Gems forever

Gemologist Suman Suresh believes ruby stones could bring prosperity into one’s life.
Suman Suresh's ruby stones
Suman Suresh's ruby stones

Gemologist Suman Suresh believes ruby stones could bring prosperity into one’s life. Her elegant neckpiece in ruby, embedded with diamond stones and golden beads, stands as an embodiment of both class and prosperity. Following the legacy of her family-owned jewellery group, Krishnan Nair and Sons, the Thiruvananthapuram-native now specialises in handcraft jewellery making and designing. Through her jewellery boutique ‘Suman’, the designer in her 40s is on a mission to change the public’s perception of gold. She encourages her customers to consider the metal as an asset instead, that could be passed down to generations. 

Suman has been designing fine jewellery pieces in gold, silver, and precious stones since 2012. “Each of my jewellery pieces is one of a kind and they cannot be duplicated. The market is flooded with machine-made designs, that’s why mine stands out. Though it takes time, I believe such carefully designed pieces have unique charisma, something that bulk jewellery lacks,” she says. Suman draws jewellery designs according to customers’ inputs. According to her, the Malayalis prefer conventional curves, circles and other definite shapes. “Contemporary designs still have a long way to go when it comes to pleasing the Malayali crowd,” she says.

According to her, the trend has always been the century-old Mughal designs crafted with emeralds and rubies. Some of her eye-catching pieces include the Mughal-inspired necklaces, something of a favourite for brides on their wedding day. “Nowadays many are going for the ancient Mughal designs and there is a loyal fanbase for the calmest shades of emerald green. In gemology, we also study astro-gemology, which also explains the properties of each gemstone for respective zodiac signs. As per record, the emerald is linked with the heart chakra and is believed to calm the body and mind,” she says. 

Suman is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America and brings some fresh perspective to her family-run business. The Jadaau Mala, long ‘haar’ worn by the royals of the early 16th century, is another noteworthy work of Suman. The necklace has a broad pendant with a golden thread connecting polki (an uncut and unpolished diamond) and ruby stones. 

Another elaborate design is beaded emerald strings in the haram pattern. The locket is handcrafted using a 500-year-old technique called ‘Pratash’, she informs. For those who wish to mix style with tradition, Suman has created an antique choker studded with ruby cabochons. Complementing it, a long necklace engraved in the face of Lord Ganesha is adorned with ruby stones.

Apart from making statement pieces, Suman is on a mission to spread awareness to not see gold just as a profitable commodity. She is also working towards busting the many superstitions associated with gemstones. 

“I’ve heard people saying wearing a diamond every day is a bad omen. This is wrong. Every stone has energy similar to gold and silver and we need to wear it right. Diamonds when exposed to sunlight will emit energy and this is passed on to our body. Here people buy gold as a commodity as a future investment and I want to change that mindset. These handcrafted jewellery pieces are a treasure worth passing down to the coming generation,” says Suman. 

Her boutique is situated inside the KNS store in East Fort.

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