An Exclusive Interview with Manjusha Jewels’ Designer, Jyotsna “Joey” Singh
An Exclusive Interview with Manjusha Jewels’ Designer, Jyotsna “Joey” Singh
Joey discusses her brand-new collection, her inspirations, and reveals its name
Several years ago, after a long and successful corporate career, Joey shifted gears to focus on her true passion: jewelry design. But her love of jewelry did not simply blossom overnight, rather it was born from her Indian culture and royal ancestry.
As the granddaughter of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala (r. 1900-1938), her abundant exposure to treasured crown jewels sparked a love for art and design at a young age, and continues to inspire her today, along with her deep appreciation for nature and fine art.
Joey’s designs have evolved over the course of many years. She has created everything from traditional Indian wedding jewelry, to intricate gemstone pieces, to her newest and most modern designs seen in her brand-new collection.
Manjusha Jewels' Designer, Jyotsna "Joey" Singh
What are the defining characteristics of your new collection?
“This collection is all about metals – gold, silver, and rhodium. I like to refer to the rhodium as “black,” since the hue of this metal gives off a dark, tarnished appearance. I’ve blended these tones with bold lines for a contemporary look.”
Where did your inspiration for this new, contemporary collection come from?
“I saw someone wearing a very old piece of jewelry that reminded me of ancient Turkish jewelry designs – like those from more than 1000 years ago, around the time the Turkish invasion of India began. It was mostly dark silver and gold, and very ornate. Usually in India and Turkey, the more detailed the design, the more it is appreciated. So, I was inspired by these ancient design influences and applied a contemporary feel to them, which led to an understated elegant appeal that is simple to the eye.”
How are these designs different from anything you have done before, and why did you decide to focus on metals?
“It’s different because I’ve given so much focus to metals instead of gemstones in this new collection. I’ve done gemstone designs for so many years that I wanted to do something different. I began to lean more towards keeping it sleek and simple, moving away from gemstones, except for seasonal special pieces that I might add garnets and some of my other favorite stones to. I wanted to introduce a more contemporary collection, and I feel that that’s true for metals versus gemstones.”
What challenges did you meet when designing and introducing this new collection?
“I loved it from the beginning, and I was so confident that I knew it was going to work, so no real challenges in the actual design process. I did expect the grey to be darker, but that’s about it. Though because of Covid, I had to stop the creative process part way through, so for now, it’s an extremely limited collection – about 4 pieces of each of the approximately 25 designs. I hope to expand more on this collection next year.”
“As far as how it’s been received, well, I just introduced the new designs at the Holiday Gift Collective pop-up store in Lafayette, CA, and am currently selling much more metals than gemstones. That speaks to the fact that the trends for next year are predicted to be silver designs. But while people are buying up my new collection of black/gold, and silver and gold separately, I think people are still getting used to the black/silver combination, and that’s because it’s a brand-new look that you won’t see anywhere else.”
What was your favorite part of this collections’ design process?
“Definitely the excitement of seeing the samples. They turned out beyond my expectations!”
Thank you for sharing your design story with us! If you are ready to reveal the collection name, we would love to know what it is and how you decided upon it.
“Absolutely! I decided to name it the Luna Collection because the designs and colors remind me of the moon. I have always been drawn to the moon because of it’s beauty, energy, and fascinating Indian moon lore. Also, my name, Jyotsna, is of Hindi origin and means “moonlight,” so that was also an innate inspiration.” ▣
Interview by Candace Nagy
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Julia Minasian
January 14, 2021
I love this collection! It’s so structural and sophisticated yet still so organic. Love the name too and hearing about the meaning behind your name! Just beautiful! Bravo!!!