In a world where opulence often screams for attention, few names speak with as much quiet power as Poonam Soni. The celebrated jewellery designer, known for her flawless craftsmanship and exclusive creations, has perfected the art of subtle luxury. With an unwavering commitment to quality, Poonam’s work is as unique as the precious stones she so delicately shapes, transforming them into pieces that transcend trends and time.

Poonam has always believed that true luxury is not about excess but about creating something that whispers elegance. “Luxury is a whisper,” she says, an ethos that hums through every piece she brings to life.

Her journey into the world of high jewellery was never about competing for space in an overcrowded market or following fleeting trends. Poonam has never sought external validation or the pressure of investors, she’s built her empire on her own terms.

What sets Poonam apart is her relentless quest for the extraordinary. In an age where mass-produced designs flood the market, Poonam’s pieces are far from cookie-cutter. Each is a bespoke work of art – handcrafted with the finest materials, an eye for exquisite detail, and a passion for rarity. Catering only to those who appreciate true exclusivity, her clientele includes India’s most influential families, who seek her creations for milestone events – weddings, in particular, where her jewellery becomes the very symbol of grandeur.

But success for Poonam isn’t about numbers or quick growth. It’s about the enduring relationships she’s built with her clients – many of whom have trusted her with their family’s jewellery collections for over three decades. Her business philosophy isn’t about catching up with trends or scaling quickly, its about following her heart and setting new styles creating a legacy .

Poonam Soni’s legacy is more than just the pieces she creates – it’s the quiet revolution she’s led in redefining what luxury means. In a world where noise and excess often reign supreme, Poonam stands as a serene, elegant force. She is not just a designer; she’s a symbol of sophistication, of grace, and of a vision of “whispered luxury” that will continue to inspire for generations.

Here, the iconic Poonam Soni talks exclusively to Sumita Chakraborty, Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, about her journey in redefining luxury, the challenges she faced in the jewellery industry, and how her quiet revolution continues to shape the future of design, elegance, and whispered luxury.

Over To TheGlitz 2025 Catalyst & Game Changer – Poonam Soni

Your journey as a jewellery designer began in 1989. Looking back, what were the defining moments that shaped your brand and identity in the world of bespoke jewellery?

Poonam Soni: My journey in jewellery started in 1989, with just a conviction. I am a connoisseur of all good things and have a natural  eye for beauty, and also a collector of anything that is special whether it’s handcrafted stoles, beautiful outfits or unique artifacts. In fact on my travels, I’ve collected artifacts from all over the world that adorn my house and store. This later reflected in my jewellery, which had global influences, exquisite, artisanship, and a history.
Before starting jewellery, I dabbled in antiques, designing outfits and even traded in industrial fabrics. I guess I am a unique mix of aesthetics and business acumen. Being a November born, and a restless sign, I always needed to dabble on multiple projects.
I am also a part of a rich family legacy which had a lot to do with this. My maternal grandfather was into politics as a Deputy Secretary to the Home Minister and the Finance Minister for almost two decades. Extremely righteous, he instilled a lot of values into the family. I also come from a very strong academic background with my mom as the first graduate in a family of five PhD holders. I became the first gold medalist in the family, receiving the award from the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and the PM was Indira Gandhi. I had topped the entire Delhi University.
I was also exposed to the latest trends and styles through my mother and my grandmother who were very stylish, true fashionistas! My grandmother’s passion for good fabrics made her a collector of the most exquisite chiffon sarees made in France. My mother entertained a lot, giving the most popular parties and hand cooking some of the most amazing cookies and cakes.
My army background came from my father, a very good-looking man who fell in love with my mother, and they had a love marriage. This was the mix that later shaped the brand ‘Poonam Soni’.

What were some of the challenges and defining moments in your journey as the first jewellery designer in India, and how did your instincts and unique approach help you succeed?

Poonam Soni: When I started jewellery in June 1989, I entered a very closed industry, where only hierarchy worked, and help and advice for a newcomer was not forthcoming. The concept of making jewellery as a negotiation for the value of a woman was not acceptable to me, so I started making pieces which were singularly priced as works of art even though the value was divulged to the client in their billings.

Jewellery in those days was an asset and multiple pieces of the same design were made in my own house itself. My grandmom had seven children, and all seven were given identical Pheroza sets which were beautiful, but had no identity or exclusivity, or the kind of feeling that it’s ‘my piece’.
I wanted jewellery to be exclusive, a luxury and one that compliments a woman, offsets her persona… and this ideology was the basis of the brand ‘Poonam Soni’. Therefore, my pieces are unique, comfortable, one-of-a-kind and not easily available to all because manufacturing is very difficult as it’s completely hand-crafted. We are particular on the design quality and the design, and source materials from all over the world, sometimes even getting them specially hand-cut. There is no concept of mass production in my pieces.

So without realizing by just walking the path of what I liked and what I would like to wear, I created a luxury brand making the pieces very aspirational for my customer. For me, luxury is something you have to live and feel, and it must give you joy.

You translated the iconic Sistine Chapel into your jewellery. What do you think was the most challenging part of translating the intricate motifs and artistry from the Sistine Chapel into jewellery, and how did you ensure that the essence of those designs remained intact in your collection?
Poonam Soni: On one of my trips when I went to the Sistine Chapel in Italy and saw the paintings on the walls of the chapel, it became an inspiration for my very first runaway hit collection called “The Greek and Egyptian” in 1989. It featured in Femina Magazine as a full story, my first article!  I was so blown by the motifs and paintings on the walls of the chapel that I wanted to re-create those in gold for which I needed the perfect craftsman who could carve this out of metal. So I walked the roads of Zaveri Bazar, and through my passion, found my craftsman who created an amazing legacy for me, and I still have those exquisite masters, so I was able to live  my dream. Every piece crafted in these 36 years has been done with love, passion, exclusivity, and a feeling of luxury.

What motivated you to take such bold risks in using unconventional materials and stones in your fine jewellery, and how did your early experiences with private showings and celebrity endorsements help shape your brand’s identity in the global market?

Poonam Soni: As I mentioned earlier, I had mixed influences in my life, and my inclination was towards fashion and aesthetics. Jewellery was the perfect field for me, but I did use the legacy I inherited with a combination of business sense, aesthetics, and righteousness.
Having entered the very closed field of Jewellery, I followed my heart rather than the set patterns of the industry.  I pioneered designer jewellery as I had no example or a set path in front of me that I could follow.  So I had to open my own doors and I did that with my gut instinct. My sense of style was always appreciated and I remember getting orders from friends and family for the kind of clothes or jewellery I wore. In fact, I even had an exhibition with a friend of mine in the popular Aakar Art gallery in south Mumbai where my guests were Dimple Kapadia and Sattee Shouree.
Using my natural instinct for design and business, I created my unique path and without planning , became a trailblazer. I even took risks and used unusual kind of material and stones in fine jewellery which were unheard of. I would showcase these in private showings all over the world .
In fact, I started my global journey very early in my career and had shows all over Europe and that is when I got an offer from Harrods, which I didn’t take because it was too early in my career and I lacked the infrastructure. I also started the concept of celebrity endorsements and my Bombay store was launched by Juhi Chawla and later I had a lot of film stars endorsing my jewellery.

What do you think were the key factors that helped you overcome the initial resistance in the jewellery industry, and how did you turn those challenges into opportunities for growth, not just for your business, but also for other women looking to enter the field?

Regarding my challenges in entering a new industry as I mentioned, the jewellery industry was a very closed one and did not entertain outsiders. I had to face major challenges to set up my business as an independent designer without any institutes or mentors guiding me so right from designing unique jewellery with unusual materials and having the customer accepting it, to marketing, the product was all a challenge. But it was exciting as I kept opening one door after another, and growing my business to become a pioneer to open the way for other women in this industry.

Can you tell us about some of the most innovative collections you’ve created in your career, and what inspired you to incorporate unique materials and motifs into your designs?

Poonam Soni: I introduced Jewellery in the form of collections. “Gaudi Revived” which got Spanish patronage was inspired by Park Guell in Barcelona. I did a series of art inspired jewelry with actual canvas paintings of artist Lakshman Shreshta called “monochromes”, and later Nawaz Modi, Singhania. I used unique materials like malachites, leather, shells at a time when Fine Jewellery used only gold and precious stones. My art-inspired collections became very popular and so did my style of vibrant fusion jewellery with statement aesthetics. I did heirloom collections in classic styles with ‘Temples Of India’ for wedding jewellery, and many more collections followed. My USP was mingling multi-coloured stones to make jewellery look like a singular piece of art.

You turned down an offer to design for Harrods in 1992, which is a bold decision. Can you share what motivated you to take that step?
Poonam Soni: Harrods, I turned down in 1992 because it was too early in my career… very premature for me to have thought of going global on such a large scale and I also lacked the infrastructure then.

You’ve built a successful business without relying on loans or investors. Can you share more about how you developed your unique business strategy or formula and how it helped you weather challenges like the pandemic?

Poonam Soni: My business formula has been self contrived and very different from what was the norm in the industry. I reinvested my profits into business and bought my own properties to open my stores. I refused investors very early in my career as I felt it would commercialise my business and I was clear that I wanted to build a niche industry of luxury.

You’ve had incredible global recognition, from Marc Jamet inviting you to the ‘Incredible India’ show to endorsements from Michael Kors and Prince Albert 2. Can you tell us more about these experiences and what they meant for your career?

Poonam Soni: Marc Jamet of the LVMH group invited me to showcase at the ‘Incredible India’ show in Paris at the Jardin de acclimation along with Dior. Another offer was from Prince Albert 2 of Monaco – his charity Eco Art invited me to represent India at a global tour and that is when I designed the falcon brooch which was auctioned in Abu Dhabi by Lord Mark Poltimore, director of Sothebys.
My US sojourn was a show at Carlyle supported by Michael Kors who went on to endorse my works.

You’ve built a brand that’s synonymous with exclusivity and craftsmanship, with a loyal clientele spanning decades. How have you managed to maintain that balance between creating limited, high-end pieces and keeping the brand aspirational while staying true to your passion for design?
Poonam Soni: My brand is coveted by women who love unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Post Covid, I introduced a high-end fashion collection of jewellery called ‘Animal Farm’ inspired by George Orwell’s novel and it was an instant runaway hit.

As was ‘Metamorphosis’ – a collection where I reinvent unused locker jewels into exquisite works of art.
Today, the brand is commissioned by elite families to design their entire collection of jewels and we boast of a loyal client who has stuck to the brand for three-and-a-half decades. We make limited edition pieces and are always overbooked – our clients love to flaunt a ‘Poonam Soni’ as the pieces are rare and exceptional with their materials and hand-craftsmanship .

Your message to aspiring jewellery designers…
Poonam Soni: “Own yourself and create your own path or you will be lost in a crowd.”