Designing jewellery does not require a degree. Creativity is what counts. A Telegraph picture

Mrinmoy Sen’s first job was in a small jewellery shop in Mumbai. A Class X dropout, he does not have formal training in jewellery designing. Today, Sen heads the eastern region design team of jewellery brand Tanishq.

Designers groomed in goldsmith hubs or sonapattis are rubbing shoulders with pass-outs from the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in jewellery companies.

Sen, who is just one of the designers to make it to the top without a degree, cites the example of Ajay Hait and Tinamoni Laha, young talents from the Howrah sonapatti. “They are as good as designers with degrees, who work in much better conditions. In sonapattis in Burrabazar, Bowbazar, Sealdah and Sinthee, you’ll find half a dozen designers huddled around a small table. Top jewellery companies, on the other hand, offer the best of facilities,” he says.

Sarmistha Dutta, a designer with PC Chandra Jewellers, says creativity is the last word in the profession. “At least half of our designers do not have degrees. A design is sketched and someone who understands the medium will do well with or without a degree,” says Dutta, who has completed courses at NIFD and Sindhar Institute of Gemology.

Says Garima Maheshwari, the design coordinator at Tanishq’s Bangalore office: “I found that many designers with experience were better than me, though I have a degree and they do not.” The 25-year-old, who did an accessory designing course at NIFT, feels that designers with experience in sonapattis understand the finer points of the trade and speak the language of the karigars. “Designers without a degree may not know the latest trends and can be uncomfortable with designing on computers, but that disappears after a few workshops and with practice.”

But doesn’t the management favour those with a degree? No distinction is made between the two groups, claims Sen. “We send our designers to fairs in countries like Switzerland and France, as we want them to take a look at the best designs. The selection is based on seniority, not on certificates.”