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Payal Kedia Bor and Anuja Kedia took different routes to becoming jewelry designers, but when the stylish sisters ultimately did it, they did it together, creating Allia-named after their niece-in 2009.
Their father is a diamond dealer who operates a jewelry manufacturing facility and their mother designs precious jewelry for private clients in India and Thailand.
Initially, Payal didn't want to follow the family's jewelry-making tradition. First, she worked in Web design in Mumbai, India, and then in marketing for a jewelry designer in New York. But she found herself more and more enamored with the idea of jewelry as something that lasts, and that can be collected like treasure.
"As a girl, I would collect little trinkets here and there and as I grew older, it continued, only those trinkets became more valuable jewelry," Payal recalls. "That realization, plus access to my dad's factory and my mom's inventory made me want to design my own unique line of jewelry, a line that was a reflection of my aesthetics and taste."
Anuja, meanwhile, started out with an interest in the arts, and studied metal and jewelry arts at the California College of Arts and Crafts.
"I initially wanted to be a painter, but found myself being drawn towards the metal arts the more I was exposed to it," Anuja says. "What appeals to me about jewelry is the idea of creating unique, wearable pieces of art out of raw materials for the sake of adorning the body."
Ever the artist, Anuja carries around a sketchpad so that when an idea comes into her head she can sketch it. "I think our jewelry's appeal to women is its classic, yet modern feel," Anuja says.
The sisters, who grew up traveling all over the world, say exploring new places have inspired their creations. "My travels exposed me to various cultures and their aesthetics," said Anuja says. "From the elements in architecture to metal grill works on buildings to stained glass in churches to nature."
Although it may sound cliché, everything about nature inspires her, including the lines on a tree trunk and bold animal prints.
"I carry around a sketchbook with me all the time and have been doing so for years," Anuja says.
"When I am surrounded by inspiring objects or forms, I sketch them. A lot of times, I end up incorporating them in my designs."
Television, books, and their immediate surroundings also serve as inspiration, the sisters say. The two also enjoy visiting museums, and inspirations include various contemporary Indian artists and abstract paintings, including Gerhard Richter.
At Allia, beautifully cut colored gemstones in fancy shapes are the centerpiece, and the designs are set in either 18-karat gold or - for those seeking the 18-karat gold look at a more affordable price- gold vermeil. The gemstones used in the collections include smoky quartz, white quartz, citrine, onyx, blue topaz, honey quartz, rainbow moonstones, labradorite, lapis lazuli, rutilated quartz, green chalcedony and olive quartz.
"What appeals to women about our collections is the quality of the pieces, the bold and unique cut and shapes of the stoned, and the interesting color combinations," Payal says.
The sisters love the way yellow gold brings out the glamour and "oomph" in gemstones such as citrine and white quartz, and the combination of opaque stones with translucent ones.
While basics like hoops and three-stone fancy earrings in white quartz are popular, the designers love to see customers take a chance with larger pieces like long, cluster earrings or a 36-inch white quartz stone necklace.
Anuja points out that the sisters also take into consideration the weight of jewelry "as we are aware of the importance of comfort." Their customers tend to be modern women between the ages of 25 and 50 who appreciate bold style and versatility.
"We have created jewelry, keeping various types of women in mind," Anuja says. "We have everyday, easy-to-wear jewelry, and jewelry for special occasions that are bold, statement pieces. Our Jewelry can be worn during the day and transition into nighttime."
Q&A
We love Prada. There are so many staples in the collections and they are also so experimental. Another favorite of ours is Burberry Prorsum, especially what they are doing with trench coats-classic with a twist. We also love Indian contemporary artists and abstract paintings like that of Gerhard Richter.
The asymmetrical clothing by Helmut Lang and Rick Owens would go well with the Allia asymmetrical cut earrings and rings. Our long chain necklaces would look great with the draped and gathered and pleated tops and skirts by Donna Karan and Lanvin.
A three-line diamond bracelet that my parents gave to me. All three sisters have the same bracelet.
The Fancy Collection white quartz charm drop earrings, the Ice Cube Collection honey quartz hoops, the 3-stone cushion and baguette smoky and the citrine Ice Cube earrings.
1. A tan Burberry trench coat 2. Prada shoes 3. A Donna Karan long draped evening dress 4. A cozy cashmere cardigan 5. A soft Bottega Veneta weave bag.
To the Canadian Rocky Mountains this summer for our mom's 60th birthday, to Thailand to visit our newborn nephew and niece and to design the new collections. And to Bordrum, Turkey, for a girlfriend's 40th birthday celebration.
Either the white quartz charm drop earring, which is affordable and great for everyday wear, or the small fancy white quartz hoops or small white quartz cluster hoops.
Alberta Feretti 1920's inspired flapper like dresses for Spring/Summer 2012. For Spring/Summer our favorites are the aquatic-y/batik-y prints by Peter Pilotto and the way the colors blend into each other. And I love the tribal Batik prints by Burberry Prorsum and the graphic and retro prints by Marni. I also love the printed cropped pants, which are so fashionable for this year-so fun and young.
Audrey Hepburn, particularly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, because of her poise and the way she carried off every outfit from Givenchy dresses to cropped pants with flats, to the scarf around her head. We also like 1950s fashions, which remind me (today) of Roland Mouret's pencil skirts and his hourglass cuts.
Someone who invests in developing and enhancing their jewelry wardrobe and sees it as a rite of passage toward becoming or being a woman.
This was Allia's first collection and the one that inspired and directed those that followed. Clean and chic, the design team was drawn to the versatility of clear white quartz -but not just any stones. They chose fancy-cut stones in one-of-a-kind shapes to give the collection a bold and edgy look. The irregular facets of the gemstone similarly add a lovely luster-the icing on a very sweet and fancy cake.
Shop this collection
The Ice Cube collection, as the name suggests, features gemstone shapes that are either square, baguette, or emerald-cut, or some slight variation thereof. These classic, modern shapes were inspired by the Art Deco era of the 1920s where flappers of the era would delight in the mix of gemstones including honey quartz, Madeira citrine, citrine and smoky quartz. Offering rich warm shades of yellow and orange, the stones are a mix of classic facets while others are irregularly yet gorgeous. Placed side by side in either a dangling or fixed fashion, they are modern classics.
The strong, directional shapes in Allia's Jagged collection are perfect for those with a taste for drama. The sultry hues of smoky quartz evoke power and confidence, while the labradorite's dimensional hues lend an air of mystery. The defined yet feminine stone shapes are set in 18-karat vermeil to add a bit of contrast.
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