Jewellery designer Maliha Shaikh showcased her collection of semi-precious jewels at her DHA residence on Thursday morning. This is her third exhibition since she launched her brand three months ago.
Shaikh exhibited 54 pieces of jewellery with raw semi-precious stones like turquoise, tourmaline and jade, encrusted in gold-plated silver chunky lockets, dangling earrings and buttons — each being a statement piece. The stones are purchased mainly from vendors in Pakistan, India and China, with the jewellery being priced between Rs20,000 to Rs45,000. “The stones have not been treated at all to maintain their natural beauty, which is why they stand out and add an antique streak to the pieces,” said the designer.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Shaikh said that having lived in the United States for the past eight years, she draws inspiration from renowned brands like Tiffany & Co and Cartier. “Many people in Pakistan do not have access to collections of such big brands and I wanted to make exclusive pieces at affordable prices,” she said.
“I always wanted to wear different, exclusive pieces which describe my personality,” she added. “Hence, the idea was to create something exclusive for every woman. This jewellery is meant for people who choose not to wear expensive gold pieces and prefer wearing gold-plated pendants, instead of artificial ones.”
She said that she tries to keep prices as affordable as possible for “someone who is confident enough to wear these pieces”.
Shaikh plans to hold an exhibition in the Middle East next, for clients who are interested in statement jewellery pieces.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2013.
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