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Promise
Eastern heritage and western design
harmoniously collide in the beautiful collections
from Eastern Mystic Jewellery, as designer Sonal
Talgeri-Bhaskaran reveals...
A combination of Indian film romance, music and
the country’s intriguing customs was experienced
by Sonal Talgeri-Bhaskaran from a young age
through the warmth of her family life and heritage.
Sonal was born and bred in London, but the
influence of Indian culture was never far away as
she visited India every year and absorbed the
opulence behind its history with interest. Although
this background is rich with inspiration for
design, it took some time and two extraodinary
experiences for Sonal to embark on a career
in jewellery.
“On a trip to Barcelona, we walked into a hotel
filled with jaw dropping interiors and art,” says
Sonal. “I came home knowing that I wanted to
set up a business creating something which
made people feel exactly as I did when I walked
into that hotel. After a lot of research into different
types of beads and a frenzy of buying, my
attention turned to gemstones.” This initial spark
of creativity was both hit and harnessed when
Sonal’s personal life changed dramatically. “In
2003, I joined Goldman Sachs and after four
days of working there my dad suddenly died,
just six months after my aunt passed away,”
she recalls. “At 23, working a demanding 18
hour day job, studying for a degree and trying to
come to terms with the losses in our family was
a lot to deal with. I would come home from work
around 11pm and immerse myself in learning
how to make jewellery. It was only when friends
and colleagues wanted to buy my jewellery that I
decided there was an opportunity for me to turn
my creative outlet into a business.”
The brand that Sonal created is Eastern Mystic
Jewellery, which is born from her experience of
the two cultures she grew up. It showcases the
modern, clean design associated with western
aesthetics and the timeless narrative element of
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Indian culture. All of the jewellery is handmade
and wrapped by Sonal in London using Fairtrade
components to produce what she describes
as “eclectic yet versatile works of art.” Eastern
Mystic Jewellery will launch three collections
staggered throughout the year, with the current
offering including the popular Tribal Decadence
collection, the opulent Malika designs and the
more commercial Manglaya collection. These
may be Sonal’s first collections, however the
designs already command attention with bold
pieces in stunning colours that reflect her
growing confidence.
Eastern Mystic Jewellery launched as part
of the first KICKSTART initative at International
Jewellery London (IJL) in September 2009 and
garnered a fantastic response from buyers,
securing orders with boutiques in London as
well as retailers in Japan. It was this success
that will see the brand exhibit at IJL on its own
this year, hopefully boosting its stockist base in
London and abroad to increase brand awareness
amongst consumers. There has also been
interest from the bridal industry - Sonal’s long
term plans include developing designs that cater
to this market, still in keeping with the ethos of
Eastern Mystic Jewellery. “The brand is only a
few months old and we have done well since we
launched,” says Sonal. “I didn’t even think about
the international market until KICKSTART where
our more delicate pieces were successful with
Japanese buyers, and this is something I want to
explore, along with testing the market in Europe.” �
Further information
To find out more call +44 (0)7985 193 074 or
visit www.easternmystic.com