How it started?
‘‘The goal is to design contemporary jewelry that has its roots in the age-old tradition and culture of the country, giving an edgy reform to traditional pieces.’’
Fueled by a steady passion for silver, and the idea to make artisanal jewelery more accessible to people, Oonth was launched in 2019 by lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Ivanka Agarwal. It started as a curated platform, where each piece was handpicked directly from the karigars.
But two years and a Pandemic later, it transformed with the launch of its first in-house collection; an exquisite confluence of the ancient and the modern, an amalgamation of the old with the new, and it has been synonymous with that ever since.
Our Karigars
At our core, is our dedicated team of artisans, working ever so hard to bring each piece to you. Neeraj Bhaiya is our chief silversmith, he works out of his own workshop, which he inherited from his mentor about 30 years back. Each piece that comes out, goes through the hands of at least 10 different karigars, each skilled in their own way, and having their own line of expertise. We pride ourselves on paying fair wages to all our artisans, which ensures that they receive an appropriate wage for every piece that they work on.
A lot of our pieces are hand-painted, and we have a team of women painters that work from the comforts of their homes to bring you their art and skill on sterling silver.
Why Oonth?
For thousands of years, camels have been used to transport goods across vast deserted lands. At a point in life, where survival was at risk, we took our inspiration from this resilient mammal, and that’s how Oonth was born. Camels as part of traveling caravans have been an essential mode of carrying artifacts, jewelery, stones, and whatnot from one place to another, and with Oonth we aim to do just that.
Meet the Founder
The wearer of all hats as a small business owner, Ivanka, has a degree in Journalism and Law from the University of Delhi, and a lifelong experience of collecting, no, hoarding silver jewelry. It’s this undying love for the metal that led to Oonth. Any interaction you have on Instagram, chances are it’s her you are talking to. If she is not working on a new piece, she can be found sipping on some chilled beer and hogging pizzas in the mountains.
