Magazine : 
AURUS Jewels: Old school craft for the 21st-century Indian woman
From the quaint tradition of wearing your family heirloom jewels on your wedding day to falling in love with your mom’s and grandmother’s jewels, as you first glanced at them when you were a teenage girl, jewellery has always held a special place in our hearts, a sentimental value. Some of these are instant favourites, like a delicate gold mala, a simple timeless polki set or a pair of unforgettable bangles you have seen them wear often. While some reflect our style, some are carriers of memories — and they become part of our dresser, some are too exquisite or imposing. While our culturally passionate hearts embrace these beautiful jewels, our minds today look out for pieces that are not imposing, are more wearable but still feel like owning an heirloom.
Indian culture’s inherent traditions of wearing jewellery transcend millennia. Jewellery has always been an integral part of our lineage, lives and cultural landscape. In this ever-evolving landscape, Aurus Jewels is a digitally native brand born on Instagram. Beneath the digital intervention is a philosophy - jewellery is not just a piece of luxury — it becomes a part of a woman's identity and ultimately, a legacy she passes on. While the jewellery industry thrives on decades of family legacies, this young brand is leveraging that to question everything.
“I have always subconsciously designed for myself. I like a little irregularity, a break in symmetry, un-matching, a mix of innovation and old forgotten techniques as it is a reverence for the craft and a love of breathing new life into old-school “karigari”. This is who I am, which reflects in what I do.” says Puja, co- founder and creative director at Aurus. The brand is a celebration of the past — making Indian jewels palatable to the woman of today without losing their precious sentimental value or legacy attached to them.
For Ahmedabad-based duo - Puja and Kunal Shah, jewellery is meant to be an object of permanence, something that transcends the boundaries of age and time but is not limited to being a family heirloom that may gather dust in bank vaults for most of its life but a beautiful object of adornment that echoes the sentiments and emotions of the wearer. “Your designs are truly different and global. I am not a fan of garish, glitzy necklaces available these days, and your designs are like a fresh breath of air. They are so beautiful!” says VG, an Aurus patron.
Through simple, time-honoured styles and layered, one-of-a-kind works of art, Aurus has an iconic visual language that displays the richness of Indian craft with a contemporary outlook that welcomes handcrafted aesthetics. There is a careful balance between the layered richness of craft and a sense of playfulness in Aurus’s jewellery as it has Puja's expression of worldview on design in general and history in particular.
Kunal's quest to transform the experience of jewellery buying, combined with Puja's love for and interest in art, culture, and history, birthed the twin brands that celebrate the woman of today. It's been a 20-year journey for Puja, from studying jewellery design at FIT, New York and working at the Brooklyn Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art, to creating an artisanal fine jewellery brand rooted in India.
“Puja has been designing jewellery since 2003, and we created our boutique space here in Ahmedabad, oddly a decade back. The evolution of the digital media landscape changed the game and became an opportunity for us in 2018. We knew that women in India and outside would love the jewellery we were creating at Aurus, and digital discovery paved the path.” says Kunal, the brand’s co-founder.
With a commitment to sustainability, transparency, and accessibility, the brand ensures that every jewellery piece they create is not only a testament to exquisite Indian craftsmanship but also aligns with the values and aspirations of the discerning wearer. From effortless, simple styles to statement designs, each creation captures the essence of the modern woman's journey, enabling her to express herself and celebrate her individuality.
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