Agaro is a celebration of the tradition and heritage of the ancient jewelry making art, first established in the imperial karkhanas, or workshops, of the Mughal Court. The jewelry produced in these karkhanas was made using gold at its very purest (always over 22 karat), delicately wrought and brilliantly fused with magnificent meenakari, or enameling.  It was said that even Paris could not paint gold to the standard produced within the karkhanas. This blended brilliance of greens, blues, and reds to create flowers, plants, scrolling vines and animal forms, became a quintessential symbol of the Mughal image of ‘paradise on earth’.

Today, Agaro jewelry is made using these same traditions and techniques passed down through generations. Our artisans, many of whom can trace their families back to the karkhanas of the Mughal Court, create beautifully detailed enameling on finely embellished 22 karat gold. The jewelry is authentic with a contemporary twist, yet each unique jewel is a little piece of India, and our very own version of ‘paradise on earth’.

 

 

 

Roshni Singhal was born and raised in Mumbai to a family steeped in the traditions and techniques of jewels. From her father, an eminent figure in the International diamond trade with unmatched expertise in rough diamonds, she has from an early age been able to recognise their potential and properties and learnt to love these magical stones.

Her yearning to discover the world, took her to Hong Kong, where she studied at the prestigious United World College, gaining a wide circle of artistic friends from different nations and cultures. This was also where she first discovered her love for the fine arts, working with earthy elements such as rocks and stones.

A little later came university in the United States, a degree in Finance, followed by a brief stint working in the world of Finance. However, drawn irresistibly to her first love - precious stones, she returned to her roots only to discover the fascinating  world of enameled jewelry. She travelled to the United Kingdom to study and train under a renowned enamelist, developing a deep understanding of how materials, metals and color interact. With her unique blend of technical knowledge and understanding of Indian traditions and aesthetics, Roshni is now fulfilling her dream as a designer, working with some of India's most talented enamelists to offer a range of stunning hand-crafted jewelry.

Her studio is in Bangalore, where she lives with her husband and son.

 

 

 

Much like my jewels, my roots are deeply embedded in the traditions and heritage of my origins. As a jeweler by trade and by history, I use old world craftsmanship with old-fashioned materials. Yet these are jewels for a modern woman, a woman who is strong and compassionate; a woman who is unrestricted and a woman who is not afraid of being true to who she is. 

There are a lot of emotions behind the jewelry I am now offering to the world, from power and courage to playfulness and sensuality, and even a deep-seated spirituality. Having always been mesmerized by the grandeur of the bygone eras and secrets of the past, they make their way into these pieces. Much of the jewelry also explores the concept of duality forming a whole, the yin-yang of things, and the very fabric of nature found everywhere, in everything.  

My inspirations are drawn from a multitude of things, cultural and mythological symbols of India, of both her past and present. From impressive architecture of Mughal and Rajput fortresses, to frescoes found inside the tiniest crevices of abandoned Indian havelis. They’re drawn from religious and sentimental vernacular art forms hand painted on rikshaws, and trucks of doting owners. They echo 17th and 18th century calico textile prints of European patterns haunted by the country’s Mughal legacy. From these pieces of the past, whilst anchored to the present, come these tiny but fully-formed works of art.   

Agaro has a special meaning for everyone who encounters it, but for me it’s about rebirth. The amazing fusion of glass and metal happening under the flaming hot temperatures of the kiln, burning away the impurities and giving these separate entities a new, single identity, is a metamorphosis which is spellbinding to me. And for my personal journey, it was pretty much the same, entering into the world of the artisans was like walking into a kiln. Even today, I am reborn each time I enter their magnificent world, with a fold of my hands and a bow of my head.

Roshni