Meenu Subbiah Luxury Diamond Jewellery
From sitting by the window trying to look into the soul of gemstones through a magnifying glass as an 8-year-old, to seeing designs dance in my head when semi-precious stones were found while mining in my father’s granite mine… And then showing my pencil scribbles of jewellery designs to the disbelieving Visa officer to authenticate that someone so young was indeed going to study diamonds in the US… Many a mile was crossed.
I was the first and only South Indian girl at GIA, USA… The Institute that considers nothing less than 100% as pass marks. I’m still teased by my former class-mates about being a typical
front-bencher and about raising my hand for every question asked! From an eager student to then setting up my own jewellery design store… It has been quite a journey! A journey that has today reached yet another milestone: My 3 lines of jewellery: Vilasam, Vamsam and Menaya. I’m delighted and feel proud to show you around.
Come over, share our joy as we introduce you to our sparklers.
Welcome!
VILASAM – My identity. And the grandeur of the Nagarathars.
Meenu Subbiah luxury diamond jewellery
I’ve been studying traditional Chettinad jewellery for the last 20 years. And talking to elders in the community. Reading references in literature. In music. Sifting through hundreds of sepia-toned photographs of impeccably dressed Aachis (Chettiar women). Adorning sparkling diamonds that dropped down as beautiful kandacharams, poocharams and mullaicharams from their necks.
What made these pieces of jewellery like no other in design?
Is it the Nagarathar’s openness to artistic influences? Or the unshakeable belief that each piece of jewel has to be a solid investment and offer real value?
It is really both, equally.
And that is what I bring into this, my Vilasam. My range of authentic Chettinad jewellery. Born out of decades of intense research, to make sure that I preserved every beautiful little detail of the artistic, aristocratic and value-seeking Nagarathar. And yet adapt it so it is very today, as well.
Yes, I have brought back the exquisite traditional necklaces and brooches. I have also re-imagined some, inspired by traditional Chettinad art and architecture, like the paintings on ceilings in Chettinad homes and the patterns on Athangudi tiles. It is something you’ll rarely find anywhere in the world. A true revival of Chettinad jewellery. A real balance of the yesterday and the tomorrow.
And a labour of pure love.
I’m delighted to present to you my Vilasam.
Come home.
Meenu
Peacocks, rubies and the love of Maths
Peacock motifs are an integral part of Chettinad jewellery and you will find them dancing in Vilasam! While rubies and emeralds add colour, it is the Math in the rettai varisais with anjus and naalus in close settings that bring the brilliance. Yes, the Nagarathars loved their numbers, but what they loved more was progress and positivity. Hence the Nagarathar’s very own yeni padi pattern, signifying upward movement.
Vilasam’s unique flexible link
The gold link that weaves the designs together in Vilasam is unique in its flexibility. That’s the reason why, the Vilasam designs will fall gracefully and easily on your body. Instead of feeling like a separate, stiff, heavy entity, it will feel like a light, beautiful part of you and move and sway with you.
The hands of the Aasaris
Every piece of jewellery in the Vilasam range is handmade by traditional Aasaris. Their hands have never touched a machine ever! Each intricate detail is painstakingly crafted by hand. Meenu’s Aasaris are from the then Chola naadu and Pandya naadu and their process is the one that’s passed on and perfected through centuries.
Why your jewel box needs a Vilasam
It is because it is a true revival of Chettinad’s unique style. It is because it came after 20 years of research. It is because it is comfortable, practical and grand. And also, most importantly, because it’s not just a concept, it’s a reality that you can know, up close. And enjoy the journey of living it.
Mayil Maguri
When a peacock fans its train in gold, only expert artisans can capture its full glory. The feathers have been individually crafted and then lavished with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Intricate enamel work breathes life into every detail and the string of pearls accented with sapphires, lets this peacock dance its dance.
Vanam Mayil Oddiyanam
Imagine wearing a soft, waist-hugging fabric belt to keep your saree in place while also enhancing the pleats… Imagine this, hand-woven in pure gold, complete with a golden buckle! The pair of dancing peacocks in a golden blossoming garden, studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies further enhance any silhouette.
VAMSAM – Our legacy. May it transcend time.
Meenu Subbiah luxury diamond jewellery
Some family legacies are lost; some remain a secret. But some legacies that are truly precious, have been preserved through time and generations. Whether it is the rich Kasumala of Kerala or the exquisite Arakku (temple) jewellery of the Chola and Pandya kings; the intricate jali wrist adornments from the Mughal era or the opulent Kundan necklaces from the royal courts of Rajasthan… Every beautiful ancestral legacy deserves to be protected, preserved.
It was interesting that while researching, we discovered the intricate nuances of the jewellery of the Vijayanagara Empire; we’ve been inspired by the jewellery sculpted in stone in the Virupaksha Temple in Hampi; understood how the Nizams have used pearls to embellish their jewellery and how the Jadau artisans of Rajasthan combine intricate work and opulence to create something strikingly unique.
To us, it is about letting tradition be joyfully embraced by the young women of today. And sometimes, it’s also about bringing two different traditions together to create something new…For instance, we have embellished Kerala’s traditional Mullai Mottu pure gold necklaces with a hint of precious gemstones. Or added a touch of contrasting enamel work in traditional Jadau. We’ve even whispered some traditional motifs in rose gold. While the diamonds continue to be traditionally larger in size, they are also exquisite and fall freely, lightly, gracefully on you.
Vamsam. Because legacies are meant to be timeless.
Meenu
The heritage of Meenu Subbiah’s Aasaris and Karigars
Our artisans come from a lineage of illustrious craftsmen committed to protecting the traditional techniques of their region, carrying a legacy of a thousand years of craftsmanship. Their hands can craft the traditional jewellery of Karnataka; the Gandaberunda, or the Garuda motifs of the Vijayanagara Empire, that were embellished with diamonds fresh from the mines of Golconda; the Guttapoosalu, with bunches of tiny droplets of pearls, from Andhra; Jadau with exquisite crafting even on the clasps, from Rajasthan.
Artisans, who understand all the depth required to create masterpieces. They know that the bugadi, the traditional ear ornament of Maharashtra will be worn on the helix of the ear and hence designed specially, requiring a specific intricacy and delicateness. Or the artistry required to hand-paint detailed designs on metal in Meenakari, to infuse it with life. And all the perfection required to achieve the simplicity of traditional Kerala jewellery. It’s all here.
Why your jewel box needs a Vamsam
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could keep a piece of your ancestral legacy with you? To cherish and to pass on? Especially knowing that it is an original from a beautiful past, yet made relevant today?
Addigai
The traditional naalu kallu addigai is born again as this exquisite multiple pendant addigai with motifs drawn from the royal courts of India.
Divya Alankaram
Rich Nakasu necklace from the grand Chola era, centres around a fully adorned Goddess Lakshmi seated with a pot of good fortune. Her divine form is encircled by rose-cut diamond studded petals. The Goddess is held by a kaasu maalai with a row of intricately carved Ganeshas, the God of auspicious beginnings. The piece is embellished with delicate star-shaped drops and finished with shell-like motifs and soft pearl drops.
Menaya. Not just jewellery that is, but jewellery that could be…
Meenu Subbiah luxury diamond jewellery
I’ve always questioned why diamonds should only be cut in specific shapes, in specific ways and be in specific colours. I’ve wondered why jewellery designs should be restricted to what is only possible in technology. Why can’t design invent technology to make it come alive? Questions that inspired my Menaya. A jewellery range that came equally from my head as it did from my heart. Jewellery, with an eye on the future.
I’ve wanted the diamonds to sparkle and the metal to hide. I wanted a range of jewellery where diamonds of all shapes, sizes, cuts and even colours can be dazzlingly strung together, without needing gold or any other metal to steal their limelight. I’m conscious of the fact that the jewellery I design, should enhance your look and not take over. It needs to be true to you.
Menaya is a play of colours, settings, cuts and lightness. It is so light that very often it will become so much a part of your being that you won’t even realise you’re wearing it. You need to see it, feel it, enjoy it too.
Menaya. It is jewellery for today and the tomorrows.
Meenu
Technology invented to create Menaya
With Menaya, the design came first. These were designs that were never seen before – Nor were the cuts. We are one of the first to use the pie-cut in India. Yes, diamonds in the shape of a piece of pie – When put together, they can create something magical. In Menaya the diamonds leap out in the designs.
Asymmetry and the Unusual cuts
Asymmetry is a running theme in Menaya. Sometimes even traditional pieces have been given an asymmetric twist. You need to look at our playful, light, asymmetric diamond jhimkis. You may not want to go back to symmetry again.
Day and Night bracelets and flexible rings
Ever heard of flexible rings that you can ‘fold’ softly in your fingers? Rings that hug without always reminding you of their presence? You will love the feel of these flexible diamond rings. As you will also, of the playful Day and Night bracelet, half in rose gold and half in white; half with diamonds on the outside and half with diamonds on the inside. Menaya, is a play with colours, cuts, settings and designs you will enjoy.
Why your jewel box needs a Menaya
The love, care and imagination used in each of these designs sets them apart, puts them in a class of their own. Diamonds in unusual colours, cuts and settings, make them so international, you surely need one in your treasury.
Chandeliers Every Way
Bring in your light when you enter with this 360° rotating diamond chandeliers that will let you sparkle from every angle. You won’t need any other jewellery!
Sparkle Symphony & Touch me Not
Sparkle Symphony
These drop earrings unite pear, marquise and kite-cut diamonds in a flawless harmony. The invisible setting is designed to catch every light with your every glance.
Touch me Not
This playful neckpiece where the ends never meet, features a flexible collar of finely woven gold. At its centre, an emerald flower is formed by 4 square-cut emeralds. It is further illuminated by sparkling clusters of invisibly-set diamonds, showcasing a variety of shapes that come together in a seamless display. Meant for beautiful
candle-lit evenings.