Oval Lapis Lazuli Single Stone Ring from India, "Delicate Blue"

"I was born in beautiful Jaipur in 1962. Those who know me well describe me as a creative man with the emotional resilience to navigate tough situations.

"I remember myself naturally drawn towards arts and crafts ever since I was a boy, creating all kinds of jewelry and things with paper, metal wires, leaves and found objects. The fact that my father worked with jewelry and shared a similar interest encouraged my initial spark of interest.

"I would say that my work is the intrinsic quest of creating visual beauty and perfection. It offers an almost never-ending opportunity for creativity. Of course, I love the joy of bringing delight to the recipient of finished design.

"My plunge into this career came relatively late in life. It was totally unplanned. I had no start-up capital or savings, and I still had significant personal financial commitments to fulfill So, essentially, my back was against the wall when I started my workshop and failure was simply not an option. Yet it was the most likely possible outcome.

"However, to my own surprise, I handled this phase of my life with unwavering optimism, even while constantly staring failure in its face. And it was my passion for jewelry making and this attitude that helped me through until I could soon generate a positive cash flow and look forward to growth.

"I am mostly self-taught in jewelry crafting. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the two artisans who collaborate with me, while also learning from them. My wife helps me in our workshop. We are a lean, yet nimble team.

"Making jewelry from scratch is fun for me. I look at countless design examples and take the 'learning-by-doing' approach. I am constantly curious and ask questions of other artisans in the community, and they were my saviors and guides while I was mastering this art.

"The idea of continually improving upon my previous work, the endless variations in design, and the visual appeal of the finishes are what that I find most interesting. Silver jewelry with rainbow moonstone and cultured pearls are my two personal favorites. Procuring good quality pearls and rainbow moonstone can be a challenge, but I always make sure to the go the extra mile!

"My family inspires me to improve and reinvent myself in a personal context as well as a professional one. And the opportunity to bring financial security to fellow artisans by creating steady jobs is also an extremely motivating factor.

"I pride myself on creating a safe and clean workshop. I want to bring more dignity to this craft with a respectful, caring and light-hearted work environment. And my dream is to create many more jobs.

"I hope to establish a brand identity known for serving the artisan community and bringing constant delight to shoppers. It's exciting to think about creating more job opportunities and bringing smiles to countless shoppers with our jewelry, while being able to immerse myself in the creative pursuit of design. Being able to live this cycle of creation while retaining the excitement and nervousness of a beginner is extremely satisfying."