Empowered Adornment: Gold Jewellery Stories with Anisha Parmar Anisha Parmar

In the final episode, I speak to British Asian jewellery industry professionals;

Jayant Raniga, CEO of Pure Jewels by Bhanji Gokaldas, who comes from over nine generations of jewellers.  His Grandfather Bhanji Gokaldas and sons Ramnik, Dinesh and Harish established East London’s first British Asian jewellery showroom in 1975. In 1987 the family and store moved to Green Street where they have been located since. Their designs reflects the rich cultural heritage and brand journey, which traces its historic roots to India and east Africa. Jayant has been our 'gold expert' throughout this series where we hear his professional voice to provide context and history to some of our discussions.

I also speak to Shalini Gupta Patel, founder of Red Dot Jewels established in 2011. A UK based Indian luxury costume jewellery brand offering handcrafted Indian-inspired silver & semi precious jewellery where their concept is to provide UK women with an alternative to fine jewellery without compromising on style and design whilst at an affordable price.

We hear about both sides of the industry, the signature British Asian fine gold jewellery store as we know it, how its developed and morphed through generations in the family and how the tradition of building gold has developed. Contrastingly,  the contemporary high end, luxury bridal costume jewellery side where today the over all aesthetic of a bride's look is deemed more important than the monetary value of her jewels. 

You can really see how costume jewellery plays a part within this whole industry of British Asian jewellery and how diaspora brides are really focused on that overall look in recent years being that ultimate regal/royal look bride has become more and more popular and affordable thanks to luxury costume jewellers. And I think Red Dot Draws offers that in the best way possible. But like Jayant from PureJewels said,  The same women, who are power independent women, making their own money, who are their own security are coming into his shop and buying  everyday wearable pieces that they can cherish and love forever.

Both sides of the industry compliment and contrast each other, connecting the independent British Asian women of today to their root culture through traditional design and craftsmanship, within the ever evolving female reclamation South Asian patriarchal traditions where we women know exactly what we want and how to get it.

Read more about their stories and see photos of the jewellery here: https://www.anishaparmar.com/blogs/news/episode-10-the-british-asian-jewellery-industry

A huge thank you to my participants that have trusted me with their incredible stories, my co producer and Editor of the series Molly Crossley and to the Arts Council for giving me the time and funding to delve into something that’s so close to my heart.  For more information about the project visit: www.anishaparmar.com/pages/empowered-adornment

Follow me on Instagram @anishaparmarlondon

If you would like to get in touch or have a Gold Jewellery Story to share email me: hello@anishaparmar.com

Credits: Podcast Creator and Co Producer: Anisha Parmar Co Producer and Editor: Molly Crossley  In this Story: Mathushaa and Tahmina

Music: Punjabi Beats by Ash Beat & Shahed | Chatterbox by Morethanthemind

In Episode 9 , I speak to Tanya and sisters Usarae and Misha about the jewellery pieces they inherited from their late mothers. Jewellery carries a special sentiment  especially of those who are no longer with us. Tanya feels closer to her mum wearing her pieces every day. Usarae and Misha bond over stories of their mum's jewellery pieces and remember her when they wear her them.

Tanya talks about when her and and her sisters went through her mum's jewellery at the request of her dad. What's really interesting is that Tanya's pieces that she shared with me are not actually made of Gold. Although the prominence of the project has been placed on gold jewellery, hearing Tanya's story shows the materiality of the piece isn't what makes the jewellery special, it's the story and emotion behind the pieces that give them their true value.

You could really see and feel the unique and special bond between the sisters Usarae and Misha and how the gold jewellery they share is a vehicle for story telling of their mum's life and female lineage. They talk about memories of looking at the jewellery in their family together with their mum and how preparing the jewels for Usarae's wedding as sisters brought them together as they shared stories of the pieces as their mum and nani we not around at the time. 

Speaking to both Tanya, Usarae and Misha was so heartwarming to see how these jewellery pieces from their mothers are a way to remember them and feel close to them for years to come. 

Read more about their stories and see photos of the jewellery here: https://www.anishaparmar.com/blogs/news/episode-9-remembering-our-mums

A huge thank you to my participants that have trusted me with their incredible stories, my co producer and Editor of the series Molly Crossley and to the Arts Council for giving me the time and funding to delve into something that’s so close to my heart.  For more information about the project visit: www.anishaparmar.com/pages/empowered-adornment

Follow me on Instagram @anishaparmarlondon

If you would like to get in touch or have a Gold Jewellery Story to share email me: hello@anishaparmar.com

Credits: Podcast Creator and Co Producer: Anisha Parmar Co Producer and Editor: Molly Crossley  In this Story: Mathushaa and Tahmina

Music: Punjabi Beats by Ash Beat & Shahed | Chatterbox by Morethanthemind

In Episode 8, I speak to both Mathushaa and Tahmina about gold jewellery given to them, what it represents and the oral history linked to these beautiful pieces.

In this episode both of them had very different stories about their gold pieces for Mathushaa, it's the gold chain and Tamil 'aum' pendant given to her when she was born, and we speak about the significance of it as an heirloom as her family had to flee Sri Lanka due to the civil war and came to the UK with no family heirlooms to had down to her, hence the chain given to her by her uncle was to mark the safety of a new generation in a new country. Mathushaa uses her work as a photographer to document her family story and this something that we touch on through out the conversation; how through her work she's documenting their story thats been lost due to war.

For journalist and writer Tahmina, adorning herself in her gold jewellery has been part expressing her South Asianess and specifically her Bangladeshi heritage. We talk about her love for jewellery and how she styles pieces either gifted to her to handed down to her in her everyday clothing to make her feel the strength, resilience and femininity of her female ancestors.

This project for me has been about documenting South Asian oral history however seeing how Tahmina, proudly identifies as Bengali made me aware of how important it is to mention the various and distinct sub cultures within South Asia who all have their on specific traditions and heritages, which I hope shines through in every episode.

Read more about their stories and see photos of the jewellery here: https://www.anishaparmar.com/blogs/news/episode-8-trauma-and-gold

A huge thank you to my participants that have trusted me with their incredible stories, my co producer and Editor of the series Molly Crossley and to the Arts Council for giving me the time and funding to delve into something that’s so close to my heart.  For more information about the project visit: www.anishaparmar.com/pages/empowered-adornment

Follow me on Instagram @anishaparmarlondon

If you would like to get in touch or have a Gold Jewellery Story to share email me: hello@anishaparmar.com

Credits: Podcast Creator and Co Producer: Anisha Parmar Co Producer and Editor: Molly Crossley  In this Story: Mathushaa and Tahmina

Music: Punjabi Beats by Ash Beat & Shahed | Chatterbox by Morethanthemind

In Episode 7, I speak to Raheem about how the matriarchs in his family have inspired his work as a professional dancer and choreographer and the significance of the 3 distinct pieces of gold jewellery that he shares with his maternal grandmother.

We talk about the resilience embedded in the way he navigates through life that has been instilled in him from his female ancestors which shone through in this conversation.

There is so much that I learnt from Raheem, so many 'aha!' moments that you'll hear to add to my research into these Gold Jewellery stories.

It is clear that Raheem's gold jewellery pieces are his physical link to his grandmother and mother, who he has such a profound bond with; but the real shine weaved into the chains and bangle is their shared strength, resilience and confidence.

Read more about Raheem's story and see photos of her jewellery here: https://www.anishaparmar.com/blogs/news/episode-7-matriarchal-inspiration

A huge thank you to my participants that have trusted me with their incredible stories, my co producer and Editor of the series Molly Crossley and to the Arts Council for giving me the time and funding to delve into something that’s so close to my heart.  For more information about the project visit: www.anishaparmar.com/pages/empowered-adornment

Follow me on Instagram @anishaparmarlondon

If you would like to get in touch or have a Gold Jewellery Story to share email me: hello@anishaparmar.com

Credits: Podcast Creator and Co Producer: Anisha Parmar Co Producer and Editor: Molly Crossley  In this Story: Raheem

Music: Punjabi Beats by Ash Beat & Shahed | Chatterbox by Morethanthemind

In Episode 6, I speak to Sofia about "arranged marriage", dowry and how the loving sentiment of the pieces gifted to her from her parents and grandparents for her wedding still stands proud despite the marriage not working out. We talk about her mother's journey to the UK to meet her father who was part of the Merchant Navy, for the first time, and how he actually bought her mum, her wedding set that was especially designed and handcrafted for her as her family couldn't afford to buy her the set at the time.

As the episode unravels, you can really hear Sofia's journey of enquiry to find out more about her own family's history, and since this first meeting on zoom, we have met in person and I could really feel the warmth from her. She even had her mum's wedding set on, and subsequently found a matching statement cuff that she showed me when we met at the Empowered Adornment event at Derby Musuems in early August of 2021.

I really appreciated the honesty and openness in which Sofia shared her life experiences with me through out this episode, sharing how the jewellery pieces bought for her were key markers in the journey she's been on thus far. What was also really interesting was how her story shone a light on the role of a male in buying these jewellery pieces from her mum's wedding set bought by her father to the pieces her partner buys for her today.

Sofia's story shows that it's up to the wearer of these pieces to attach memories that resonate with them to the jewellery- in her case she has chosen to associate her dowry with happy memories of her loved ones.

Read more about Sofia's story and see photos of her jewellery here: https://www.anishaparmar.com/blogs/news/empowered-adornment-episode-6-dowry-to-heirloom

A huge thank you to my participants that have trusted me with their incredible stories, my co producer and Editor of the series Molly Crossley and to the Arts Council for giving me the time and funding to delve into something that’s so close to my heart.  For more information about the project visit: www.anishaparmar.com/pages/empowered-adornment

Follow me on Instagram @anishaparmarlondon

If you would like to get in touch or have a Gold Jewellery Story to share email me: hello@anishaparmar.com

Credits: Podcast Creator and Co Producer: Anisha Parmar Co Producer and Editor: Molly Crossley  In this Story: Sofia

Music: Punjabi Beats by Ash Beat & Shahed | Chatterbox by Morethanthemind

In Episode 5, I speak to Meera about how she was inspired by her mum's wedding outfit and paired her mum's bridal set with some costume jewellery to complete her bridal look for her big day 2 years ago. We also speak about her family's migrant journey from Gujarat, East Africa and then to the UK. The fond memories they have living in East Africa, how they've effortlessly weaved Swahili words in to Gujarati and the ripple effect Idi Amin kicking out the Asians from Uganda in 1972 had across Kenya and Tanzania.

Speaking to Meera about her wedding set, and how she brought her mum's jewellery and the sentiment it represented to her wedding look was really heartwarming as I also got to speak to her mum and Baa (grandmother) that day. In this episode I speak to 3 generations of family about various aspects of gold jewellery, how it's been handed down and how these pieces may stand the test of time.

Read more about Meera's story and see photos of her jewellery here: https://www.anishaparmar.com/blogs/news/empowered-adornment-episode-5-the-wedding-set

A huge thank you to my participants that have trusted me with their incredible stories, my co producer and Editor of the series Molly Crossley and to the Arts Council for giving me the time and funding to delve into something that’s so close to my heart.  For more information about the project visit: www.anishaparmar.com/pages/empowered-adornment

Follow me on Instagram @anishaparmarlondon

If you would like to get in touch or have a Gold Jewellery Story to share email me: hello@anishaparmar.com

Credits: Podcast Creator and Co Producer: Anisha Parmar Co Producer and Editor: Molly Crossley  In this Story: Meera, Meera's mum & Baa

Music: Punjabi Beats by Ash Beat & Shahed | Chatterbox by Morethanthemind