Our Story

Brand Zaabel

Zaabel is a collaboration between design aficionados Hina Israr and Sooryia Tharayil. The brand reflects our creative life force and personalities. Zaabel was conceived as an anti-thesis to traditional jewelry (‘read as boring jewelry’) and is committed to creating jewelry as eclectic as the multifaceted woman of today. We feel that jewelry is like a personal signature and it reflects the mood and personality of the wearer. A woman’s jewelry tells a lot about her aura- her confidence, her tastes, and even her preferences such as modern art, romantic nostalgia, quirky experimentalism etc.

We believe that there is tangible chemistry between a woman and her jewelry. A piece of fine jewelry with the right kind of chemistry can make a woman feel ‘exquisite’. No morsel of the world exudes luxury as a piece of fine jewelry, and each piece of Zaabel jewelry is a symphony of luxury and ultimate sophistication for every day wear.

Our collections are inherently delicate, even where the designs are contemporary and more bohemian. Timeless designs are hand fabricated in gleaming gold, caressing exquisite gem stones. The brand aesthetics reveal a flair of traditional techniques infused with modern artistic insights. We design every piece as an expression for the glory of exceptional craftsmanship and it is our promise to you that our superior craftsmanship will wow you. We invite you to explore our creative expressions and feel Exquisite Everyday.

Hina Israr

Hina is a travel junkie who visualizes the deep blue bottomless pit of the Bosphorus at least twice a day. She grew up in the middle east and has lived in Dubai, India, Australia and currently lives in Seattle. After working for more than 12 years in Investment Banking and Private Equity, she gave wings to her creativity by founding Zaabel. As a little girl, she used to collect broken sea shells and corals by the Arabian sea, her favorite being the flat capiz shimmering brightly on the sandy beaches.

Her fascination with Jewelry is very old and relates to her Indian roots where jewelry has traditionally been an heirloom, passed on from one generation to the other. With endless trips to the sprawling ‘gold souks’ (traditional Arabic jewelry markets) while growing up, she has always had a peculiar attraction with gemstones and gold. She likes to convey a serene approach with her jewelry which can be worn every day in diverse settings - from the board room to the beach. She is partial to organic forms and colored gemstones.

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Sooryia Tharayil 

Sooryia is a typical millennial with an atypical zeal towards perfectionism. She graduated with top honors from India’s prestigious design institute- National Institute of Fashion Technology and has been associated with renowned design houses and Indian jewelry brands in the past. Her interest in Jewelry designing does not have a beginning, it’s something that has been there as long as she can remember. Every time she sits down to sketch, her sketch sheet possibly has more doodles than the number of blooms on a cherry blossom.

She had found her calling to connect with her creative side from when she was a little girl. She used to sit for hours doodling, combining contrasting colors in wonderful ways. Sketching was her meditation and till date stirs up the same kind of excitement in her when she evolves a doodle into a design.

Sooryia’s style of designing is a juxtaposition of ornate and clean line at the same time. Fine art is her strength and she designs minimalistic pieces with strong design elements. Her creations have imbibed accents of both – the historical and the contemporary. Her attention to detail is dreaded by other kaarigars (craftsmen) on the work bench at our workshop. When she is not busy working on new collections for Zaabel, she is working on new collections for Zaabel!