The Koh-i-Noor is a diamond of monumental stature. "As an artist, I want to preserve the legend and legacy of Koh-i-noor through my painting and imprint it on the blockchain as a digital artwork NFT. I want to give back the Koh-i-noor to people, back to all who think it belongs to them." ~ Reena Ahluwalia
Read moreThe Legendary Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Koh-i-Noor is a diamond of monumental stature. No other diamond in history can lay claim to be more widely traveled, famous and controversial, all at once. Today, the Koh-i-Noor remains one of the most coveted and enigmatic jewels in the world. A story so deep that it began billions of years ago as the diamond formed beneath earth and continues to this date, spanning 750 years of human history.
Read moreDiamonds on World Postage Stamps
Diamonds on postage stamps stand as symbols of growth and vision for countries, representing aspirations, stories as well as pride in their natural resources. What could communicate this shining vision better than diamonds?! One of the most unique ways that the socio-cultural impact of diamonds has been celebrated is in postage stamps.
Read moreThe Mouawad Dynasty Diamond Painting by Reena Ahluwalia
When legendary diamantaire Mouawad acquired the Mouawad Dynasty diamond, Mouawad Co-Guardian Fred Mouawad commissioned Reena to paint it’s extraordinary beauty. The 51.03-carat, D, Flawless, Mouawad Dynasty Diamond is the largest best quality polished diamond in Russian history.
Read moreReena Ahluwalia's Diamond Paintings Adorn DIVA Diamond Museum in Antwerp
Paintings by award-winning artist Reena Ahluwalia celebrate diamonds and diamond stories.
For the past 500 years, Antwerp and diamonds are inextricably linked. The City and Province of Antwerp is all set to open, 'DIVA. Antwerp Home of Diamonds' museum in 2018. To mark the Antwerp 'Diamond Year', DIVA's Museum Shop opened its doors on December 7th, 2017. World-renowned artist Reena Ahluwalia's hyper-realistic diamond paintings were selected to be housed in the museum and now available for sale at its Museum shop.
“We have known Reena for a long time and always have been great admirers of her jewelry designs and paintings. We were thrilled when we could work with her for her paintings in the Museum shop. Her paintings are truly unique, beautiful from a distance and captivating from close by. We are really honored to have them hanging in our shop.” Stefan Leemans, owner of the DIVA Museum shop said.
Brilliant like diamonds, Reena's painting series is titled The Diamond Constellation and pays tribute to the “star-like quality and unlimited potential in each one of us”. The paintings feature highly nuanced, hyper-realistic diamonds with ultra-magnified facets and have taken over 200 hours each to complete. The provenance of Reena's diamond paintings is linked to her lifelong work as a diamond artist. Her paintings are known for their imagination and storytelling. Reena's ties to Antwerp go a long way back as an award-wining diamond jewelry designer, diamond painter and educator. Her work is featured on a special edition Belgian Postal Stamp, 'Antverpia 2010' that celebrates Antwerp as a world class diamond center. With only a handful of postage stamps in the world featuring diamonds, and even rarer featuring a diamond jewelry piece; this postage stamp is a rare honor for a diamond jewelry piece and a jewelry artist’s work. Besides working with some of the most prestigious diamond companies of Antwerp, Reena is also the past winner of the HRD Awards and speaker at various Antwerp events. Reena is an ambassador of 'Diamonds & Antwerp' (DnA).
"We want to bring the story of jewels and diamonds back to the Antwerp historic city center, where it all started 500 years ago," says Mr. Luk Lemmens, Provincial Deputy Minister for Culture, Antwerp. Diva museum will celebrate the illustrious diamond history of Antwerp, its pivotal role in shaping the world of diamond trade, craftsmanship and stories that make diamonds unmatchable. The museum will officially open in May 2018.
Reena Ahluwalia Receives Fellow Award, Delivers Keynote Address At The George Brown College Convocation 2017
After an extensive vetting process, Toronto’s George Brown College chose jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia to serve as their keynote speaker at Convocation 2017. According to Dean Luigi Ferrara, “Reena’s influential work in the global diamond and jewelry industry, her achievements in the world of Fashion and Visual Art and service as Faculty and mentor to so many of our students, made her the ideal choice for inspiring our graduates and sending them off into this exciting new phase of their lives.”
Drawing from some of the pivotal lessons from her life, Reena Ahluwalia, jewelry designer, painter, professor and community builder, urged students to nurture and value their unbounded mind, their unique inner compass and the passion to persevere. During the ceremony Reena received an honorary degree in International Fashion Management and an Institute without Boundaries (IwB) Fellow Award for leaving an indelible mark on industry, country, community and for her contributions to the areas of study offered at George Brown for being an exceptional role model for the students. Reena’s full Keynote Speech can be seen here: https://youtu.be/jnuiYuxtLtI
Anne Sado, President of the George Brown College, said, “Our Academic Management Committee made up of all college Deans, were unanimous in recommending Reena Ahluwalia. Our criteria for granting an honorary degree is for people who have made an exceptional contribution to the country, world, with relevance to the College. As a person worthy of this recognition, Reena Ahluwalia exemplifies the qualities that George Brown College staff and students strive for – perseverance, passion and excellence.”
The George Brown College convocation ceremony for the Centre of Arts, Design & Information Technology was held on June 12th, 2017 at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Canada.
Reena's Glorious, Luminous Diamonds - JNA (Jewellery News Asia)
Feature interview of Reena Ahluwalia and her diamonds.
Editor Marie Feliciano interviews Reena Ahluwalia in May 2017 issue of JNA (Jewellery News Asia).
Diamonds & Millennials: Understand The WHY & The WHAT Will Be Answered
By Reena Ahluwalia. Blog appeared in GEMKonnect
What are the diamond jewellery trends that are shaping up the North American Millennial market in 2017?
The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotional Council of India (GJEPC) recently invited me to speak and share my observations on this specific question at their design and trend forecasting annual seminar, Design Inspirations. This year’s topic focused on the challenges and opportunities around designing for the Millennials.
A great deal has already been written about the Millennials, their buying power and behaviour. Rightly so, Millennials now make the largest consumer market for diamond jewellery. According to a report by the De Beers Group, Millennials in the US alone account for over 60 per cent of this generation’s diamond jewellery purchases in the top four markets, namely – the US, China, India and Japan.
I’ll summarize what I said at the GJEPC seminar. Since the diamond jewellery market is too wide a spectrum, I decided to focus on a specific area — the non-bridal diamond trends, a rising star segment for Millennials in the US. The premise of my talk was to question why things trend, what influences and shapes them to become market forces. Truly understanding the why will help answer the what that is needed to appeal to the Millennials and the generation beyond.
One thing we have learnt in the diamond and jewellery business is that each generation brings it’s own challenges and opportunities. Collectively as an industry we must have the vision to not only seek to understand the Millennials, but also the generation that will exert their market power after them...
CONTINUE TO READ MORE: https://www.gemkonnect.com/blog/diamonds-millennials-understand-why-what-will-be-answered
The Portrait Of Luminosity - An Oval Cut Yellow Diamond Painting By Reena Ahluwalia
A bright and luminous oval cut yellow diamond of epic proportions...
Read moreBejeweled Persia - historic jewelry from the Qajar Dynasty
Some of the most important Qajar jewels and artifacts from the bejeweled Persian history...
Read moreReena Ahluwalia speaks at GJEPC's 'Design Inspirations 2016'
How to stay inspired and how to continue to trigger inspiration in our thinking to sustain creativity. Reena at the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) conference in Mumabi...
Read moreElizabeth Hurley Wears Royal Asscher Diamond Tiara on Season 2 of The Royals
Elizabeth Hurley is a queen! Seductive Queen Helena...
Read moreThe Portal of Journeys - a painting by Reena Ahluwalia
Journeys are constant in our lives. One of the biggest journey we take is the journey within...
Read moreFamous Heart-Shaped Diamonds
This blog post highlights a particular diamond shape. A symbol of love and romance - the heart-shaped diamond...
Read moreThe Portal of Quest - a painting by Reena ahluwalia
Our journeys are journeys of seekers and wanderers, a journey inwards. In quest of our being, of clarity and truth. I explore this notion in my work here. The Portal of Quest painting is from my 'Diamond Portal Series’.
Read moreIn the Name of Halloween - "Sorceress Diabolic"
All in the spirit of Halloween! I present to you...
"Sorceress Diabolic" - is a jewelry design concept by Reena Ahluwalia.
"On a fatal night, at the witching time, the starless sky laments black and unmoving. The shadowy moon floats above. In this forbidden depths of darkness, prowls a diabolic sorceress with magic spells and dangerous enchantments. In her mask-macabre, glimmering like countess diamonds are trapped hopeless enchanted souls."
Profile: Reena Ahluwalia - featured in Rapaport
Rapaport discusses jewelry design and relevant diamond industry topics with designer Reena Ahluwalia. The profile can be seen at the news section.
Diamonds.net at http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=46253
Reena Ahluwalia recognized as Top 25 "Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada"
"It's a great privilege to be recognized as a Master Canadian Jewellery Designer. I am delighted at this recognition of my ongoing journey of creating meaningful jewelry with narratives that promote socially-conscious values."
-- Reena Ahluwalia
November, 2013. Toronto — The first-ever books about fine jewellery in Canada highlight a talented group of designers who have won every major international award, and have earned prestigious jewellery commissions from people ranging from Pope John II to Uma Thurman. The two-volume, 50-year retrospective on jewellery in Canada was written and produced by Cora Golden, who also co-authored the award-winning book, Design in Canada. Produced in collaboration with Birks, Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada (Volume 1 and 2) include over 450 photographs of rarely seen Canadian-designed jewellery. Together, they provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the makers of the most beautiful objects in the world.
Volume 1: Post-War Pioneers profiles 25 early designers and ateliers.
Volume 2: Contemporary Artists features 25 current designers; many of whom were trained or influenced by the previous generation. Worldly and peripatetic, John de Jong caters to upscale clients across Europe and North America; while Reena Ahluwalia, also of Toronto, often uses Canadian diamonds in her extravagant creations.
Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada (Volume 1 and Volume 2) are now available on Apple iTunes for purchase. Don't forget to get your copy!
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/masters-jewellery-design-in/id727835668?mt=11
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/masters-jewellery-design-in/id621630295?mt=11
Author Cora Golden: http://www.goldene-books.com/
JNA Interview - Reena Ahluwalia
Jewellery News Asia features an interview with designer Reena Ahluwalia in their July 2013 Issue 347. Interview by Marie Feliciano, Editor, JNA.
About JNA Magazine: Jewellery News Asia is a leading monthly news magazine for the world's jewellery trade; diamond, pearl, gemstone and jewellery-making equipment and supplies sectors in Asia. Every month Jewellery News Asia features original reports by experienced journalists.
Splendors of Mughal India
I love world cultures! My curiosity over years has made me spend a lot of my time conducting self-studies on various cultures, their rituals, customs, and of course, jewelry. I hope you enjoy my curated list of Mughal jewelry and artifacts in this blog post!
I have tried my best to attribute images to their creators and original sources. Please contact me if you know the source of images that are not attributed.
Mughal emperors were lovers of precious stones, numerous references show the strong cultural belief in gemstone properties. The Timurids, ancestors of the Mughals, had begun the tradition of engraving titles and names on stones of outstanding quality and, along with diamonds and emeralds, large spinel beads were their favorite. As much as these gems were a symbol of the opulence and dignity of the empire, they were also treasured as protective talismans.
Emeralds were enormously popular with the Mughal Court, whose emperors referred to them as “Tears of the Moon” because of their opaque transparency.
The rulers of Mughal India often ordered their names and titles to be inscribed on rubies, emeralds and diamonds, a practice which originated in Iran under the Timurids (1370-1507). Some of these gems ended up in the collection of the Mughal emperors who continued the tradition. In some cases, as the gems were passed down further names were added below those of the previous owners. Many were repolished, recut and re-set as they were handed down. The inscriptions were executed using the traditional cutting wheel or diamond-tipped stylus.
The legendary Koh-i-Noor Diamond - a gemstone that witnessed Mughal history
The Koh-i-Noor was set in the Peacock Throne, the world’s most expensive gem-set throne. Set atop the Peacock Throne, the Koh-i-Noor witnessed reigns of many Mughal emperors - Shah Jahan (commissioned the Peacock Throne in 1628), Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat, Nikusiyar, Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Shah ‘Rangila’, who eventually lost the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond in an invasion-loot by Nader Shah of Persia in 1739.
The Peacock Throne (Hindustani: Mayūrāsana, Sanskrit: मयूरासन, Urdu: تخت طاؤس, Persian: تخت طاووس, Takht-i Tāvūs)
The Koh-i-Noor Diamond, meaning "Mountain of Light" in Persian, is a legendary diamond of Indian origin. The diamond has been a subject of desire, intrigue and conquests for centuries. A widely traveled gem, it has passed through the hands of the Mughals emperors, Persian Shahs, Emirs of Afghanistan and Maharajas of Punjab. The stone later ended up in the British Crown Jewels in 1849, when a ten-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh was persuaded to hand over the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria when the Punjab Region of India was annexed. Since then, Koh-i-Noor has remained in the British Crown Jewels, becoming a symbol that many attach to the humiliation and pain of colonial past, conquests and the British Raj.
The wine cup of Shah Jahan
The cup consists of a gourd shape with a handle shaped like the head of a ram. The base features acanthus leaves radiating out from a lotus flower which is raised to form a pedestal for the cup. The different features of the cup reflect the variety of cultural and artistic influences that were welcomed at the Mughal court. Persian in their cultural background and Indian by adoption, the Mughals were also open to new ideas from the West. Jesuits at the Mughal court, entertaining futile ideas of converting an Empire, were welcomed for their learning; ambassadors and merchants for their exotic gifts and promises of trade. Craftsmen-adventurers were especially welcomed for their skills and knowledge of unfamiliar technologies.
The use of a gourd form for the body of the cup is Chinese in inspiration, while the lotus petals and sensitivity of animal portraiture are characteristic features of Hindu art. The ideas of the pedestal support and the use of acanthus leaves are also European in origin and parallel similar elements in the decoration of Mughal architecture during Shah Jahan's reign.
Spinels (balas rubies) were highly prized in the Mughal court and were usually drilled as beads and used as pendant gemstones on necklaces, turban ornaments or earrings. Abu'l Fazl treasury historic records indicate a hierarchy of gems where spinels were listed in advance of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. They were admired for their colour which followed the Persian literary tradition of representing wine and the sun, evoking the light of dusk.
Tavernier reported that he counted 108 large balas rubies (spinels, it is believed) mounted on the famous Peacock Throne, all cabochon cut, the smallest weighing about 100 carats and some 200 carats or more.
Emerald-ser box, Mughal India. 1635. Gold sheet, set with carved Colombian emeralds and a faceted diamond in gold kundan, with an enamelled base. The sides and lid of this spectacular gold box are set with 103 emeralds, perfectly matched and fitted. They are carved in shallow relief to depict cypress trees within borders of repeated stylized leaves. Similar boxes made of various precious materials appear in Indian miniatures from the early 17th century on. They could have been for medicines (including opium, a Mughal panacea) or to hold even more precious objects, such as uncut diamonds. The decoration suggests European influence, which presumably came into Mughal court art during the first half of the 17th century with the European craftsmen in the service of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. It is possible that the designs were influenced by engravings from the studio of Bernard Salomon who worked at Lyons in the mid-16th century. Image: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art
In the past I have authored posts on, Bejeweled Maharaja & Maharani of Mysore, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Diamonds on World Postage Stamps, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. I wrote these blogs for a simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena