Art patron, philanthropist, and reality TV star Shalini Passi brings her more-is-more style sensibilities into a new limited-edition fine jewellery collaboration with AMARIS.
“Crosses have fascinated me for years,” says Shalini Passi. “I’ve collected them during my travels and admired the way they have been reinterpreted in pop culture, from rock stars to Madonna.” The art patron, philanthropist, and reality TV star has worn crosses as jewellery on many occasions, including one of her two appearances at this year’s edition of MASH Ball, a charity fundraiser she hosts to benefit UNICEF in October. It is hardly surprising, then, to see the cross as a leading motif in Passi’s recent collaboration with the fine jewellery label, AMARIS.
Crosses recur in the Shalini Passi x AMARIS collection, in the form of earrings and bracelets, as well as a choker set featuring 27 carats of amethyst, which comes with two interchangeable bands: black velvet and Japanese cultured pearls.
Passi’s stellar collection of art and her maximalist, no-holds-barred sense of style have long been known in the fashion and art industries. Her popularity skyrocketed last year when she joined the cast of Bollywood Wives vs. Fabulous Lives. In the third season, the Netflix reality series about Bollywood wives pivoted to include a new direction, pitting Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, Seema Khan and Neelam Kothari against the Delhi trio of Passi, Kalyani Chawla, and Ridhima Kapoor Sahni. Amid a stacked cast, Passi’s whimsical, unfiltered persona and her ability to own her eccentricities and sense of self resonated with the audience—sparking memes and viral content. If Passi was well-known earlier, now she is a household name.
Prerna Rajpal, founder of AMARIS, found exactly these qualities appealing when she approached Passi to collaborate with the brand. Prerna Rajpal declared, “Since this was our very first celebrity collection, it was important to collaborate with someone who truly embodies the spirit of AMARIS. Shalini does that beautifully and perfectly,” says Rajpal. “She’s bold, she’s doing incredible things, and what I loved most about working with her was the sense of perfection she brings.”
The collaboration also resonates with Passi, a “collector at heart”. Her love for jewellery has always been apparent in her sartorial choices, from the intense baubles she wears from Mehta Jewellery for her cameo in the Netflix series, The B***ds of Bollywood, to the look-at-me drop choker of uncut diamonds and 51-carat of Russian emeralds set in 18-karat gold by Manish Malhotra Jewellery for her debut on the Cannes red carpet earlier this year.
Nothing is too extra—neither a surrealist necklace by Schiaparelli nor tiaras and jewelled headbands. “Whether it was outfits in every colour, hairpins, or jewellery, I’ve loved surrounding myself with beautiful things,” she says. Jewellery finds a special place in her collections, anchored by memory and meaning as much as beauty. “When it comes to my personal style, I like pieces that let me play around a little sometimes. I’ll wrap a necklace around my wrist and wear it as a bracelet, because I don’t think jewellery should be limited to just one way of wearing it.”
Led by this approach, the Shalini Passi x Amaris collection comprises three distinct design stories rife with colours and playful motifs. Think fine jewellery with a serving of fun. To create the collection, Passi drew on motifs and ideas that she has always loved. Crosses she has admired in museums and churches find an expression in the Cross My Heart designs, while Flower Power references the English rose. Standouts from the capsule include a choker featuring over 6,000 gemstones—pink sapphires punctuated with emeralds and diamonds—and sweet hairpins to add sparkle to updos and ponytails.
The Born to Fly capsule draws from another motif in nature—butterflies. Incorporating mother-of-pearl and a smattering of diamonds, the butterflies appear on delicate bar earrings as well as a chunky choker and, in keeping with Passi’s enduring love for hair accessories, a headband. “For me, jewellery isn’t meant to be worn just one way,” says Passi, adding that the brand’s jewellery already reflects her sensibilities. “Their designs strike the perfect balance between style and timelessness. They make fine jewellery which is so stylish yet classy that it could be worn to a night club!
A sense of joie de vivre pervades the collection, certainly reflecting Passi’s story but also something of AMARIS’s design ethos.
Since the launch of her label, Rajpal has seen precious jewellery through the lens of trends and self-expression, with designs and campaigns that younger jewellery consumers find both aspirational and as future heirlooms. It manifests in the variety of products from ornate paisley ear cuffs and chokers carpeted with tanzanites and oversized polki to the recently launched collection for men, titled Drip.
The partnership with Passi adds another layer of design storytelling. “In India, jewellery has traditionally been seen as something to preserve or pass down, but collaborations like this one invite people to see it as art, emotion, and identity,” says Rajpal. “It transforms the idea of adornment into a dialogue between creativity and craftsmanship.” The collection is limited-edition, each design limited to five pieces to ensure a sense of exclusivity. “Each piece is meticulously crafted and carries Shalini’s personal vision, so it felt right to treat them like collectible works of art rather than mass-produced jewels,” Rajpal adds.
It is an apt approach for a collaboration with Passi. Her home, now familiar to audiences from shows and media features, is filled with the works of leading artists from India and around the world. She helms MASH, a digital platform that explores intersections between art and design in multidisciplinary forms and has enabled creative products, like this collaboration with AMARIS that offers an opportunity to translate some of the intrinsic qualities of art into wearable, bejewelled forms. “For me, jewellery has always been another canvas for art,” Passi says. “I’ve always loved collecting and wearing it, but creating it made me see it in a completely new way.”