The Taantvi Collection by Moksh Jewellery
It is rare to find a jewellery collection that harks back to the splendours of Mughal art and architecture and yet is still able to present a very contemporary look. This is what Moksh Jewellery’s Taantvi Collection is all about. Incorporating sinuous motifs and jewellery crafting techniques of India’s Mughal past with an overall design aesthetic that is very modern, Taantvi is a jewellery collection like no other.
Mumbai based Moksh Jewellery has a range of different collections, and each tells its own story through beautiful gemstones and exquisite craftsmanship. However, their Taantvi Collection is perhaps their most successful and well-recognised collection of all, and for good reason.
Taantvi is a Sanskrit word which means “weave,” and all the jewellery pieces of this collection feature a delicately and intricately woven mesh of Japanese keshi pearls, set amongst other precious gemstones. The technique of weaving pearls goes back to the Mughal era and Moksh, with their Taantvi Collection, have given it a more contemporary look. Japanese keshi pearls are very small in size and weaving them is a meticulously precise craft which is both difficult to learn as well as master. However, through the Taantvi collection, Moksh has showcased this art as part of some very exquisite jewellery pieces.
There is a certain timelessness to all the pieces of this collection. Whether it’s bracelets, bangles, earrings, rings or necklaces, the elegance of each piece brings together a craft of bygone days with a jewellery style that is modern, one of a kind and very striking. What is more, there is also a feeling of uniformity and harmony to this collection, which comes from perfectly matching the size and colour of keshi pearls in the tightly woven net of pearls, adorning each individual piece.
Recently I connected with Milan Choksi, founder of Moksh Jewellery and asked him a few questions about their jewellery brand and especially about their beautiful Taantvi Collection.
Moksh, I believe, means freedom or liberation and in a sense achieving Nirvana. What made you choose this beautiful and evocative name for your brand and how does it represent the jewellery you design and craft?
The founders of the business are inspired by Indian culture, architecture and art and philosophy. Moksh, according to the ancient Indian religion of Jainism means salvation and liberation. In the context of jewellery – with MOKSH we wanted to liberate ourselves and the customer from the shackles of pre conceived notions they had of jewellery, Indian jewellery and impulse behind owning jewellery. It also signifies a sense of peace and harmony – this is something we wish for our customer to experience through the entire journey of interacting and transacting with us.
Tell us a little bit about how Moksh Jewellery started and the idea behind this jewellery brand?
Moksh was envisioned by our Founder, Milan Chokshi, a fourth-generation jeweller who is currently at the helm of affairs at Tanvir Kumar & Co., his family’s 76-year-old business. A graduate from Mumbai University, Milan went on to hone his professional skills and enrolled for the Graduate Jeweller course at GIA, Carlsbad, in 1998. A year later, he formally joined the family business.
In 2004, he set up Moksh, which is now available at stores in select locations in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and India. The engaging and modern-day collections inspired by Indian art and architecture, have a strong visual grammar. The idea was to create modern and wearable interpretations of Indian inspired jewellery using the finest and rarest gems and craftsmanship of India.
Your beautiful Taantvi Collection has been inspired by the splendours of Mughal India. Could you elaborate on that?
The splendours of Mughal India are a pillar of our inspiration. The combination of the white pearls and gemstones is our homage to the gem encrusted marble structures and pieces of the Mughal Era.
You use rare pieces of imperial provenance in your Taantvi collection to create very contemporary jewellery pieces. What is your creative and design process to bring two such diverse elements into one striking piece of jewellery?
It’s actually a collaboration between our sourcing , design, engineering and the goldsmithing teams. The teams are continuously pushed to raise the level of complexity and detailing in every piece. We believe rare and wearable is better that large and unaffordable. We also focus a lot on wearability and what It feels like when our jewellery is worn.
The Taantvi collection features beautiful keshi pearls. What made you decide that keshi pearls were to be one of the highlight of the jewellery pieces of this collection?
The small keshi pearls that we use in this collection are of the finest lustre and quality, and the stringing and weaving process is extremely detailed. Besides being visually and aesthetically pleasing, the challenge of creating complex and small baubles of joy inspires us. And we have an affinity for all kinds of pearls.
Moksh’s Taantvi Collection is a marvel of jewellery making. Pulling at such diverse inspirations as Mughal architecture, the traditional art of pearl weaving and very contemporary design, we are presented with a collection of very uniquely elegant jewellery pieces.
You can find out more about Moksh: Fine Unseen Jewels at www.mokshjewellery.com and you can follow them at @jewelsbymoksh
Featured Image: South Sea Pearl, Japanese Keshi Pearls and Diamond Necklace, Moksh Jewellery.
All images used in this post are the property of Moksh Jewellery. Any person or organization not affiliated with Moksh Jewellery may not use, copy, alter or modify any of the images used in this post, without the advance written permission of Moksh Jewellery.
