Patterns are inspired by myriad sources, from textiles and tiles, to architecture and ceramics. Alice is recognized for the detailed stories behind each piece; the Jodhpur Miniature Leaf Ring takes the clusters of leaves from a miniature painting and trails them around the body of the ring, the Meenakari Kimono Ring in Diamond explores the way in which Japanese textiles regularly capture the patterning inside a circle. The red line of meenakari around the stone that is a feature of this collection functions in the same way as the line of hinglu (or red pigment) around the traditional Rajasthani picchvai, portable shrines to Krishna, the Hindu God of Love; the red line represents a sacred space. It is a detail for which the Meenakari rings are best known. Miniature painters on gold, India’s meenakari masters are both artists and artisans, and Alice challenges us to remember the value in the continued practice of their extraordinary skill.

Meenakari involves engraving pattern in to the metal; in India, craftsmen prefer to work on 22 carat gold, the softness of the metal allowing for more detailed and expressive work, brought to life using rare enamels that have been passed down within families as heirlooms in their own right. More commonly applied to the reverse of jewels, where the precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds are privileged at the forefront, meenakari is also known as “the secret”, an intimate dialogue with the gem’s wearer. It’s a concept that inspires Alice’s passion for hidden detail that she carries across her whole body of work.