Take a scroll through jeweller Hanut Singh’s Instagram page, and you will find a window to his mind, life and work — pictures of his garden in the hills here, his favourite books and inspirational quotes there; alongside self-shot images of his jewellery. What you won’t find, are collaborations with influencers, Reels to trending music or over-the-top campaigns. A rarity in this digital age. And it’s not because Singh is trying to prove a point about going against the algorithm. He just doesn’t resonate with it.

For 20 years, his eponymous jewellery brand has caught the fancy of aesthetes around the globe strictly on the merit of his authenticity —both in his design philosophy, and how he shares it with the world. “You’re either drawn to my work or not. Women who wear my jewellery are those who really understand and appreciate it,” he tells us during a telephonic conversation. “I’ve never courted any celebrity to wear my pieces either.” Yet the roll call of his A-list patrons includes everyone from Beyoncé, Madonna, Cher, Kate Winslet, Katy Perry and Rihanna to Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor and Shweta Bachchan.

Ask Singh what truly makes his work precious, and it’s not just the painstakingly sourced gems and diamonds that he’ll point towards. It is the intention with which he makes them, he believes, that gives it their inimitable flair. “I put so much of my effort, prayers, wants, wishes and good thoughts into them. I hope they bring a differentiating energy to my designs.”