About Megha
There is nothing I love more than celebrating your individuality with my sustainably handcrafted, Indian inspired, bead embroidered bespoke bridal, wedding and occasion jewellery for the perfect match to your outfit and, jewellery you can wear many different ways for many years beyond your special day!
Hello & Welcome!
This is me! Megha, the owner, founder, jewellery designer & maker (and countless other roles) behind Mayaani Jewellery! I named my business after my children and it is incredibly close to my heart. Why, stick around for a few minutes and you'll find out...
I have been making jewellery ever since my parents' ex-neighbour Jan introduced me (in one afternoon) to the fine art of making bead woven jewellery at the age of 16! I very quickly moved on from following patterns to creating my own designs, using techniques of my own innovation, bringing you incredibly unique, intuitively handmade signature pieces of jewellery you can only find here.
Through the years, I always struggled to find pieces of jewellery that were exactly right for me! The pieces I invested in came close but there was always something not quite right about them. Interestingly, I never (until recently) thought to make some for myself! I typically gifted my jewellery pieces to family and friends spending all of my pocket money on materials or gifts for them. When I found the odd piece of jewellery I did fall in love with, it was always beaded! And, I always felt incredibly confident and beautiful wearing it. Something I never experienced in clothing because I always felt fat in clothes and they never looked how I imagined they would on me.
I have fond memories of looking through my mum's real gold and silver jewellery collection as a child but, the stress and pressure of having to make sure it was never lost (on the rare occasion I got to wear some) perhaps led to me being much less interested in jewellery traditionally considered luxurious. That, and something about the stiffness and cold nature of solid metal jewellery has never appealed to me.
Growing up as the eldest child in a South Asian Gujarati household, with a traditional father and a less traditional (but working to be more traditional) mother, my natural born pursuit of the arts was never considered meaningful enough to become a profession. I focussed on my 'secondary career' as I was advised to. Set a 'good' example for my siblings and... found myself becoming very much a shell of myself.
It was when I left home, in pursuit of this 'secondary career', I went through a series of life changing moments (including a near nervous breakdown) which led me back to myself. All of which led me, to finally following my heart (starting this business originally named Tayaani Jewellery) and doing something just for me. I stopped making excuses, experienced my eureka moment (discovering my signature style of jewellery making) and started actively turning what started as a dream into a reality!
Photo: Me, Megha Mundandishe. The everything and everyone behind Mayaani Jewellery! I am Mayaani Jewellery & Mayaani Jewellery is me!
Photo credits: Megha, Mayaani Jewellery
I believe there is nothing more beautiful than embracing who you are, your strengths and your flaws!
Creating thoughtfully designed and intricately handcrafted pieces of timeless jewellery, is my way of celebrating all of you beautiful and inspiring individuals out there! There is nothing I love more than helping you to realise your styling wishes (which you may never even have known existed when it comes to Indian jewellery) and creating a way for you to be more connected to the strong, confident, empowered side of yourself as often as you wish! The side of yourself which shines brightest on the biggest days of your life!
Why the emphasis on bridal & occasion jewellery you can wear again? Having chosen a very stereotypical, high street Indian art jewellery set for my own wedding day, I never fully appreciated how much I would want to be able to wear this jewellery again especially, through moments in my life when I felt most disconnected with the strong, confident, beautiful and empowered woman within me (e.g. early life with a new-born, recognising and facing toxic relationships, huge career path changes, loss of self-worth, etc). For me my bridal jewellery was very much an afterthought! Can I wear it again? No! It is heavy, uncomfortable and clunky!
Photo: Me modelling the Aishwarya bridal necklace and growing in confidence as I do it
Photo credits: Megha, Mayaani Jewellery
At Mayaani Jewellery, I am working hard to change all of that so that brides (South Asian or otherwise) can enjoy wearing their bridal jewellery for many years to come. And not only that! I want women to realise how empowering it is to wear a piece of jewellery, which has been specifically designed for you, every day of your life, as often as you like!
I lovingly hand select all of the materials I use to create your works of wearable art, creatively designing ways for you to wear your wedding and occasion jewellery as often as you like. They should be for more than just one occasion. They should not bind you to wearing them only at another special occasion (because how many of those come around and can we really sit around waiting for them?). High quality upcycled elements feature in a number of my online boutique pieces and can feature in your bespoke designs. Simply supply the materials you wish to incorporate within your design and receive: 15% off for the supply of materials and a further 15% off for incorporating your materials into your bespoke design.
Finally, with the personal journey I have been on over the past five years, sustainability has become an incredibly important part of Mayaani Jewellery. I have found a number of ways to bring you luxury with sustainability:
Photo: My Mehndi event at my mum's house
Photo Credits: Megha, Mayaani Jewellery
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Working with humble materials (beads, high quality cotton thread and high quality jewellery wire) sourced responsibly
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Creating designs which give you multiple options for wear. Imagine a headpiece that can become a necklace or an Indian hand bracelet which becomes a separate wearable ring and bracelet! Now stop imagining because I have them for you! Less really is more!
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Incorporating high quality upcycled materials in many of my ready to ship online boutique jewellery designs
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Repurposing every single bit of scrap material that comes out of the jewellery making process to give you a little something extra with every order over £100.00
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Responsibly recycling the less than 5% recyclable waste (cardboard & paper) that comes out of my business
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Reusing packaging materials I receive with my supplies to prevent them from ending up in landfill sites and the unnecessary purchase of new materials to lower my carbon footprint
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Packaging all of your orders using high quality eco-conscious materials
Jewellery really is a beautiful form of self-expression and should be as unique as the individual who is wearing it. It is a self-affirming, uplifting celebration of individuality, style and personality which is why, nothing brings me greater joy than working directly with my clients bringing them, a high end experience designing jewellery pieces perfectly reflective of them. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch today for your free optional 30 minute video consultation and free no obligation quotation!
Because your jewellery should always be more than just an afterthought...
And with Mayaani Jewellery, it always is!
Megha
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BUT..
Photo: My wedding day, we opted for a civil ceremony!
Photo Credits: Megha, Mayaani Jewellery
By Megha