New Dawn, New Day, New Collection From Harakh

Hard to think about anything beyond yesterday’s presidential inauguration—its marvelous jewelry moments (finally!), but also its powerful reverberating messages. I am surely not the only one who was moved by The Hill We Climb by poet laureate Amanda Gorman. Her exquisite reading (and lemon yellow jacket and scarlet headband, both by Prada, and oh, her jewels…) left a lasting impression, particularly at the end of the poem: “There is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”

So today I am focusing on the fittingly named Sunlight collection from Mumbai, India–based jewelry designer Harakh Mehta, founder of the brand Harakh. Its defining feature is an intricate granulation technique.

“The technique is similar to the Indian artisanal fabric embellishment called khadi or pota—these are beads raised above the surface of textile—and we have reinterpreted this on metal in order to give a hint of India’s rich craftsmanship traditions,” says Mehta.

Part of a multigenerational family of jewelers, Mehta works with a highly skilled group of karigars, or artisans, from the interiors of the Indian state Rajasthan and city Kolkata, who bring a breadth of techniques to the jewelry that they’ve learned from their forefathers.

“We are keen to bring forth these ancient Indian techniques and truly believe they deserve global recognition,” says Mehta.

Beyond Indian techniques, “I have also researched extensively gold thread work during the time of the Spanish Armada, originating to the pre–Renaissance Era in England, especially with church and state commissions,” he says.

Mehta has been thoughtful about assorting the Sunlight collection, incorporating lots of couture “wow” pieces laden with diamonds alongside everyday-wearable pendants, bracelets, and stacking rings in the under-$4,000 range. The quality and air of refinement extends to every inch of the line, so that everyone has a chance to shine.