When Gaayathri and Jennie met in Brunei through their children, jewelry wasn't part of the plan. But over dinners and long discussions about what they wanted to build, an idea gradually emerged: jewelry for a woman who had already arrived, not one who was still performing.
That idea became Nyllaa. Drawing on handcrafted production in India, carefully sourced gemstones, and a bold, sculptural design language, the brand creates pieces that feel distinctive without being excessive. Many are one of a kind, shaped as much by the character of the stone as by the hands that set it. The result is statement jewelry with a sense of ease—pieces chosen not to impress others, but because they feel unmistakably like your own.
eBelow, the Nyllaa co-founders take us behind the brand.
How did the founders meet, and at what point did a friendship become a jewelry brand?
We met in Brunei but our children were friends at school, and what started as school-gate conversations grew into dinners, deeper talks, and a shared restlessness to build something of their own. We brainstormed many ideas before jewelry emerged as the one that felt undeniably right. Nyllaa wasn't a business plan, it was a natural conclusion to two women who trusted each other enough to begin.
What drew you to jewelry in particular?
For Gaayathri, jewelry has been a pursuit she has understood deeply since 2016. What drew us both to it is that jewelry is the most personal of all creative mediums — it lives on the body, marks moments, and gets passed down. We knew we had access to something genuinely distinctive — in the craft, the stones, and the intent behind each piece — and that felt worth pursuing seriously.
What did you want Nyllaa to bring into the world that you weren't seeing elsewhere?
Jewelry that was made for a woman who has already arrived, not one who is still performing. Most of what we saw in the market was either too young, too loud, or too cold. There was very little made for the woman in her 30s, 40s, and 50s who wants something sculptural, meaningful, and refined without being inaccessible. That space felt empty. Nyllaa exists to fill it.
Walk us through your design process for your pieces.
We work in close collaboration with an artisan who has spent a lifetime in this craft. Someone whose hands know jewelry the way we know our own instincts. The process begins with a feeling, such as a woman, a mood, a moment we want to capture. From there we explore stone combinations, how colours and energies interact, and how a piece will sit against skin. Our artisan brings that vision into form, and we refine together until the piece feels right, not just visually, but also in weight, wearability, and intention. Nothing leaves Nyllaa until it feels like it belongs to someone.
Tell us more about your artisans and producers.
Our pieces are handcrafted in India, home to some of the world's finest jewelry artisans — craftspeople whose skill has been passed through generations. We work with makers who understand that jewelry is not just an object but a carrier of meaning. That shared understanding is what makes the collaboration work. Every finish, every setting, every curve reflects hands that care deeply about what they are making.
Please choose two pieces in Dia's curation and tell us what's special about each.
This is your everyday anchor. The green onyx grounds, and there is something deeply rooted about its depth of color and quiet stillness. Set in 18K gold-plated brass, it carries you from the grocery run to the boardroom without asking anything of you. It simply belongs, wherever you go.
This is the one you save for the moments that deserve it: a function, a celebration, an evening where you want to walk in and be noticed without trying. Layered with freshwater pearl, cubic zirconia, and pink glass crystals in 22K gold-plated brass, it is soft without being delicate, feminine without being predictable. It surprises you every time you put it on.
How would you describe Nyllaa's design language?
Bold, sculptural, and unapologetically statement. Nyllaa pieces are not meant to sit quietly, they are meant to be felt. What makes them distinctive is that despite their presence, they never feel heavy or excessive. They are statement jewellery with soul, designed to express who you are, not what you think others want to see.
What has surprised you most since starting Nyllaa?
That every piece seems to find its person. We didn't expect that but it happens consistently. Someone picks up a piece and something shifts. They just know it is theirs. It is as though each piece was waiting for the right woman to claim it. That has been the most unexpected and quietly wonderful part of building Nyllaa.
When someone encounters Nyllaa for the first time, what do you hope they notice?
The boldness first and then the surprise of how light it feels in their hand. Many of our pieces look like they should be heavy, and the moment someone picks one up, something changes in their expression. That is the Nyllaa moment. And sometimes it is the piece that pushes her slightly outside her comfort zone — the one she almost puts back — that ends up being the one she can't leave without.
What would you like Nyllaa to be known for five years from now?
As the brand that understood her — the woman who had outgrown fast fashion and hollow luxury, and was looking for something that moved with her. We want Nyllaa to be the name she reaches for when a moment deserves to be marked. A brand with a legacy, built quietly, one piece at a time.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
