaps derived from the Arabic word ‘faridat’ meaning ‘gem’ or the French word ‘peritot’ meaning ‘unclear’. From the 18th century onward, the name peridot alone was used.

Considered to be a sacred gem, the peridot was often treated as a symbol of purity and virtue. The stone was believed to have magical properties, and was worn as protection against evil. Peridot is said to protect the body’s aura and bring its wearer success, peace and good luck.

Other ancient sources of the stone include Burma, South Africa and Brazil. In recent times, the United States, Pakistan and Kashmir are the largest producers of peridot. Most American peridots are 3 carats or less. Larger stones are mostly from Pakistan or China. A gem associated with success, power and good luck, peridots featured prominently in the collection of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Mahboob Ali Pasha, the sixth Nizam, was particularly fond of the gem, and had them set into belt buckles, rings and coat buttons.

The largest peridot in the world (310 carats)
From the Gem and Mineral collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicresourceorg/493866936/

The largest cut peridot weighs around 310 carats, and is on display in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian Institution. Similarly, in Moscow’s Diamond Treasury there is a 192.75 carat peridot that belonged to the Czars. A 146 carat peridot is on display in the Geological Museum, London. Smaller peridots are relatively less expensive, but their value considerably increases if they are over 5 carats, like one of those featured on The Story.  Peridots with a weight of 10-15 carats or more are rare, making them quite valuable.

Art Deco and India’s Royal Families

October 26, 2012

Nishad Avari of Saffronart on the status of Art Deco in India’s royal collections 

Mumbai: In the nineteenth century, first under the East India Company and then as part of the British Empire when Queen Victoria assumed the title of Empress of India, not only did the Indian princes find themselves “…increasingly having to accommodate and entertain Europeans on equal terms,” but they also started developing a taste for the Western luxury goods and standards of living they now had a chance to experience.

By the 1920s, “Within one generation of western education the lifestyle of India’s princes were transformed and they began to wear western clothes, engage in western games and eat western food…those princes who could afford it abandoned their traditional residences for new, substantial palaces principally designed by western architects…[and] were built to accommodate western-style living, with its specific rooms for dining, sleeping, socializing, sport and recreation. The western-style elevated furniture and domestic articles needed to outfit these new vast palaces were readily supplied by British firms such as Maple & Co. and Waring & Gillow, both of which had showrooms in India… For Western firms making luxury goods, be it F & C Osler, Baccarat, Cartier, Boucheron, Louis Vuitton, Holland & Holland or Rolls Royce, Indian princes proved to be substantial clients and at certain times, such as during the Great Depression, were the mainstay of business” (Amin Jaffar, Made for Maharajas, Lustre Press/Roli Books, Mumbai, 2007, p. 15. 18).

Many of the items created by these firms for Indian royals between the 1920s and 1940s were crafted in the Art Deco style that had taken Europe by storm at the time. As a result, members of India’s royal families came to be regarded as some of the greatest patrons of Art Deco architecture, interiors, jewelry and accessories were.

From entire palaces constructed in the style, most notably in Morvi, Jodhpur and Indore, to highly customised jewelry, furniture and accessories purchased from European firms like Cartier, Boucheron and Louis Vuitton, India’s maharajas were captivated by the glamour, elegance and modernity that Art Deco represented as these were all principles central to their lifestyles.

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To read more about the history of the Art Deco movement, click here.

Learn more about our Art Deco Auction auction.