Rhea Poddar Loyalka treats jewellery not as embellishment, but as authorship… where every gemstone carries intention, memory, and meaning. As Creative Director, Deshya, her work exists at the intersection of modernity… where gemstones are not merely set but listened to.

Raised within the sparkling world of Ma Passion, her family’s revered gemstone house, Rhea’s childhood unfolded among master craftsmen, exhibition halls, and conversations steeped in colour and cut. Long before luxury entered the vocabulary, gemstones became instinct…. names learned without effort, brilliance absorbed as atmosphere rather than spectacle.

Yet it was distance that sharpened intimacy. Formal training at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad revealed the true scale of the global gemstone industry… its science, its ethics, its rarefied hierarchies. More importantly, it reframed Rhea’s inheritance as intention. Surrounded by passionate collectors, and jewellers from across continents, she recognised that her fascination with coloured gemstones… particularly those that defy convention… was not niche, but necessary. In an industry still dominated by the predictable, rarity itself became her language.

That language now defines Deshya. The brand’s universe is populated by stones that feel almost mythical: druzy agates with crystalline depth, Japanese coral shaped by ocean time, tanzanites and Indonesian pearls whose hues appear nearly unreal. Rhea resists the traditional hierarchy of the “big four,” choosing instead stones whose scarcity is geological, whose beauty is accidental, whose existence is bound to a single geography. Each piece begins not with a sketch, but with the gemstone itself… its form dictating the design, its presence setting the mood. Design, here, is an act of restraint.

Navigating a legacy-driven industry as a young creative director demands both discipline and daring. Rhea is deeply involved in every layer of Deshya… from design and sourcing to strategy and structure… learning to balance artistic instinct with the pragmatics of building a contemporary luxury house. Ethical sourcing is not a footnote but a foundation: raw stones are acquired through vetted trade platforms and long-standing relationships with miners whose practices are rooted in transparency and trust. In her world, provenance matters as much as polish.

For Rhea Poddar Loyalka, gemstones are living archives… formed over millennia, bearing the memory of land, light, and transformation. Here in an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, Founder & Editor-in-chief, TheGlitz, Rhea Poddar Loyalka, Creative Director, Deshya, speaks about how she reframes jewellery as something deeply personal yet universally resonant: a reminder that true luxury lies not in sameness, but in singularity.

Over To Rhea Poddar Loyalka

You grew up surrounded by master craftsmen and gemstone experts at Ma Passion. How did those early, almost immersive experiences shape your emotional connection with gemstones and influence the way you see jewelry today?

The influences from my childhood were mostly subconscious. Just by listening to my parents and visiting their exhibitions, I knew the names of around 40 coloured gemstones at a young age. After growing up and travelling, I realized the true significance of gemstones and Indian craftsmanship.

Studying at the GIA truly made me appreciate our Indian kaarigars and the skill it requires to carve and cut rare gemstones. Because of my childhood experiences and exposure to the international gem markets, I am convinced that the jewellery and gem industry is an extremely rewarding and beautiful industry to be a part of.

Your formal training at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Carlsbad, is considered the gold standard in gemology. How did this academic grounding change your perspective from inheriting a legacy to building a contemporary luxury brand like Deshya?

My training at the GIA gave me confidence more than anything else. For the first time, I truly understood the magnitude of the gemstone industry, and that helped me position our legacy brand in the global art and gem market. Learning about the complexity of the industry made my conviction to start a contemporary luxury jewellery brand even stronger.

I knew that my passion for coloured gemstones and carvings was matched with true uniqueness and rarity from nature. Lastly, I was exposed to a large network of wonderful industry leaders at GIA, who were equally passionate and helpful. Conversing with entrepreneurs in the industry, from miners to jewellers, showed me that the industry was an ideal fit for me.

Deshya is known for working with rare and offbeat gemstones such as Druzy Agates, Japanese Coral, Tanzanites, and Indonesian Pearls. What draws you to these unconventional stones, and how do you decide which gemstone becomes part of your creative palette?

I am passionate and in awe of exotic and unique gemstones, and I wish to educate a larger audience on the exquisiteness of such stones. The big four: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires; are largely considered precious because of their historical significance. Red, green, and blue have been noteworthy colours forever. However, in terms of true rarity, gemstones such as druzy agates, alexandrites, paraiba tourmalines, cobalt blue spinels, padparascha sapphires, and black opals stand out.

Many of these stones are only found in one part of the world and thus have limited supply. Their colours are extremely unique and almost appear unnatural. They are the true precious gems and deserve to be high-quality collectibles. I let the gemstones dictate my designs. The rarer they are, the more I wish to use them in my collections.

Launching a luxury gemstone brand comes with its own set of challenges. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced while establishing Deshya, and how did you navigate them as a young creative director in a legacy-driven industry?

I am involved in all aspects of building the brand Deshya. While the design process demands focus and creativity, the administrative and strategic aspects of brand building are time-consuming and demanding. Balancing the two was challenging, but I learnt a lot through the process. Time management was a big learning, and learning to delegate was another.

As a brand owner, it is difficult to let others manage aspects of your brand; it is a hard truth that you cannot do it all alone. Legacy brands were also new once upon a time, and my vision is to be relevant for many decades to come. Managing a brand is a learning process on a daily basis, but I consider myself lucky because the path is always paved with exquisite, coloured gemstones.

Ethical and sustainable mining is a core pillar of Deshya. In an industry often scrutinized for its sourcing practices, how important is responsible mining to you, and how does Deshya ensure transparency and sustainability?

We buy our raw materials from trade shows that are vetted for quality and sustainability. Our rough stones are sourced directly from the miners. We know them personally, and many of them are legacy businesses that have been practicing ethical mining for generations. A large part of this industry works on transparency and trust, and I hope that we can communicate the same to our clients.

Every designer remembers their defining moment. Was there a particular milestone – be it a collection, a client reaction, or a design breakthroug that made you feel, “This is exactly what Deshya stands for”?

I think for me it was during the launch of the brand. It was extremely rewarding to see people’s appreciation for the collection. When people came and told me that the collection is unique and that they loved the use of colour in the designs, all the hard work was completely worth it. The brand launch was a fashion show event, and seeing the models adorning the pieces was a truly surreal and emotional moment.

Jewellery today is as much about personal expression as it is about luxury. How do you envision the modern Deshya woman, and what emotions or stories do you hope your creations evoke when she wears them?

The modern Deshya woman is fiercely independent. I envision her making her own choices and choosing art and beauty above everything else. Just like every gemstone has its own story – of its origin and formation; every woman has her own story. I hope to see the Deshya woman identifying her story with the stories of the creations she wears. When she wears a Deshya creation, it is my wish that she feels confident in her own skin. The piece of jewellery should remind her that the possibilities for her life are boundless.

Finally, jewellery is deeply personal, just like inspiration. Is there a quote, philosophy, or line that best captures your approach to life, creativity, and the world of gemstones?

There’s a poem called Where I Come From that begins, “People are made of places.” Just like people carry with them memories and stories that make them who they are, so do gemstones. Each stone is born of the earth; shaped over millennia by fire, pressure, and time. It carries within it the essence of its origin: its land, its light, its stillness. Each gemstone reminds me that everyone is unique and beautiful in their own way. They all have their own stories that deserve to be told. Through Deshya, I hope for people to be reminded of their own uniqueness and to recognize another’s.