PUREJEWELS LAUNCH VRIDHI MEDAL AHEAD OF NEW JEWELLERY COLLECTION; WIN 6 CRAFT & DESIGN COUNCIL AWARDS

10th March 2024

Retailer and fine jewellery brand PureJewels have launched their “Vridhi” medal and will introduce a Vridhi jewellery collection later this year, inspired by growth and endeavour. PureJewels’ two leading craftspeople notched up 6 Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council awards between them this week for their work on the Vridhi medal.

A new compehensive jewellery collection will be available to purchase later this year, featuring PureJewels’ 22-carat “Sunrise” gold alloy, developed in-house, and platinum with precious gemstones.

Charlotte Garnett, PureJewels’ Head of Design, and Marco Paonessa, PureJewels’ Head Craftsperson, won a total of six category awards between them at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards staged at Goldsmiths’ Hall on March 4 for their work on the Vridhi medal.

“Vridhi celebrates the hard journeys we take, and the wonderment and possibilities that come from that bravery,” Charlotte said.

“It is composed of 3 faces, Past, Present and Future, each with a scene hidden within the distinct crafts, the lines of which link together like the threads of time.

“It draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, from Walt Whitman’s ‘Passage To India’ poem, the Triptychs of Hieronymus Bosch, and the inspiring journey of our PureJewels founder.”

Marco said: “The craft that started the project is Tarakasi, a traditional Indian filigree wire technique, from Cuttack in eastern India, that we wanted to modernise and champion.

“To achieve this, we developed a new alloy of 22-carat gold, strong enough to create the design and warm in colour, that we call ‘Sunrise Gold’.

“The entire piece is created with only traditional hand crafts, and features platinum, diamonds, teal sapphires and tourmalines, and our new 22-carat ‘Sunrise Gold.’”

PureJewels CEO Jayant Raniga said: “These awards and recognition are testament to the talents of our team and our collective commitment to the preservation of heritage crafts.

“The Vridhi collection embodies everything we stand for, while staying true to the beautiful aesthetics of our brand.

“For our team to achieve so much so quickly upon the launch of our in-house atelier, underscores their talents and commitment to our cause.”

PureJewels are presently looking for additional craftspeople to expand the team, Jayant said.

Brian Hill, a key organiser of the GCDC awards, said: “This award-winning entry impressed judging panels across a breadth of specialist disciplines in the Goldsmiths’ Competition, gaining an array of awards that is rare collective achievement.

“The PureJewels team entry focused on hand craft and design skills in combination with laser technology, and is a fine example of majoring in traditional techniques and harnessing technology, all to high standards.”