Bright blue agate slices fused with brightly coloured stones, a fossilized fish suspended in time, and an intricate sterling silver mask pendant were just some of the pieces that caught my eye and refused to let go.

The genius behind pure passion is Shyam Hettiarachchi, the Designer and creator of Pure Passion.

I met up with Shyam to find out more about her fascinating world.

What inspires you to create the pieces you do?
What inspires me…well honestly, pretty much anything and everything! An emotion, a memory, a picture, a theme, a colour, shapes etc. etc. etc. even another piece of jewelry. I draw on inspiration from a lot of resources.

The collection I am working on at the moment for example is designed around the theme; Time. I don’t believe in limiting my resources. I always look around me with fresh eyes so I always find something that intrigues me.

Pure Passion jewelry also looks at fusing cultures in its designs. We have designs that bring together a certain part of the River Nile with Rajasthan for instance. The designs interpret this fusion.

Shyam works with uncut and tumbled stones, faceted and cabochon cut stones to merge textures, lighting and colour to achieve those special effects which are the signature of Pure Passion.

Merely from the wide range of materials used, it is evident that Shyam is unafraid to experiment and break away from the norms to pioneer her own creations.

A passionate desire for expression is clearly evident in each and every item.

I hear you’ve been around precious stones from an early age; tell me a little about your love of gems and how it began?
My family has been in the business of exporting precious stones for a very long time. We have a very small and exclusive clientele we work with. When I was a toddler I was given the job of making sure that the paper packs thrown away didn’t have any stones in them. Yup, at that age that was a BIG job for me and I felt important.

Well I wasn’t satisfied with the paper pack job for long. I learnt everything I know about gems from my parents. My dad especially, taught me how to gauge a stone for its colour, cut and overall quality. I learnt how to spot the high value stones. I also learnt how to spot the synthetic stones, which is vital for survival in this business.

I developed my skill of finding the appropriate stone for the design. Likewise, I also learnt how to design FOR the stone.

The world of gems is a brilliant place. There is so much more to explore. There is so much more to learn.

Give me a brief history of the company and how it got started?
Actually Pure Passion jewelry is not a company, it’s a label. I used to design jewelry for friends and friends of friends etc. You know how it goes in Sri Lanka. People really liked what I created so I thought, “why not. Why not have an identity for what I create”. That is where it all began.

Pure Passion jewelry (www.purepassionjewelry.com) designs one of a kind, boutique style pieces of jewelry. Our tagline is “the possibilities are infinite” and they are. The possibilities are truly infinite in the world of jewelry and we make sure that the designs published under our label stay true to that very idea.

I design every piece with the idea of breaking the norm and breathing fresh air into the world of accessories. It is this very reason that keeps me from mass producing my designs. Much to the annoyance of a few of my friends and clients I know.

We use Precious Metals, Sterling Silver, Brass, Wood, Clay, Silicon, Leather, Semi Precious Stones, Precious Stones, Diamonds and whatever else we can incorporate in our designs. But, we do not use synthetic materials. We challenge ourselves to push the line further and further on with every new collection that we produce.

My business partner, Obhash Pathirana, is the trained jeweler in the outfit. The poor guy has to figure out how to turn my made ideas into the final piece.

I did give him more than his fair share of grey hairs but hey… I do feel for the craftsmen we work with because they all tell us that they have never made pieces like ours but thanks to Obhash the craftsmen are now pretty savvy with our techniques and the standard of quality that we demand.

Bringing fusion to an even higher plateau, Pure Passion combines both oxidized and high polished Sterling Silver with brass that is burnt and buffed and even lacquered to achieve a variety of hues.

Having a firm foundation in the traditions of Sri Lanka as well as having travelled widely, she is able to fuse a range of cultural and aesthetic influences from different parts of the world. It is this quality that makes her creations perfect for the woman whose imagination goes beyond borders.

What is it that makes pure passion unique? What makes your pieces stand out from all the rest?
I don’t think its fair for me to claim this about Pure Passion jewelry but I do hear this a lot from the people who wear and or admire my work.

I think Pure Passion jewelry stands out because the designs don’t conform to any norm.

I do make sure that the collections are in line with the moods and themes of fashion for that specific time but the design in itself is uniquely Pure Passion jewelry.

We don’t stint on materials or quality when it comes to the production of our designs.

So you would probably see our work in a price range starting from about Rs. 7,000/- and upwards.

Do you have any favourites from among the many pieces you’ve designed?Of course. There are some pieces that I have actually been sad to part with. But they find the woman who has the personality and the flair to wear them.

I have to say that I do design each piece with a certain woman in mind. I know its not the smartest business model to follow but that is what Pure Passion jewelry is all about.

Each individual piece will speak to that specific woman.

How often do you put out new collections and how do you come up with the themes?
Every collection has its own theme. So far Pure Passion jewelry has designed Opera, Tribal Dancer and now we are almost ready to introduce Time to the world. Of course you are the first to get a sneak preview of Time.

We present one collection every year. It’s not a hard and fast rule but in the midst of all the custom orders that we produce, this is what we have been able to compile so far. Let’s see, Opera pays homage to traditional Sri Lankan art. Tribal Dancer brings together color, texture and free form to create a spirit of life, freedom of expression and vitality. Time on the other hand has been a personal journey for me.

It is a journey not only in terms of design and materials. It is a journey that mesmerized and beguiled me. This collection uses fossils like ammonite and a host of other interesting finds sourced from the world over together with gem stones and other stones such as Agates and the like. The jewelry is executed in Sterling Silver (.925), Brass, Leather, Clay and Wood.

Future plans for Pure Passion? World domination?
Ha ha ha World Domination that’s a thought. I would love to see Pure Passion jewelry introduced to the world.

Hey, the possibilities are infinite!

They definitely are! And if Shyam’s new collection is anything to go by, world domination may not be too far away! Visit www.purepassionjewelry.com for more.