Emeralds enjoy a rich, historical connection with Hyderabad. For hundreds of years, jewellers have set emeralds in ornaments crafted for the begums and the women of aristocratic lineage. Some scholars believe that these emeralds may have made their historical debut as far back in time as the days of Alexander the Great (around 300 BC), eventually finding their way into the opulent coffers of the Nizam by the 1800s. Hyderabad-based Kishandas & Co. has a history of its own with the city. They came to the city long back, but the jewellery business was started 150 years back and they were the jewellers to the Nizams. The brand recently launched an uber-chic collection for the understated bride, it is a coming together of scintillating emeralds and finely faceted diamonds.
Talking about the inspiration behind the new collection, Pratiksha Prashant, Creative Director, Kishandas & Co. says, “This collection is a breakaway from our existing traditional jewellery. However, the basics remain the same. Hyderabad is known to be the Mecca of emeralds. Three of the most beautiful emeralds of the world came from the old mines of the Nizams. Also, the Nizams wanted to add a coloured stone with their diamonds and emerald was their biggest preference. So, that’s why we even named our collection Emerald Gaze.” The stones they use are from all over the world, like the emeralds are from Columbia or Zambia and they have African and Mozambique rubies. “Burmese rubies are very rare now, but a lot of cutting happens in Jaipur, so, we get our stones specially cut according to our requirements sometimes. Diamonds we use are from De Beers,” shares Pratiksha.
“At the outset, as a young architect, I needed initiation into the world of jewellery making. I needed to train my eyes towards recognising a perfect gem from many imperfect versions. The family stepped in and took me under their wings,” she said when asked about how she came to join the family business.
The other challenge she faced was to bring openness and progressive marketing strategies to a heritage run ‘house of jewels’. “There was a need to bring the brand out from a family business which was not very open to advertising or publicity. We have come a long way, adapting ourselves to the era of being present digitally, being accessible on social media and using technology as well for our business.
Now we boast of a clientele pan India and world over. To carry forward the legacy, it is important to keep our roots intact. Keeping our ethics of the business intact, trying to teach our next generation to learn to assess stones, the raw material and the making. We want the next generation to adapt to newer methods because the world is becoming smaller, the customer is becoming more aware and informed about everything, so as a new age jewellers, it is essential for them to learn newer trends while staying true to our roots,” concludes Pratiksha.