The vault: Sherezad Rahimtoola

Jewellery designer Sherezad Rahimtoola shares her resplendent jewellery collection and talks about everything from family heirlooms to her own creations



How and when did you get interested in jewellery?

I am an architect by profession and I happened to take a break just after I was done with my education. It was actually just by chance that I got into jewellery making. However, obviously, I have always been very fond of jewellery ever since I was a young child.

What are your favourite pieces of jewellery?

I love precious stones. Emeralds, particularly, are my weakness! One of my favourite pieces is a necklace, which has a large emerald of about 40 carats.

Where did you get it?

The emerald necklace is a family heirloom, which was passed down to me by my mother.



Is there any piece you are emotionally attached to and why?

The pieces that I create are a labour of love. I work on a particular piece for up to three months, so I do get attached to them. I love the pieces, but I don’t always feel like I need to have them since I see so much of jewellery anyway.

Share a story with us about how you acquired one of your favourite pieces?

There are so many stories! Another one of my favourite pieces is a solitaire, which my father had given to my mother. She has now passed it down to me, it’s a huge solitaire and it’s been in the family for quite some time, so I have grown quite attached to it.



Is there anything on your radar that you want to get in the future?

I’ve been in the jewellery business for 25 years, I sleep, eat, breathe jewellery, it’s there all the time. But I had told my kaarigar to tell me if he comes across a large-sized emerald. That is the one thing that is always on my radar.