The Mumbai-based designer celebrates handmade craftsmanship with opulent colored gemstones and pearls.
How would you sum up the Bina Goenka style?
Bina Goenka offers avant-garde jewelry permitting the modern woman to accessorize her outfits. We create art jewelry. The style is bold, playing with size and color. Our jewelry is rarely flat, and rarely small. And yet it is created in a way that is comfortable to wear.
How does Mumbai influence you?
India is a melting pot of cultures. You pick up things from all around you. Customers around the world appreciate the historical importance of Indian jewelry, which they see as timeless. There is an opulence of color, and grandeur. These characteristics are reflected in my designs, making them statement pieces.
Who are your muses?
My clients! I make jewelry that I know will suit their lifestyles. My art pieces take my clients beyond their imagination, so that they can see into a world that I inhabit in my mind.
What else inspires you?
I am inspired by everything around me — nature, architecture, geometry. I love looking at things and replicating them in jewelry, taking them into another dimension.
How do you work with diamonds and gemstones?
You will seldom find a Bina Goenka piece that features just diamonds, unless it is a combination of colored diamonds — because I love working with color! Colored gems and pearls are my favorites: I am always looking for newer, more interesting ways to work with them.
How would you describe your career?
I have contributed to the industry by developing my own style and aesthetic: A piece by me can be spotted from a distance and attributed to my brand. I have worked closely with companies such as Gemfields in promoting sustainable sourcing. My contribution is in reviving craftsmanship by hand, in an industry being taken over by machinery. Bina Goenka jewelry is made by artisans in our Mumbai atelier. As a company, we constantly challenge ourselves, exceling in the achievements of our craftsmanship.
What have been the highlights of your recent work?
I have completed a significant piece, The Hibiscus, exhibited at the “In Bloom” exhibition at Sotheby’s New York in May 2019. It evolved from the varied skills of my craftsmen, coming together into a single piece.
What’s your favorite personal jewelry item?
My personal jewelry style is understated, simple and classic. I have a ring that I love, suitable for every occasion. I have two special South Sea pearl chains that I sometimes wear casually.
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