INTRODUCING ZIKURAT, A DESIGNER JEWELLERY BRAND CREATED TO EMPOWER WOMEN THROUGH UNIQUELY STUNNING PIECES DESIGNED BY AR. MELVYN J KANNY.
The award-winning architect, Ar. Melvyn J Kanny of MJ Kanny Architect, has found a fresh outlet for his artistry and creativity – jewellery design. Zikurat is a brainchild of that newfound passion, a refreshing innovative jewellery brand with unique geometric designs. Ar. Melvyn’s introduction to jewellery designing was actually somewhat accidental. On a trip to Kathmandu four years ago, the architect bought his wife a blue topaz stone and told her to get it set as a pendant. His wife responded, “Why don’t you design the pendant for me?”
Although he didn’t take the request seriously at first, he gave it a shot when his wife persisted. His initial thought was, “We architects are trained at design, how difficult could this be?” Plus, jewellery and architecture have quite a few similarities in their approach, which is why notable individuals such as Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry have designed jewellery too. But it turned out to be quite a challenge to take on. Still, the architect kept trying, motivated to prove his skills as a designer and make something beautiful for his wife. He bought books on jewellery design and even took an online course on jewellery. The more he learned, the more fascinated he became with this artform. “Six months later, the gemstone was still sitting on the shelf, and I had developed sketches on various designs which had nothing to do with the gemstone,” he recalls. “My wife finally gave up on me and had the stone set as a pendant by a local jeweller, much to my dismay.”
Yet, Ar. Melvyn was already hooked on designing jewellery. Taking advantage of the free time on his hands due to the pandemic, he continued to hone his craft. During this time, he saw a potential in the market for jewellery that didn’t carry the typical or commercialized run- of-the-mill designs. “I realized that women are becoming more discerning with what they wear and are becoming more sophisticated in their appearance and fashion sense,” Ar. Melvyn says. “I wanted to create jewellery that could empower women, make them feel and look more confident and beautiful.” This thinking led him to pledge 30% of Zikurat’s profits to women empowerment programmes such as CAMFED and Singapore’s Dress for Success branch.
Ar. Melvyn hopes for Zikurat jewellery to make a statement effortlessly and be worn proudly. This philosophy is how the tagline, “simplicity is the ultimate elegance,” came about. As an architect, Ar. Melvyn has always focused on elegant simplicities instead of the glamourous bling many jewellery brands partake in. This is why Ar. Melvyn turned to metals – mainly silver with gold highlights. But simplicity doesn’t mean ease. In fact, Ar. Melvyn learned that the simpler the jewellery looks, the more difficult it is to produce. The jewellers he approached initially rejected his ideas, saying most of the designs are impossible to make. “Some even laughed at my sketches and thought I was clueless,” he says. It’s true that silver are soft and malleable materials unlike the steel that the architect is accustomed to. But the architect persisted with his vision. After visiting numerous local and international jewellers, he finally found a local manufacturer of high-end jewellery who was willing to try. Through trial and error, they found a way to make it work, making Ar. Melvyn’s designs a reality.
Ar. Melvyn has redefined what jewellery can be like from an architect’s perspective. Architectural designs tend to have a streak of modernism, inspired by industrialist aesthetics and geometry. Ar. Melvyn’s approach is to simplify the designs so they are not cluttered with unnecessary embellishments. “Each piece has its own story to tell, its own philosophy of coming to be,” he says. “I don’t think making jewellery has changed my way of looking at art and design,” Ar. Melvyn concludes. “But perhaps it has piqued my interest to delve into it more as I need fuel for inspiration. My wife says I’m spending too much time looking at beautiful women and their jewellery, but I always remind her that it’s research!” This research will surely pay off and result in even more beautiful and inspiring jewellery pieces that can be best described as wearable architecture. Zikurat is most definitely a brand to keep watch of.
“IT IS OUR HOPE THAT OUR JEWELLERY CAN BE WORN WITH PRIDE WITHOUT TRYING TO SHOUT THAT YOU HAVE ARRIVED. IT REPRESENTS YOUR BELIEFS AND SOPHISTICATION AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR. SIMPLICITY IS THE ULTIMATE ELEGANCE.”
AR MELVYN KANNY,
Founder of Zikurat Jewellery and MJ Kanny Architect
For more information please visit www.zikuratjewellery.com
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