On the Meet The Makers Series, today we feature Mrinalini Cariapa, founder and design head at Flames of the Forest, Bangalore. She will be showcasing her collections at the By Hand From The Heart Makers Market Coimbatore event.
A bit about Flames Of The Forest & Mrinalini.
Mrinalini Cariapa, founded Flames of the Forest, an exclusive collection of designer jewelry, in 2003. The passionate designer travels extensively to source rare semi-precious gems, – like Coral Fossil, Jaspers, Solar Quartz, Lodolite -and sets them in Sterling Silver, turning them into unique wearable jewelry. Occasionally, on her quests for these gems, she stumbles upon the odd raw Emerald, unpolished Aquamarine or streaked Turquoise, and handcrafts these rare stones into magnificent works of art.
Her designs draw inspiration from nature, making them appealing to women of any age. These timeless creations are the perfect accessories to both, ethnic and western wear. Being highly qualified in the discipline of jewelry and semi-precious tones, this conscientious artisan takes special care that the stones she uses have not been dyed or treated with any unnatural process.
Mrinalini has designed and handcrafted jewelry throughout school and college, initially using materials like wooden and glass beads, before choosing to pursue her passion and gaining specialized knowledge on the subject.
Besides making jewelry, Mrinalini holds workshops – a great way for a layperson to get a hands-on experience designing and crafting jewelry. Handcrafting each other’s engagement rings has become an increasingly popular trend among urban couples today. This fun activity was conceptualized by Mrinalini, and is available upon request at her studio in Whitefield, Bangalore.In the last few years, her unusual designs have gained immense popularity.
How would you describe what you do; and how long have you been making and creating?
I go out looking for interesting stones, ones that are like God’s creations. I get inspiration from nature, for example, the colours of birds, insects and marine life. I started making jewelry as a hobby when I was a child. It was my way of making some pocket money. I later went on to study jewelry design and manufacture. I officially started Flames of the Forest in 2003.
Creating jewelry at Flames Of The Forest. What is involved?
Since my work has a lot to do with interesting semi-precious stones, I find choosing the stones to be the most important part. It is often difficult to find stones that match exactly as most often, the stones would be different shades of a colour or have different markings on it. We try to match them as much as possible, hence you will notice that sometimes, the stones could be of a slightly different size.
You have participated in an earlier edition of By Hand From The Heart what was the BHFTH experience and what have you observed.
Chennai is a great market. We’ve also noticed how By Hand From The Heart does a lot of marketing even when there is no edition coming up. This has helped bring a lot of awareness about the events and we know they have been working very hard towards hosting a great event and we wish them great succour favourite project you wish to share.
The Rainforest Collection – This project was truly inspired by the vibrant colours of insects and animals in the rain forest areas. I absolutely love the textures that I was able to achieve and this project was what I imagined it to be.
Tell us about your proposed showcase at the “By Hand, From The Heart” in Coimbatore.
A lot of signature pieces, different natural stones. We will be bringing a huge collection of earrings, rings, bracelets. All our jewellery is Sterling Silver (92.5%) with natural semi-precious stones.
Meet the Maker at By Hand From The Heart: MAKERS MARKET – 22nd Edition
Date: Friday – Saturday, 2nd – 3rd February, 2018
Time: 10:00 a.m – 8:00 p.m
Venue: Jenneys Residency – Ruby Hall & Art Houz Gallery
Address: 2/2, Avinashi Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641014. India.
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