NEELAM LARA

Gemmologist, Jewelry designer, Art Enthusiast My Jewel Journey... 1996 onwards... It has been an incredible journey, designing jewelry for over 2 decades. I am a passionate and trained professional jewelry designer from GII,( Gemological Institute of India) with over 2 decades of industry knowledge and experience. I have had privilege to design fine and couture Jewelry for various companies and have participated in many International Jewelry shows. My love for precious metals and gemstones, my passion for designing, combined with my knowledge for manufacturing, has enabled me to create timeless, unique and innovative jewelry over the years. Working with customer preloved jewelry or Heirloom pieces and giving them a new life has been a significant part of my design journey. Having designed and manufactured jewelry for both the wholesale and retail sectors has given me and in depth understanding of various cultures and their jewelry prerequisites. My strength lies in designing multiple collections, each collection having its unique characteristics and wearability. Creating multifunctional Jewelry with removable and changeable aspects are prominent feature of my design. My expertise lie not only in design but also in manufacturing genuine gemstone jewelry in precious metals. My strengths include purchase of precious materials ,sale of finished jewelry and designing the creatives for Marketing. For showcasing my designs to my customers, whether individual or wholesale ,I prefer the digital medium. My designing is precise, well finished in colour and often resembles a photograph. I am a keen learner, my passion for Jewelry is reflected in my desire to add new skills and refresh my knowledge through various Jewelry programmes. Over the past 12 years in Singapore, I have enrolled in many programmes , such as CAD, Metal clay, Metalsmithing, Pearls at JDMIS always with the desire to learn more and keep abreast with the current Jewelry trends and standards. I have enjoyed working for both the retail and wholesale sectors of Jewelry for over 2 decades and have very recently launched my own brand called NEELAM LARA DESIGNS in Singapore. I am a Nature lover, and an Art enthusiast. . The bountiful Nature,, History and the architecture around has most often been the source of my inspirations , whether it be a painting, sketch, photography or jewelry. I am creative, ambitious and very passionate about my work. This beautiful Garden city Singapore has been home for past 12 years, prior to which I was in Kolkata and Mumbai in India.

My Art Journey..

Art has the power to transform, illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate. Paints charcoal pencils and brushes have been my treasure trove since childhood My art journey began when I was a little girl. At 11, I was extremely fortunate to represent my school La Martineire for girls, Kolkata in an All India Art competition to be held in New Delhi where 87 schools from the country participated and I stood First in the Spot painting competition. From that day my art journey became more meaningful and I dedicated more time towards different disciplines of art . Art became my major subject for my higher education. Having trained in Commercial Art, graphic design, photography, I went ahead to specialize and studied Gemology and Jewelry design. Even though I chose a career in Jewelry design and manufacturing, my passion for art continued. With changing times I adapted to the digital medium and painted both on paper and on the digital canvas. I often draw inspiration for my art from my travel journeys, nature, architecture and history. I am spellbound by the sheer beauty of Nature and it has most often been, the source of my inspirations. The dew on the petals, the setting Sun, the colors and the arrangement of seeds in a fruit… these intricacies and simplicities of everyday life fill me with limitless joy and I often express them through a sketch, a painting, a photograph or Jewelry. My art and jewel journey has been smooth and meaningful because of immense support from my family. For me, happiness and success is achieved by striking the right balance between my career and family commitment. I am a positive person and celebrate life’s little moments and joy. Art is therapy, Art is an affaire, Art is my true journey….

My various Art pathways

• Over the years I have participated in many art and jewelry design competitions organized in various countries and have been fortunate to win a few. Time and again I have used art as a medium to express my pain, happiness, gratitude, joy and love. • I enjoy painting, I am an art enthusiast, an entrepreneur and a curator of home décor and apparels, a company which I launched a few years ago as Artisan Affaire. • My passion for art enabled me to train in museum guiding and I became a volunteer docent at The Singapore Art Museum. It was an incredible experience that enriched my art journey. • With over 2 decades of Jewelry knowledge, experience and skills I feel its time to share my insights through jewelry education. Recently I trained as an instructor and am now teaching jewelry design at the Jewellery Design and Management International school of Singapore.