“While children my age were drawing trees, flowers and birds, I found myself sketching earrings, necklaces and pendants.
Childhood dreams often revolve around becoming doctors, engineers or astronauts. Mine revolved around gemstones. Long before I understood gemmology, I was fascinated by the artistry, craftsmanship and science behind jewellery, always wondering what gave each stone its brilliance and what made every piece one of a kind.
My father recognised this curiosity early on. One day he took me to a seminar led by a renowned geologist, and from the moment it began, I was completely captivated. I asked endless questions and wanted to understand every concept being discussed.
That single event changed the direction of my life. My father realised this was more than a hobby. It was a calling. He encouraged me to pursue gemmology.
Determined to learn from the best, I travelled to the US in the early 90s to study at the Gemmological Institute of America. At a time when very few young women were sent abroad for higher education, my father had the courage to send me across the world because he believed education had no boundaries. I went on to earn my Graduate Diamonds qualification from GIA, becoming one of the first in South India to receive this credential.
Looking back, that remains one of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me.
The moment I returned home, I knew I didn’t want to wait to pursue my dream. I hand-sketched my very first catalogue and, along with my father, Mr. Subbiah, founded Meenu Subbiah in 1993. From the very beginning, we did everything under one roof, from sourcing diamonds and ensuring quality control to designing and manufacturing every piece ourselves.
As I immersed myself in the world of jewellery, I noticed something that stayed with me. Most designs sold in the market as Chettinad jewellery were not authentically Chettinad at all. The same patterns were repeated over and over, with little thought to individuality or heritage.
As someone from Chettinad, I wanted to authentically recreate and revive this traditional jewellery art, particularly since there was little to no documentation on it. This led me into years of research. I travelled, observed traditions, studied literature and music, collected archival photographs of Chettiar women and spent countless hours speaking with elders who carried memories that history books never could.
This journey gave birth to Vilasam, a brand dedicated to preserving and reinterpreting authentic Chettinad jewellery.
True Chettinad jewellery is defined by its intricate close setting technique, a centuries old art now practised by only a handful of skilled goldsmiths in Tamil Nadu. Through Vilasam, I work closely with these artisans to ensure this extraordinary craftsmanship is not lost to time.
My commitment and love to preserving this did not stop there. Earlier this year, we established Pettagam, India’s first private museum dedicated entirely to documenting and showcasing the rich legacy of Chettinad jewellery, in Karaikudi.
Alongside this, as a designer I continue experimenting with rare diamond cuts such as portrait cuts and pie cuts, combining them with fancy colour diamonds, sapphires, rubellites and tourmalines. I believe every creation is a conversation between heritage and contemporary design.
After more than thirty years in this profession, I have come to realise that jewellery is never just about gold or gemstones. It carries memories, identity, tradition and the stories of generations.
I would tell the younger generation that we are carrying forward a priceless baton. We have inherited beautiful values, a rich culture and a unique identity, and it is up to us to preserve them while creating our own path.”