Rahul Jhaveri
Rahul Jhaveri, co-founder of Studio Renn, reimagines fine jewelry as art—pairing raw gems with unexpected materials to challenge convention and champion self-expression.
Creative director and co-founder of Studio Renn, Rahul Jhaveri challenges traditional notions of fine jewelry with a material-agnostic approach. Favouring antique cuts and rough diamonds over conventionally polished gems—and pairing them with unexpected materials like concrete and wood—he redefines elegance with unconvention. While the perception of fine jewelry often follows a precise, recognizable design language, Rahul takes a path less travelled, reshaping its vocabulary without straying away from familiarity. A collector of contemporary art and design, Rahul has been able to re-conceptualise jewellery as art pieces in a country like India where they are primarily seen as value-based possessions—heirlooms, assets, and investments. Interestingly, though he studied Business at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, his connection to diamonds runs deep. Raised in a family of diamond merchants, Rahul spent over 12 years mastering the craft, from planning to polishing—an influence that shapes both him and Studio Renn. During this time, he developed an intuitive eye for raw gemstones, viewing them through a fresh, unconventional lens. Today, alongside his wife, Roshni Jhaveri, he honors the legacy and heritage of his family through the label. Meanwhile, his design instincts and creative approach are deeply influenced by his love for art and an ongoing dialogue with architects, artists, and music composers. What’s equally compelling about Rahul’s work is his ability to translate intangible elements—poetry, and abstract references—into tangible and wearable forms. In a single collection, his pieces do not necessarily follow a uniform aesthetic or visual consistency. Instead, their cohesion stems from the creative process. Take [An]otherness, for example—while some pieces take the form of delicate puffballs, others abstractly evoke a bleeding tooth, the peel of an orange, or fluid overlapping curves. What unites them, however, is their shared exploration of atrophy and decay. Comprising around 80 pieces, the collection originated from a series of custom sketches by contemporary artist Prashant Salvi, one of which—the Strangler ring—went on to win the Innovation Award at Couture, an international event for fine jewellery and luxury watches. Currently viewed as a part of the disruptors in the industry—Rahul’s works, alongside his partner Roshni, signal a broader movement in India’s jewellery landscape- one that is surpassing the conventional notions of opulence and commercial viability to embrace jewellery as a medium for self-expression.
Rahul speaks to Blur The Border :
Blur : You have no formal training in jewelry design, yet your creative ideas are shaped by interactions with architects, music composers, and artists. How have these diverse influences informed your approach to design?
Rahul : Before founding Studio Renn, I was focused on sourcing, cutting, and polishing rough diamonds—a craft deeply rooted in my family’s legacy. What I most enjoyed was designing jewelry for friends and family, pieces that carried personal meaning. As that intimate circle of collectors expanded to include poeple I had never met, Studio Renn took shape as a reflection of artistry, intent, and evolution. Our first collection, (An)otherness, emerged from a dialogue with visual artist Prashant Salvi—a catalyst rather than a blueprint. At its core, the brand’s creative process remains fluid, instinctive, and unbound by convention. Our inspirations are organic and shaped by our experiences and conversations with musicians, architects, and designers; treks through the Sahyadri forests; and immersive journeys through art and culture, visits to museums, galleries and artist studios. Each piece at the Studio is a reflection of an ever-evolving narrative, where collaborations with architects, enamel artists, and collectors further enrich the design language. Here, nothing is predefined or predetermined —only discovered.Our ongoing study [Prime]al, for instance was born from a poem, 'Eyes Open,' that I (Rahul Jhaveri) wrote. It builds on the premise that abstraction is the most instinctive reaction to the world around us. The works within [Prime]al express the complexity and importance of ideas of protection, cyclicity, myths of creation and perceptions of time and space through simple forms and patterns. [Prime]al is an effort at the Studio to create a distinctive contemporary aesthetic – one that is our own. It started with a study of indigenous art – not what they made, but why and how. We attempted to follow the same creative process of abstraction while creating these works.
Blur : Do you have a definitive process while creating? Are there any habits or rituals that help you get into a creative mindset?
Rahul : The concept of "beautiful imperfection" informed my early years of working alongside master goldsmiths, artisans skilled in crafting flawlessly symmetrical designs. But perfection, I realized, tended to be predictable. I wanted to explore the irregular, the asymmetrical and uncover beauty in the unrefined and the unexpected. It became more than an aesthetic choice; it was a philosophy. A way to redefine the boundaries of jewelry itself and that anchors our creativity at the Studio.The Studio’s core design philosophy is to give precedence to the intangible over the tangible – where aspects like volume, reflections, incompleteness, precariousness takes center stage. Our conversations and interactions center around design philosophies, processes – nothing with a directive. It was almost like a stream of consciousness over a few months with studio visits borne of curiosity and interest in one another. The design process at the Studio is extremely fluid. And inspiration stems from anything and everything – an unexpected conversation, an unassuming shadow, a photograph.
Blur : What role does the environment play in your work or in fueling your creativity?
Rahul : For us – contemporary pertains to building on the past, reacting to the present and creating for the future – and being forward thinking. We are influenced by the environment that we inhabit which includes various techniques of designing and making. It all happens subconsciously – we are a product of where we are.
Blur : How does embracing a material-agnostic approach shape your creative process, and what factors influence your selection of materials for each of your collections?
Rahul : I'm Studio Renn was born out of the need to create and for self-expression. True to the name Renn, which means reborn, or rebirth, the Studio explores concepts and perspectives, and recreates the world of abstract ideas, objects and feelings through fine jewelry. This is the philosophy that guides Studio Renn, in pursuit of a creative space for experimentation and development of works of art, including jewelry. We use vastly different perspectives along with traditional crafts and techniques. We have worked with precious and uncommon materials — we have, so far, used porcelain, wood, concrete, gold, diamonds, colored gems, carved onyx, sterling silver — and employed varied finishes and textures such as hi-gloss, raw casting skin, matte. We do not have a just one source for our inspirations. Our work is a culmination of all the experiences that we’ve had in the past. We do not approach our designs from a jewelry practice point of view but rather a design practice. We are just making jewelry at this time. For instance, the diamond and cutting polishing knowledge prompted me to look at diamonds and various possibilities of setting it in a new way, using roughs, cleaving octahedrons and setting them to converse with the design.
Blur : You have incorporated unconventional materials like concrete and wood into fine jewelry, and your designs are deeply influenced by art and poetry. What led you to conceptualize jewelry as art, and how has this approach been received?
Rahul : One of the most gratifying custom works was for an architect. She wanted to make a solitaire ring but nothing like what she already had or seen. She wanted to be able to wear it all the time. It needed to be strong and “genderless”. That’s how our first work in concrete came about. Our acid-treated concrete rings furthered the study of atrophy and were reinforced with 18k gold and diamond filaments. This study originally started with a series of Rotting Rings made in diamonds, rubies and gold. The concrete rings are made in collaboration with Mumbai-based architecture firm Material Immaterial. Our explorations in concrete have won us several awards as well – Innovative Design Award at the Couture Show in Las Vegas in 2021, Wallpaper Design Award for Best Hidden Gem in 2023. Our approach to making our pieces aren’t limited by jewelry making skills or techniques. We’ve collaborated with a ceramist to create 'counterfeit' porcelain pearls juxtaposed against Keshi pearls. We lean on new technology and old techniques to realize our pieces as well - techniques such as 3-D scanning and printing were employed for the Tansa Ring and Puffball Voids, besides using vitreous enameling in an ombre of grey and black in the Gossamer Earrings and Ring. For our commissioned works, we believe in crafting a narrative that is true to the wearer's story. The designs are very conceptual and the story telling innately personal. So the pieces translate from these experiences and stories.
When we had our first show at Gallery Maskara in Bombay in 2019, we had no idea what to expect. Not only was that the first time we would be showing our works to a wider audience, but it was also the first time such show was ever held in India. What started as a one-week show was extended to two owing to an overwhelming response. Subsequently, we held independent shows in Calcutta, Ahmedabad and then again in Bombay to show how the work evolved over a year. Our audience has been one which is extremely receptive to creative works and the conversations around them. We have been pleasantly surprised by how diverse this group of people are – regardless of their demographics.
Blur : There might be certain inhibitions and challenges when it comes to experimenting with such unconventional materials. How do you approach these, and what drives your commitment to redefining traditional notions of fine jewelry?
Rahul : Everything that we do is handmade at our Studio in Borivali in Bombay with our team, including artists, gem-cutters, engineers, goldsmiths. Our team is willing to be pushed beyond their comfort zone, think outside of the box — dive into the design and artistry. Roshni and I are the face of it but the Studio comprises of all the people that make it and everyone plays a crucial role in our works. We continue to work on the design aesthetic that came out of [Prime]al and creating extensions of it – where we are continually experimenting with materials, gem cuts, setting and finishing techniques.
Blur : If you were to collaborate with another artist, within or outside of your discipline, what is one collaboration you would love to do?
Rahul : Aside from our core team, we have engaged in creative collaborators with artists, poets, architect, and spatial designers. These interactions have enriched our work, offering us a fresh perspective and enabling us to amplify our design narrative.
Blur : You have taken Studio Renn’s collection to prominent international stores, including Bergdorf Goodman. In your observation, what can the Indian jewelry industry do to amplify its potential on the global stage?
Rahul : Roshni and I follow our instincts when it comes to our work and, over time, we created a tribe of collectors – who are curious and open-minded. Honing in on our vision for the studio, knowing what you don’t want to do or be, being true to oneself, having a distinct point of view, following our gut is what has helped us grow and I believe that’s what can help anyone grow whether from the jewelry industry or elsewhere.