Part 1: India, Chapter 1: Welcome to India

India is, for me, a place of creativity, of inspiration and invigoration, of friendship, and of happiness. I have been working in India for over thirty years now, and it has become like a second home to me. I first travelled to India as a teenager; I was an avid appreciator of Indian literature and film and was fascinated by its many spiritual and religious traditions. I was especially drawn to the relationship with and interconnectedness of gems and jewellery, and the ancient Vedic healing traditions; knowledge and stories going back thousands of years. India is a vast country, full of creativity and culture, the artisans I work with are always open to experimenting and trying new things, it’s an incredibly inspiring place to be. Now I travel to India at least twice a year with my teenage twins Mac and Madu, who have been accompanying me since they were six months old.  

I work with families of gem dealers, cutters, and goldsmiths in Jaipur, whom I have learned so much from over the years. I have known Om Prakash and his son Arpit for thirty years now, and together we have created hundreds of pieces of jewellery. Sushil and I have similarly known each other for around thirty years, and his goldsmithing work is masterful.

It took time to find the artisans I work with now, who have become like family to me; at this point we have our own language, they know exactly what I’m thinking. Goldsmithing and jewellery-making, along with so many other Indian traditions, is as alive today as it was hundreds of years ago.