Fine bijouterie label Meroh has jewellery that pushes boundaries
Designer Vinnie Ghatiwala’s contemporary fine jewellery label Meroh is the creation of her knowledge of creating everyday pieces while working on her husband’s family jewellery brand, Ghatiwala. Meaning “mine” in the Rajasthani dialect, the label is born out of a love for jewellery that pushes the boundaries. Vinnie tells us what went behind their debut collection, Hive.
Your USP is precious stones. How do you build the design elements around it differently?
The stones are the stars of our story! We innovate traditional techniques in the way we cut and polish all the stones we work with—whether they are Mozambique rubies or Congolese malachites. The beauty of our pieces is also in the art of combination and ensuring that each stone gets to enjoy its time in the limelight. We cut diamonds in a way that the refraction and brilliance are optimised to their full extent, without taking away from the shine of other stones.
Tell us about Meroh’s debut collection.
Our debut collection is called Hive, which is an ode to the humble honeybee. We picked this fascinating creature because it teaches us about holding our own and being in a community at the same time. If you look closely at the pieces, you will see the inspiration in the form of a honeycomb in many places. This collection is dominated by emeralds, turquoise, gold, and diamonds. The pieces embody the amazing skills of our designers and craftsmen: here, CAD meets hand filing; the precision required in calibrating a stone like turquoise is evident in the piece you can hold in your hands. It is symmetrical, balanced and unique.
How has the taste of contemporary jewellery evolved among millennials and Gen Z?
Gen Z wants to have fun with jewellery. They are free from the mindset that jewellery need to be locked up and taken out for occasions like weddings. Many millennials led the way for this everyday statement attitude towards jewellery. Playfulness is something that is resonating with more and more people. Jewellery that is literally flexible is being embraced, as it mirrors how people move and travel.
What inspires you as a designer?
Nature, books, art, Indian architecture, and what I see around me. I am lucky enough to be able to draw inspiration from lots of different sources.