Devisha Kumari Singh Is All About Old Jewels and New Rules

Reimagining The Family Jewels

Singh’s nani, her maternal grandmother, changed her jewellery almost every day. Now, Singh finds herself doing much the same. “I am really becoming my nani’s granddaughter,” she says, laughing.  

Growing up, she watched the women in her family wear their jewellery rather than reserve it for weddings or special occasions. That habit has stayed with her. 

“I don’t think these beautiful objects should be saved indefinitely for special occasions. Jewellery just becomes more and more meaningful through being worn. It picks up memories, and it eventually becomes part of your identity.”   

Her mother has not only passed down pieces to her, but is now reworking old jewellery to make it wearable again.  
One of her favourites is a ruby-and-diamond set that belonged to her mother, now redesigned with bows and additional diamonds. The update is characteristically her, she says: keep what you love, change what you want, and wear the result.

The Royal Muse

Singh’s relationship with saris is just as personal. Her collection includes pieces acquired over time, alongside textiles that have been in her family for generations. Among them are a sari whose borders were gifted to Singh’s great-grandmother by Maharani Gayatri Devi herself, an inviting lavender-peach with embroidered flowers done by the hands of Irish Catholic nuns, and another with real gold zari. 

Maharani Gayatri Devi, whom Singh spent considerable time around as a child, remains a significant influence on her style. She describes her aesthetic as the “modern Rajput girl look”, with its mix of colour, jewellery and a distinctly Jaipur sensibility. 

Her preferred combination? A pink or peach sari, diamonds and emeralds.

A Sweet Spot for Pastels

Singh gravitates towards soft pinks, peaches and other ice-cream shades, balanced with playful details and unexpected combinations. She has always leaned towards maximalism, although her style has become more considered over time. “I think my style is evolving to become a little bit more restrained than it used to be.”  

That restraint has not made getting dressed any less fun. She still likes bows, flowers and jewellery that gives an outfit a little personality. Recently, brooches have become a particular favourite, especially colourful elephant and floral designs by Jaipur-based independent jewellery designer Jewels by Shweta. 

Her sense of occasion is similarly relaxed. She has worn a sari to the V&A opening summer party and then gone for hot pot at 1 AM in the same outfit. 

“I became that girl who wears a sari everywhere.” 

The women in her family have always made dressing up feel like something to enjoy together. Singh remembers her great-grandmother’s whimsy and her mother grinding gold into eyeshadow. Pink, in her wardrobe, is practically a neutral. There is no elaborate set of rules to follow, only an instinct for what feels right. 

Why Save It, When You Can Wear It?  

Wearing a sari is almost like wearing a very chic name tag instead of being like, hi, I’m Devisha from Jaipur.” 

For Singh, clothing and jewellery are ways of expressing who she is, where she comes from and what she enjoys. She does not need an occasion to make use of them, nor does she feel obliged to wear an inherited piece exactly as it was worn before. 

“I think at my core, I am definitely a maximalist but I practice that with much more restraint now, I like bright, fun, colours, but I stick to what works for me, which is stuff I think is timeless.” 

That balance comes through in the way she dresses: an old necklace with a new detail, a family sari worn on an ordinary day, diamonds paired with colours she has always loved. Nothing needs to remain untouched to remain special. 

And perhaps that is the appeal of an heirloom worn this way. It gets to be part of the life happening now, rather than waiting for one to come along.