Chicory Chai is a jewelry design studio, with focus on Bespoke Design & Conservation of Antique Jewelry. It is an unfettered individualistic expression of traditional savoir-faire, born out of conscious creative choices that put emotions over reason.

 

Each creation of Chicory Chai is 98% handcrafted in our studio-workshop, one piece at a time. Each piece of jewelry passes many artisanal hands from being a simple sheet of metal to being a carefully crafted wearable art. This footprint of numerous handcrafted processes gives it an array of unique aesthetics. If you notice the raw edges, marks, solders and dents - treasure them; they are our signature. We refuse to call these ‘imperfections’, especially as we question the general norms of beauty.

 

Chicory Chai jewelry is created with the aid of traditional hand tools. The core of our creations is the skilled artisans with whom we collaborate regularly. These craftsmen specialise in particular techniques likes repoussé and chasing, enamelling, stone cutting, etc.; skills that take 3 to 5 years to master. They remain the backbone of all things Chicory Chai and torchbearers of an irreplaceable heritage. 

 

The nostalgia that pervades in our jewellery is an outcome of a romantic enquiry we often make into the basic nature of material, maker and the influence of time. A Chicory Chai piece never has a perfect moment; nor is it ever permanent or complete. It is on a continuous journey from dreamer to creator to owner as it evolves over time. We strongly believe that our jewellery is an outcome of a very fine collaboration – as much of the makers as of the wearers. The craftsman brings to life the designs created on paper and leaves his mark, while the wearer completes it. It’s a dialogue of mutual regard for individual contribution while guarding each one’s space.

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Therefore, every design is made-to-order only. We do not keep anything in stock or do e-commerce.

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about founder

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Chicory Chai was founded by Himani Mantri Grover in 2013. A graduate of NIFT - India with a Master’s degree from Creative Academy, Milan, she worked under the mentorship of Mr. Giampiero Bodino, Creative Director: Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, Geneva. She has been associated with international names like Cartier, Ralph Lauren, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget & Mont Blanc as well as UNDP, FICCI and MMTC, India, in the past, before she founded Chicory Chai.

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With over 15 years of industry experience, Himani is passionate about history and fiercely guards age-old practices of gastronomy and food cultivation on her ancestral land in southern Maharashtra. She's a certified Permaculturist and is associated with farming clusters that focus on regenerative agriculture. She's currently based in Gurgaon.