Their designs are a blend of heritage and modern, with a certain delicacy in the patterns, making them versatile choices for the women of now. Moksh, a Mumbai-based jewellery brand, is coming to 85 Lansdowne for a day-long showcase on March 27. Moksh is available at several stores globally including in Naples, Florida, New York, Los Angeles, Texas and Qatar. t2 chatted with Milan Chokshi, CEO and founder, Moksh, an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, and a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America, and currently the chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India.

The journey of your jewellery business has been an incredible one… what are the high points?

There are no specific high points. It’s been a family journey, over several decades and at different stages, different people in the family along with all the artists and members of the organisation have contributed in various ways to bring us to this point. We are focused on the day’s task, not the destination.

If I had to give a few instances, for sure the seamless transition with every generation picking up a new area right from dealing in gold in British India to selling jewellery internationally today, every new generation has brought their own innate ability coupled with the family's existing position and capability in the trade.

The designs are clearly for the working women who would want to wear the jewellery instead of stowing it away in lockers…

More than a working woman, I would say that we design for lovers and collectors of jewellery inspired by India, which is also designed, crafted and engineered in India. Moksh is a contemporary version of the finest that the Indian jewellery industry has to offer.

How do you design your pieces?

Our jewellery is heavily inspired by India along with the art deco period. There are two passions that I have — gemstones and photography. I try and bring both these worlds together, by bringing images and materials to my team which work as a starting point for the creative process. Of course, we have a team of talented goldsmiths and engineers who work together to bring the designs to life, but it’s a very collaborative process which involves a lot of people. The central vision and idea have been laid down right at the start and that continues to be the guiding principle.

What are you coming to Calcutta with?

We are carrying our signature collections which showcase some of our core skills. The Pearl Weaving, which is the basis of our Taantvi collection, and Nuur, which highlights our love for art deco and baguette-shaped diamonds. We also have our Empress collection, which showcases our engineering skills. And finally, we will also display our internationally available collections such as Paro, Bombay and Jodhpur.

What makes coming to Calcutta special?

Calcutta holds a special place in our hearts. A large part of our creative team is of course from these parts (70 per cent of the senior team is Bengali) and we have family in Calcutta who we have been visiting for years. Since the early 2000s, 85 Lansdowne has been a pit stop. The aesthetics, design values and approach resonated with ours. On my last photography masterclass with Vineet Vohra, I met Shalini (Nopany, director, 85 Lansdowne, also an exceptional photographer) who was also attending the workshop and we decided to do this together.

What are the global jewellery trends?

I think there is a huge trend of people moving away from big labels and opting for homegrown brands that are now equally if not more capable than large international corporations. The added advantage being that they understand the consumers better. There is way more specificity. This trend applies to jewellery as well.