Gem of a collection

Jewellery designer Swayta Toolsidass’s collections shimmer and shine in a bid to bring beauty to women’s everyday lives while also paying tribute to her gold heritage.

Coming from a business family of jewellers to the Nizams (royal rulers) of Hyderabad, the 44-year-old is combining ‘traditional elegance and new age brilliance’ in her designs to bring pride to her family while also making women sparkle with her brand Swayta Sha.

“I grew up surrounded by love for the art of jewellery making,” said Swayta, who has an MBA in business. She worked in a bank and as ground crew for an airline before finally taking on jewellery design full-time.

“My father Madan Mohan, who has been in the business for almost 90 years, imbibed in me the culture of jewellery in line with my ancestry,” she added.

In the 20th century, the mantle of the family business was passed from Mukundas Bhagwandas to his eldest son, Dwarkadas Mukundas and later to Madan Mohan who carried on the legacy of jewellery making into post independent India. Back then, the main occupation of the Bhagwandas family was jewellery, banking and business.

“The royal rulers owned the largest priceless jewellery collection in India and fostered the lineage of jewellers,” added Swayta who relocated to Bahrain with her husband in 2002. “My father’s work has been shown and sold internationally, particularly in the US. He is my inspiration. My brand was born not only from me, but also as a tribute to the rich legacy passed down to me by my forefathers.

“My first job title was that of a professional banker. I feel my past experiences have led to my artistic awakening, where I am able to accentuate my talents and conviction in my love for the art of jewellery.”

According to Swayta, her designs, which include 18 carat gold, real precious and semi-precious stones as well as top quality diamonds in earrings, rings, pendants and more,  are for the women of today.

“It is an expression of femininity to me and it represents boldness, beauty, confidence, and, most importantly, independence,” she said.

“The aesthetics of my pieces represent strength of character and womanhood – a woman with transparency of mind, clarity and structure. I have found it invigorating to launch my own company with this very objective in mind.

“My ideal is that every woman should be able to look at herself in the mirror and be appreciative of what she sees and who she becomes. This mind-set is what drove me to start my brand in Bahrain which has been a star-studded one.”

She showcased her collections for the first time in 2017 in Bahrain and associated with Saks Fifth Avenue five years ago. Her latest collections are bold and exquisite and hence called Amira and Mira.

All the designs are developed by Swayta and at times her daughter Vriddhi, an 18-year-old St Christopher’s School student, chips in with her drawings. 

She also has plans for a global expansion over the next 10 years.

For details, follow @swayta_sha on Instagram.