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Meet Hanut Singh — the Designer Behind Beyoncé, Meryl Streep and Alia Bhatt's Favourite Jewels
Adored by celebrity clientele, this Delhi-based jeweller’s got a penchant for storytelling, a passion for talismans, and a rule — to design only for the truly discerning.
What do Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan have in common? Besides their superstardom, of course, it’s a shared love for jewellery designer Hanut Singh’s creations.
The Delhi-based designer speaks to us from his second home, nestled in the hills of Mussourie in Uttarakhand. A “one-man show”, Singh launched his namesake label in 2002, before hosting a show in New York City a few years later. “From [fashion designer] Carolina Herrera to [fashion editor] André Leon Talley, everyone was there,” he says, recalling the night that put him on the map. “I was on page six…and Beyoncé’s people came to my show! They asked if I could give her some jewellery to wear at the Cannes [Film Festival], and I did.”
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The Cannes red carpet has proven lucky for him since, he reminisces. “She was an upcoming superstar — a well-known musician for sure, but she hadn’t become the cultural icon that she is now….”
But that’s how it all began, thanks to all “the right people at the right time”. While he’s always dabbling in different things, he says, “People can pinpoint my designs from a mile away, and that’s the biggest compliment — to have a strong signature aesthetic and maintain it.”
A Legacy of Luxury
Singh found his love for jewellery at the age of three. But upon returning to India following his education abroad, he took up a number of jobs, from working at a record label to becoming a food critic, and even a writer-editor at magazines like Elle and L’Officiel. He admits, “I was faking it, I knew that jewellery was my true passion.” And at 51, he’s one of the leading avant-garde jewellery designers in India.
Though Singh had no formal training in jewellery design, he was far from a novice. After all, he’s the great-grandson of the late Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala, who was known for his collection of jewels — including commissioned pieces from Cartier and Boucheron. “I’ve lived with spectacular jewellery from the 1910s to the 1930s.” A masterclass in itself, he calls it. His grandmother Sita Devi, known as Princess Karam, was also a muse to legendary British photographer Cecil Beaton and American visual artist Man Ray. Her albums, filled with these artists’ original works and family memorabilia, serve as Singh’s greatest inspiration. “[My ancestors’] collections are pretty astounding…the rings, necklaces, earrings with different colour combinations, stones, settings and clasps.” While the Art Deco influence is unmistakable in his work, he adds his own “twist and tale and pizzazz” to the same.
“It’s called talent!” Singh tells us, with a booming laugh. “There’s no formula to it. It’s how I see things and interpret them; how my mind’s eye visualises the stones I work with, the designs and renderings I make.” It’s a multifaceted process, he explains. Often, he falls in love with a stone and designs around it, while other times, he seeks out a stone with a design in mind.
His first collection, “Frutti di Mare” or “Fruits of the Sea”, was inspired by a shell he found in Japan. “When something is a passion, you delve deep and osmotically absorb everything. Jewels have always been mine."
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The Celebrity Choice
“When I had just begun, there were no real avant-garde jewellery designers around,” Singh recalls. He was clear about one thing — that he was a designer for those who know their jewels. “It’s a niche product; it’s not for everybody. It’s for people who know their style, and value the substance behind fine jewellery.”
Actor Naomi Ackie graced a recent cover of The Hollywood Reporter wearing a Hanut Singh ring. “That was really cool,” the designer says with a smile. “When you work hard to make something, you want someone talented and worthwhile to enjoy it.”
Earlier this year, actor Meryl Streep won the lifetime achievement award at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and “the only jewellery she wore were my earrings”. A career highlight, he says.
But the thing to note about Hanut Singh is his versatility. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Gen-Z actor Ananya Panday also made a special mention of a necklace she bought from the designer — “[It was] the first piece of jewellery that I ever bought myself,” she said.
Singh smiles. “That was sweet. I love seeing her wearing it all the time.” He adds, “The fun thing is that I’ve percolated down to the younger generation. It means that it’s working. At first, their mothers, aunts and grandmothers were buying [my designs], but now they want some for themselves.” As his clientele grows, he’s happy to share that his earliest patrons, including Shweta Bachchan, remain loyal supporters.
But despite the high demand, Singh still doesn’t accept custom orders. “I don’t play that game. I make things, and if [celebrities] like them, great; if they don’t, that’s fine too. I’m just not that kind of jeweller,” he explains.
A Story Behind Every Stone
Despite his expanding reach, Singh designs each piece himself. “It’s the only way I know how. I can’t tell 10 people to parlay my idea into 15 different interpretations,” he states. The prolific designer also expresses gratitude for the karigars (craftspeople) who translate his dreams into reality. He says, “They’re master craftsmen who have worked for international houses for generations. I’ve also been doing a section of my work abroad.” He chases quality, adding that “each piece has a story and my full intention in it”.
For instance, his earrings titled “Shake Your Pom Poms” — a triple-decker pair adorned with tassels — have the flow and movement that Singh is known for. “There’s something flirtatious, attractive and energetic about them.” He’s also inspired by the Eastern jewellery movement and philosophy — be it in jewels, art, furniture or food. “I love using black enamel because they use black lacquer wood,” he says, which in turn led to creations like his “Chinese Lantern” earrings.
Another defining quality of Singh’s work is his Persian and Mughal obsession. Pieces like “The Emperor’s Cap” and “Mughal Iris”, both earrings, are one of a kind. “The clothes, music, perfumes, tents, miniature paintings, embroideries, architecture and jaw-dropping carved stones of that time” all find their way into his pieces.
Singh is anything but predictable — even making jewellery out of beetle-wings. “[Fashion designer] Diane von Furstenberg wears hers every day like a signature piece!” Also omnipresent are talismanic elements. “Talismans are personal,” he explains. “I love the symbol of the all-seeing eye and the dagger, which is a motif of strength and protection everywhere, from Sikhism to Islam.” Spirituality “affects my work, the way I live, my home, the artefacts I collect, the temples, churches or mosques I visit, and also the books I read”.
His is a process so holistic, it leaves no room for following trends or finding muses. While he may be reminded of a friend while working on a piece, he’s never designed with anyone in mind.
What he does prioritise, however, is sustainability. “I get my quartz, rock crystals, tourmalines and aquamarines from a man in New York, who ethically mines them from Brazil. We believe the stones we buy are ethically sourced and intentionally work towards that.”
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Wearing His Art on His Sleeve
Much like his grandparents, Singh’s personal jewellery collection is nothing short of spectacular. “I always wear my astrological stones around my neck — rubies, emeralds, diamonds. I collect chunky gold bracelets from the ’20s and ’30s and make things for myself. If I ever buy jewellery, I’m only buying vintage from my travels,” he says.
An artist who works in several mediums, Singh has recently taken to painting and aims to translate it into upholstery. He’s also working on jewelled objects for the home. Along with six jewellery shows a year across the world, he’s got a lot on his plate right now.
“I’m always trying new things because I don’t like being complacent,” Singh says. That’s the secret to his success.
Inside Hanut Singh’s Chamber of Curiosities:
1. Rock Quartz and Crystal Collections: Beautiful, glamorous, energy-boosting crystals adorn his homes.
2. The Eye Motif: The designer collects objects featuring the “all-seeing”, “all-noticing”, “all-watching” motif.
3. Vintage Boxes: He’s inherited a number of beautiful boxes from his grandparents and great-grandparents.
4. One-Of-A-Kind Furniture: Interesting lamps, chairs and mirrors add character to every corner of his home.
5. Art That Inspires: A gouache drawing by [artist and designer] Erté and a 1980s Anjolie Ela Menon headshot are two of his stand-out pieces.
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