V.A.K Fine Jewels - Jewels New York Friday, June 7, 2019 | Phillips

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    • V.A.K Fine Jewels

    • A hexagonal-shaped diamond, 2.89 carats
      Fancy-shaped cabochon rubies, total 6.52 carats
      Round brilliant-cut diamonds, total 0.46 carat
      Signed, with maker’s mark
      18 karat white and yellow gold, size 6

  • Catalogue Essay

    Vishal Kothari grew up in Mumbai, surrounded by the jewelry and diamonds of his family’s third-generation jewelry design and manufacturing company. A Graduate Gemologist, he spent the first twenty years of his career working for the family business. Though the venture was fruitful, it did not provide Kothari with the creative satisfaction that he craved. In order to fulfill his artistic passions, he left the wholesale business to start his namesake jewelry design company, V.A.K (Vishal Anil Kothari).

    A lover of all types of art and antiques, Kothari makes a point to visit museums whenever he travels to a different country. “Museums have a huge influence on my designs...For me a museum is my go-to place for peace and clarity of thought, like visiting a temple,” he explains. Though Kothari strives to tell a story of India’s history and culture in all his designs, he also looks forward into its future. He draws inspiration from India’s Mughal period, the British Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture of Mumbai, and the geometry of Art Deco jewelry. Combining these historical references with strong modern elements, Kothari creates his own unique and innovative wearable works of art.

    In the case of this ruby and diamond ring up for auction, Kothari explains: “I happened to come across a beautiful hexagon-shape, portrait-cut, flat diamond, of such high quality and shine that instantly, I acquired it.” The diamond gave birth to his design, acting as the center of the flower, with the custom-cut, non-treated ruby cabochons acting as the Mughal-shaped petals. The final piece references the architecture of Kothari’s homeland, gives a nod to the symmetry of the Art Deco period, and ultimately shows the influence of nature. “The contrast of the center flat diamond to the dark red ruby cabochons has its own beauty and life,” explains Kothari.

    Kothari conceptualizes his designs with passion and embellishes with only the best handpicked stones. “I am always trying to push new boundaries in jewelry making, using age old Indian manufacturing ideas but very modern engineering”, explains Kothari. The brand has invented a stone setting technique that allows the gems to shine from all angles, transforming them into metal-less, flexible parts, adding movement to his designs. Only producing between 125 to 150 pieces annually, each creation is one-of-a-kind and never replicated. Kothari always speaks of his work with a big smile: “Nothing makes me happier than seeing my vision translated into a three dimensional marvel.”

132

A Ruby, Diamond and Gold Ring

V.A.K Fine Jewels
A hexagonal-shaped diamond, 2.89 carats
Fancy-shaped cabochon rubies, total 6.52 carats
Round brilliant-cut diamonds, total 0.46 carat
Signed, with maker’s mark
18 karat white and yellow gold, size 6

Estimate
$16,000 - 22,000 

Sold for $27,500

Contact Specialist

Susan Abeles
Head of Department, Americas and Senior International Specialist
New York
+1 212 940 1383
sabeles@phillips.com

Jewels

New York Auction 7 June 2019