Royal Treasure Trove

The granddaughter of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, Jyotsna Singh has inherited her grandfather’s passion for jewelry. She carries forth the royal legacy with her international brand of jewelry ‘Manjusha’.

She hails from the family that owned the famed Patiala Necklace. The massive art deco necklace that was created by Cartier for Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala in 1928, the Patiala Necklace is a metaphor of the lifestyle that the Maharajas led. The necklace included the world’s seventh largest DeBeers diamond, of 234 carats and was perhaps the most spectacular and expensive piece of jewelry ever created apart from being the largest single commission that Cartier has ever executed.

The ceremonial necklace was completed in 1928 and restored in 2002 and it originally contained no less than 2,930 diamonds weighing almost 1,000 carats. Post 2002 it has been on display in exhibitions around the world.

Jyotsna Singh’s brand ‘Manjusha’, which means ‘a treasure chest of jewels’, presents collections of unique fusion jewelry that combines the majesty of the old with the intensity of the new.

Her fascination with jewelry started at an early age as she was exposed to the magnificence of the family jewels. Her designs border on the contemporary and she effortlessly blends generations of intricate designs with materials that make them more wearable and affordable.

“I believe that a woman should step out of the ordinary when she wears a piece of jewelry. Her jewelry should make a bold and confident statement of her uniqueness and social savoir-faire,” says Jyotsna. Her work is inspired by the beauty of royal jadau designs; jewelry that reminisces a bygone era of royal palaces and princely extravagance.

Manjusha’s Summer-Fall ‘11 collection includes many statement pieces in myriad colours that capture the imagination. Jyotsna often uses the soft hues of rose quartz, aventurine, green amethyst and pearls combined with the strong colors that come from turquoise, lapis and labrodorite. “I find myself inspired by something, and that brings on a plethora of new designs. Occasionally when I am designing, I do not recognize the end piece – it emerges; working with stones becomes a spiritual experience for me. I prefer to work with semi precious stones because of the variety of colors I can use and still keep each piece affordable. I have been told that my pieces show the love and passion I have for what I do,” she says.

Jyotsna showcases her jewelry at private shows and in-store trunk shows around the world. She presently has a market in the United States, Brazil, India and very soon she plans to start selling in South East Asia as well. Having left corporate America to take up jewelry design, she says that she got into designing very casually, somewhere around January 2010. “I was working with Levis Strauss in the sales, marketing and merchandising division in the United States when I decided to give up my job and take up designing full time,” she explains. Having married her childhood sweetheart, Jyotsna has made San Francisco her home for the last several decades.

“I have a passion for working with stones,” she explains. “Pearls, rubies and emeralds are my favourites. Many of my pieces are fashioned around these brilliant stones.” Jyotsna weaves traditional Indian designs with elements of contemporary art and comes up with stunning pieces. She loves using classic strings of pearls to enhance the beauty of big, chunky pendants made of emerald and ruby.

She has also refurbished several old pieces of jewelry into new and trendy designs. “An old nose ring called a machli, which belonged to my grandmother, I have converted into a pendant for my granddaughter. Similarly, I have reworked an old enamel pendant, added my favourite stones to it and made it into a stunning piece of jewelry for my son,” explains Jyotsna.

“I never enjoyed wearing jewelry, but because of my family background I have always been aware of the kind of jewelry people around me wore; this extensive jewelry culture from India has influenced me tremendously,” she says. Her line presently consists of elaborate neck pieces, ornate rings, fancy cuffs and some earrings. Her workmen are based in Jaipur and Jyotsna spends around four to five months of the year in India, supervising and implementing her designs.