Imagery distilled in vivid jewellery
- Riddhi works solely with organic materials and a zero-waste ethos
- Her compositions merge vibrant Indian hues and soft European shades
- She integrates marquetry and micromosaic techniques in her jewellery making
Riddhi Patel discovered her artistic path not through gold or gemstones, but through overlooked, waste materials. "I bring a precise, exploratory approach to my work. In my pieces, I aim to combine Indian craft traditions with European decorative techniques, such as marquetry and micromosaics," she says. Riddhi studied accessory design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Mumbai, and earned a master's degree in jewellery design from Central Saint Martins in 2025. Today, she works with zero-waste and organic materials, such as leather off-cuts sourced in Mumbai’s Dharavi district and bamboo strips that she cuts to size and dyes by hand. From her London flat, Riddhi assembles each piece fragment by fragment to form vibrant compositions and intricate surface designs.
Interview
- What led you to jewellery making?
- At the beginning, I was definitely not interested in jewellery, as India is saturated with jewellers. It is only when I got introduced to the revival of bamboo craft in my third year of my studies that my interest in jewellery making really blossomed.
- How do you start a new piece?
- I always begin by choosing the material. In Mumbai's Dharavi, India's hub of leather and handcrafts, I found piles of leather scraps to be discarded or crushed for stuffing. I retrieved those colourful off-cuts and vowed to use all the leather, to not waste anything.
- What informs colour and pattern in your work?
- They develop through observation and materials used. I blend softer tones from life in the UK with bolder colours of my Indian upbringing. In pursuit of using every available shade, the materials guide the palette. My patterns are distilled impressions of what I notice.
- Do you have any future plans for your craft?
- I would like to collaborate with Indian craftspeople. The idea is to work with local natural materials and create larger 3D pieces, such as furniture, through a collective that respects and celebrates their traditional skills and techniques.
Riddhi Patel is a rising star: she began her career in 2023
Where
Riddhi Patel
