As cofounders, our purpose is rooted in well crafted jewelry with longevity in mind. The entropy of the universe eats at everything worth building - nothing lasts forever. To embrace that natural force, we choose materials that will age beautifully and uniquely over the course of your life. Our designs draw inspiration from an overlooked aspect of nature in jewelry - necessity of survival. The bone structure of a cactus or beak of a bird can tell an often messy story of adaptation and survival. We encourage daily wear, believing that jewelry should be an integral part of life's moments, a mainstay during your evolution.
Leela wore the same pieces of jewelry her whole life. Every night my grandmother would “hide” me under her summery printed chiffon saree and keep putting back the veil over my head using her arm that had these delicate dark green glass bangles, making this beautiful uneven and rushed tinkling sound. While I only recently materialized these thoughts, it always moved me how jewelry can represent romantic and familial love, represent womanhood, represent power, and represent me.
PraccHi Bellad grew up in Hubli, Karnataka before attending boarding school in the UK, and eventually studied painting at Rhode Island School of Design. She worked as a chef at Blue Hill, but always had a passion for jewelry design. With the encouragment of close friends, she and her silent partner started a project that turned into leela new york.