The Genius of Viren Bhagat
The Mumbai-based jewellery house of Bhagat is definitely one of the most important of our time. When Viren Bhagat embarked on his journey as a jewellery designer, he was taking on the legacy of three generations of jewellers before him. Moving on from the traditional gold jewellery of India, Viren Bhagat elevated the Bhagat style to an extremely innovative blending between traditional Indian aesthetics and contemporary western influences.
Viren Bhagat decided early on to expand the vision of jewellery design to include his fascination for Art Deco architecture, very much present in Mumbai, resulting in a never-seen before stylised Indian style. The classical Indian forms, motifs and flowers which are still to this day one of his most personal inspirations, are magnified by his creative mind to become dream-like and definitely modern. Bhagat’s philosophy is one of heritage and refinement. The traditional lotus flower or the stylised poppy, the historic jhali or the Mughal-inspired sarpech are only some of the many magical themes of his repertoire. Following the advice of his father to never ‘try to reproduce Nature as you can not achieve the same level of perfection’, Viren Bhagat has taken an Impressionist approach, not designing flowers but more the ever-lasting idea of them. The jewels end up being a real tribute to the Indian culture without the its traditional components.
The attention to detail and craftsmanship embodies the search for perfection. As much as Indian traditional jewels are only made of gold, Bhagat has turned to platinum, inspired by the level of refinement of the Parisian jewellery houses of the Art Deco. The house has worked with a very limited palette of gemstones including diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds and have their own cutting workshop, drawing on the rich history of the Indian love of precious gems. Indicative of traditional Indian materials, their use of table-cut or briolette diamonds for example is one-of-a-kind and gives a subdued modern elegance rooted in the legendary history of Indian diamonds.
Bhagat has been run by Viren and his two brothers Bharat and Rajan for a long time and his two sons Varun and Jay have now joined the family house, perpetuating the legacy with their own vision. From the small village of Lathi on India’s western coast a century ago to the most glamorous red carpets and Museum collections in the world, Bhagat has changed the history of Indian jewellery and opened the doors of new possibilities. Their creations are unmistakably recognisable and are coveted by an international group of educated jewellery and art collectors around the world. A dream of India made into unrivalled jewels.
— Written by Vanessa Cron
A PAIR OF RUBY AND DIAMOND EARRINGS, BY BHAGAT
SOLD CHF 223,500
Christie’s Geneva, 17 May 2017
Photo Credits: Christie’s
A PAIR OF ELEGANT DIAMOND AND RUBY FLOWER EAR CLIPS, BY BHAGAT
SOLD USD 307,200
Christie’s New York, 11 April 2006
Photo Credits: Christie’s
UNIQUE PAIR OF RUBY AND DIAMOND BANGLES, BHAGAT
SOLD HKD 2,500,000
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 April 2017
Photo Credits: Sotheby’s
A DIAMOND AND EMERALD BROOCH, BHAGAT
SOLD USD 399,000
Christie’s New York, 19 June 2019
Photo Credits: Christie’s
A PEARL, NATURAL PEARL AND DIAMOND RING, BY BHAGAT
SOLD CHF 257,000
Christie’s Geneva, 18 May 2016
Photo Credit: Christie's
EXQUISITE JADE, DIAMOND AND RUBY BROOCH, BHAGAT
SOLD HKD 3,940,000
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3 October 2017
Photo Credits: Sotheby’s