By Isabelle Kellogg in New York
Within a one-mile radius of the train station in Greenwich, Connecticut - arguably one of the Northeast of America's wealthiest suburbs - there are more than a dozen fine jewellery stores. Only New York's Madison Avenue rivals in density the number of prestigious jewellery stores that occupy Greenwich Avenue. Both streets are world renowned for the mega-carat gems they sell, but only a few jewellers are bold enough to be different. Sorab & Roshi is one of them. The daring and scuptural jewellery on display is emblematic of the cult following this store has garnered in just three decades in business.
From the moment Sorab & Roshi opened their long-awaited haute couture jewellery boutique in 2011 in Greenwich, word got around about the distinctive and creative ways in which Sorab Bouzarjomehni deals with the precious gems, metals and other unique elements of nature that become his "jewels".
Engaging and charming, this Iranian husband-and-wife team started out in 1988, catering to the needs and desires of private clients around the world with an appetite and appreciation for their imaginative high jewellery. In 2003, they opened their first boutique in Cross River, NY. At the same time, Sorab placed a collection of his jewellery at Charlotte Moss' Townhouse off Madison Avenue, which catered to the well-heeled clientele in Manhattan's Upper East Side.
If creativity is what you seek, this is where you come to purchase a one-of-a-kind statement piece - or have one commissioned. Sorab's mission is to create life and movement in each jewel. He uses colour and light to balance the relationship between the different gemstones and other natural elements, giving his unorthodox jewellery a life and personality of its own.
Previously a civil and industrial engineer, Sorab gained experience at jewellers including Monarch, Trianon and Seaman Schepps before he opened the boutique in Cross River. Making brooches - of butterflies, fish and dragonflies, for example - present specific challenges that test Sorab's jewellery making skills. When you look at the pin, his designs ensure that, from the front, the least amount of metal work as possible is visible.
"What sets us apart is the fact that Sorab makes every piece," says Roshi Ameri, who manages the business side of the brand. "If he can't find just the right stone, he cuts it and carves it himself." A world of whimsy is how they like to describe the inspiration for their creations, and what a magical world it is.
