Growing up, I had a jewellery stand that my father made for me. It was nothing fancy - it was a bamboo stick from our yard with small branches jutting out that he had cut up exactly to fit into my tiny cupboard. Decades later, I still think of that handcrafted wooden piece more than the fancy possessions I have had in the years since. That’s the beauty of nature - sometimes, the organically occurring beauty of it and how it was adapted to suit our needs can make machine-made pieces pale in comparison. 

While I have a deep appreciation for art of all kinds, there is something truly mesmerising about found art that has long held a grip on me. The fact that something that was not meant to be a piece of art finding renewed purpose is downright poetic in my books. 

When the brand Neti Neti was shared with me by our editor, I was blown away instantly by the use of driftwood and ebony wood. In the world of jewellery design, finding inspiration in the elements of nature is not unusual, but using these materials as the main medium certainly sets a designer apart. Sonika G Bansal, the inspired creative behind the label Neti Neti, has taken this unique approach, crafting pieces that go beyond traditional aesthetics. Through her designs, the raw beauty of these organic materials comes to life, creating a collection that is both environmentally conscious and profoundly personal.

For Sonika, this journey started with a sense of longing. “From a young age, I was captivated by collecting unique jewellery from around the world, yet often found myself longing for pieces that resonated with my own style but were either unavailable or unaffordable,” she shared with us at Homegrown. Her desire to do something more pushed her toward creating jewellery that tells a story - which got her started on a journey that evolved into working with natural elements, specifically wood.

Sonika first found herself drawn to the dark elegance of ebony wood. “Ebony’s rich, natural black colour felt both organic and bold—qualities I wanted to bring into my designs,” she explained. Moreover, the challenge of transforming such material into wearable art fascinated her. Eventually, her connection to nature led her to experiment with driftwood. Its weathered texture and unique form became central to her work, allowing her to create pieces that merged nature and design, breaking away from the traditional use of metals and stones.

At the heart of Neti Neti lies the brand’s namesake philosophy. Taken from an ancient Sanskrit phrase meaning "not this, not that," it symbolises a journey of self-discovery, an exploration of what lies beyond the superficial. "Neti Neti is a reminder that the creative process is about evolving and discovering what lies beyond the surface," says Sonika. This ethos is not only reflected in the brand’s materials but also in the designs, which challenge the boundaries of conventional jewellery-making.

Neti Neti's latest collection, Yemaya, embodies this spirit of exploration and transformation. Inspired by the goddess of the sea, Yemaya, this collection is an homage to the ocean’s vibrant energy. "The collection transforms fashion into a medium for storytelling," Sonika notes, "where each piece of driftwood and silver jewellery tells the tale of Yemaya’s strength and beauty." With the addition of semi-precious stones in hues of blue, neon yellow, and white, the collection echoes the colours of the sea and the spirit of Yemaya herself. Each design in the recently launched Yemaya collection reflects the ocean’s fluidity, with driftwood shaping the foundation and gemstones bringing in the sparkle of the sea. As Sonika puts it, “Neti Neti and  nature go hand in hand; without Neti, I can't truly appreciate nature, and without nature, I don't fully understand Neti Neti.” 

Through her work, Sonika continues to push the boundaries of what jewellery can be, blending her deep love for nature, with her appreciation for art and philosophy into every piece from Neti Neti.

Follow Neti Neti here.

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