The In Conversation series celebrates the stories and style of pioneers across the creative industries. We explore their craft, from beginnings to breakthroughs, and uncover how their Cutler and Gross frames mirror their unique aesthetic.
Art direction by David Hellqvist | Photography by Alex Kurunis | Interview by Imogen Massey
Tucked away down a rain-soaked road in London’s jewellery quarter resides Alighieri. The Hatton Garden studio – which serves as a workshop, showroom, and head office – is like a curated time capsule. Coarse Arcadian sculptures sit alongside weather-beaten vases and ancient woodwork. In amongst the relics, as if dug up from the remnants of Pompeii or forged in Mount Olympus, glows Alighieri’s Modern Heirlooms.
This is Rosh Mahtani’s universe. The Oxford university-graduate founded the jewellery brand ten years ago during a “tumultuous time” of heartbreak and personal uncertainty. She sought solace in Dante Alighieri’s text The Divine Comedy , in which the opening passage proclaims, “In the middle of the journey of our life, I found myself in a dark wood unsure of which path to take.”
Feeling inspired after a one-day wax casting course, she lit a candle at her parents’ kitchen table and began to experiment. As Mahtani shared, “Forms started emerging that reminded me of Dante’s dark wood, so I decided to cast them and write a story.” From there, she set out to create a piece of jewellery for each one of The Divine Comedy’s 100 poems. To this day, Mahtani notes, “Somehow I always land back to the text, it’s kind of home I guess.”
Surrounded by Alighieri talismans, Rosh Mahtani OBE talked navigating darkness, the brutality of burnout, and the power of manifesting.
Rosh Mahtani pictured at the Alighieri showroom in Hatton Garden, London.
CG: You grew up in Zambia before moving to London aged eight. Can you provide us with a glimpse into your upbringing?
RM: I grew up in a tiny town called Ndola and there was nothing to do, which was kind of magical because you really had to live in your own imagination. I used to make paint out of leaves and build forts with my brother in the garden. We didn’t have much except my dad’s little motorboat; once a month we’d drive it to the dam and spend the day sitting out on the water, it was so special. It was a really innocent, magical time. I think a lot of my practice now, of how I like to work and who I am, comes from that simple childhood.
CG: You launched Alighieri the day before your 25thbirthday. What were the origins of the brand?
RM: I graduated [having studied French and Italian] and had no idea what I wanted to do, I was really lost. I moved to Australia for a boy – error [she laughs] – and then ended up returning to London heartbroken. I randomly did a wax casting course just around the corner from here and loved working with the material, so I bought some from a supplier afterwards and started playing with it. I ended up making our Leone Medallion, as a symbol of strength and courage and a reminder to myself to be brave, and it grew really naturally from there.
“I grew up in a tiny town and there was nothing to do, which was kind of magical because you really had to live in your own imagination."
Rosh Mahtani, Alighieri Founder and Creative Director
CG: You first studied Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy at university. What drew you to the text, did you always see it as a visual thing?
RM: Absolutely. Since the 1300s artists have been depicting his work, from Gustave Doré to Salvador Dali and Rodin. It’s such a visual text. I find that words remind me of pictures, smells remind me of feelings, and I love exploring the boundaries between them. The way I work with the wax is very tactile. There’s also something quite torturous about the material that’s quite reminiscent of the way Dante’s protagonist navigates through the text.
The 9782 opticals in Black on Havana
CG: Can you give us an insight into your process?
RM: I always start with a roman candle: I light the candle and try to enter a different head space. I have to feel something, it’s never just about bashing it out. When I’m heating up my tools and starting to work with the wax, it’s very cathartic. It’s kind of a transferring of energy… not to be too spiritual about it, but jewellery has always been a very talismanic thing that gets passed down and carries a certain energy.
CG: And then you work with local casters?
RM: Yes, I work with the same Cypriot family-run business that I first stumbled into 10 years ago, we have a really special relationship. Leo, George, and Chris have nurtured and taught me so much, Leo is like a second dad. A lot of people told me that there was no way I was going to be able to scale the business from here – I was told that I could quadruple my margin if I had the jewellery made overseas – but it wasn’t about that for me. We’re focused on integrity, supporting local craft, and not being wasteful. And more than anything, it’s that family connection.
“Sometimes you have to go through darkness to realise that you have a choice: to dwell in your sadness or try to bring the light."
Rosh Mahtani, Alighieri Founder and Creative Director
CG: Each collection has autobiographical roots. How do you balance expanding a brand that is so personal?
RM: I couldn’t do it without my incredible team. We work in a very unconventional way. It takes a really special group of people to be able to make this all happen. We’re not formulaic, we go by gut, and it works for us.
CG: How do you stay inspired and avoid burnout?
RM: I did burnout last year and it was really tough. It got too much and I had to step back for the first time ever. The team were incredible and my mum came in everyday to pitch in. I couldn’t be creative anymore; I was so bogged down. I’m turning 36 next year and am trying to prioritise taking time for myself. I used to work every weekend, but I’m trying not to do that anymore. It can feel gratuitous saying that I need time out, but I’m not a machine.
CG: There’s so much storytelling to Alighieri. If you had to choose one piece that represents your story, which would you choose?
RM: This fish necklace. Last year was, on a personal level, really terrible for me. I went through a very difficult abortion that I really regretted – that was around the breakdown time. In amongst it all, I can’t tell you why, but I couldn’t stop thinking about fish. So, I decided to make a capsule called Gone Fishing that was all about the importance of taking the time to play and the joy of being by the seaside. It did super well and brought me so much joy. My brother’s name is Pesh (like the French for fishing), he’s also a Pisces and a guiding light in my life. I later realised that fish are a symbol of fertility, joy, and abundance – maybe there’s hope again.
“The way I work with the wax is very tactile. There’s something quite torturous about the material."
Rosh Mahtani, Alighieri Founder and Creative Director
A curation of Mahtani's jewellery, handcrafted from recycled silver and gold.
CG: You wrote such a beautiful piece about it for British VOGUE last year and Alighieri has been supporting the BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) charity. Thank you for sharing your experience.
RM: I hate surface questions, I like being real, so thank you for asking real questions.
CG: On that topic, I’d love to know – what do you believe that others don’t believe?
RM: That is such a good question! I truly believe that you can manifest your life. I believe that, if you want it enough and you focus on it enough, you can make things happen with your mind and heart. As a teenager, I used to dream about what my life could look like. We didn’t have much, I grew up in a house with 12 other people and slept on my parents’ bedroom floor until I was 16, but I remember thinking, “One day I am going to walk to work in a great outfit and there’s going to be an amazing team and we’re going to play and make, we’re going to bring people together and it’s going to be exciting.” And here I am today.
CG: It does seem like you’re a powerful manifester.
RM: It’s not something I ever did consciously until this year. But sometimes you have to go through darkness to realise that you have a choice: to dwell in your sadness and feel pain or try to bring the light. And hey, even if it doesn’t work, it still puts you in a better mindset to dream and write a nice list of everything that you’re grateful for.
CG: Would you say that you’re an optimist?
RM: I never used to be, no, I was born a pessimist. I get dragged into darkness quite easily but I love bringing light to other people – I find that hard to do for myself but I’m working on it.
At Mahtani’s Midas touch, the raw honesty and beauty of the human experience is written in recycled gold and silver. Each piece of jewellery is a storied talisman. In recognition of her services to design and philanthropy, Mahtani visited Windsor Castle shortly after our interview to receive an OBE from Princess Anne.
Discover Alighieri’s collections at alighieri.com and @alighieri_jewellery
In Conversation with Rosh Mahtani
The In Conversation series celebrates the stories and style of pioneers across the creative industries. We explore their craft, from beginnings to breakthroughs, and uncover how their Cutler and Gross frames mirror their unique aesthetic.
Art direction by David Hellqvist | Photography by Alex Kurunis | Interview by Imogen Massey
Tucked away down a rain-soaked road in London’s jewellery quarter resides Alighieri. The Hatton Garden studio – which serves as a workshop, showroom, and head office – is like a curated time capsule. Coarse Arcadian sculptures sit alongside weather-beaten vases and ancient woodwork. In amongst the relics, as if dug up from the remnants of Pompeii or forged in Mount Olympus, glows Alighieri’s Modern Heirlooms.
This is Rosh Mahtani’s universe. The Oxford university-graduate founded the jewellery brand ten years ago during a “tumultuous time” of heartbreak and personal uncertainty. She sought solace in Dante Alighieri’s text The Divine Comedy , in which the opening passage proclaims, “In the middle of the journey of our life, I found myself in a dark wood unsure of which path to take.”
Feeling inspired after a one-day wax casting course, she lit a candle at her parents’ kitchen table and began to experiment. As Mahtani shared, “Forms started emerging that reminded me of Dante’s dark wood, so I decided to cast them and write a story.” From there, she set out to create a piece of jewellery for each one of The Divine Comedy’s 100 poems. To this day, Mahtani notes, “Somehow I always land back to the text, it’s kind of home I guess.”
Surrounded by Alighieri talismans, Rosh Mahtani OBE talked navigating darkness, the brutality of burnout, and the power of manifesting.
Rosh Mahtani pictured at the Alighieri showroom in Hatton Garden, London.
CG: You grew up in Zambia before moving to London aged eight. Can you provide us with a glimpse into your upbringing?
RM: I grew up in a tiny town called Ndola and there was nothing to do, which was kind of magical because you really had to live in your own imagination. I used to make paint out of leaves and build forts with my brother in the garden. We didn’t have much except my dad’s little motorboat; once a month we’d drive it to the dam and spend the day sitting out on the water, it was so special. It was a really innocent, magical time. I think a lot of my practice now, of how I like to work and who I am, comes from that simple childhood.
CG: You launched Alighieri the day before your 25thbirthday. What were the origins of the brand?
RM: I graduated [having studied French and Italian] and had no idea what I wanted to do, I was really lost. I moved to Australia for a boy – error [she laughs] – and then ended up returning to London heartbroken. I randomly did a wax casting course just around the corner from here and loved working with the material, so I bought some from a supplier afterwards and started playing with it. I ended up making our Leone Medallion, as a symbol of strength and courage and a reminder to myself to be brave, and it grew really naturally from there.
Rosh Mahtani, Alighieri Founder and Creative Director
CG: You first studied Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy at university. What drew you to the text, did you always see it as a visual thing?
RM: Absolutely. Since the 1300s artists have been depicting his work, from Gustave Doré to Salvador Dali and Rodin. It’s such a visual text. I find that words remind me of pictures, smells remind me of feelings, and I love exploring the boundaries between them. The way I work with the wax is very tactile. There’s also something quite torturous about the material that’s quite reminiscent of the way Dante’s protagonist navigates through the text.
The 9782 opticals in Black on Havana
CG: Can you give us an insight into your process?
RM: I always start with a roman candle: I light the candle and try to enter a different head space. I have to feel something, it’s never just about bashing it out. When I’m heating up my tools and starting to work with the wax, it’s very cathartic. It’s kind of a transferring of energy… not to be too spiritual about it, but jewellery has always been a very talismanic thing that gets passed down and carries a certain energy.
CG: And then you work with local casters?
RM: Yes, I work with the same Cypriot family-run business that I first stumbled into 10 years ago, we have a really special relationship. Leo, George, and Chris have nurtured and taught me so much, Leo is like a second dad. A lot of people told me that there was no way I was going to be able to scale the business from here – I was told that I could quadruple my margin if I had the jewellery made overseas – but it wasn’t about that for me. We’re focused on integrity, supporting local craft, and not being wasteful. And more than anything, it’s that family connection.
Rosh Mahtani, Alighieri Founder and Creative Director
CG: Each collection has autobiographical roots. How do you balance expanding a brand that is so personal?
RM: I couldn’t do it without my incredible team. We work in a very unconventional way. It takes a really special group of people to be able to make this all happen. We’re not formulaic, we go by gut, and it works for us.
CG: How do you stay inspired and avoid burnout?
RM: I did burnout last year and it was really tough. It got too much and I had to step back for the first time ever. The team were incredible and my mum came in everyday to pitch in. I couldn’t be creative anymore; I was so bogged down. I’m turning 36 next year and am trying to prioritise taking time for myself. I used to work every weekend, but I’m trying not to do that anymore. It can feel gratuitous saying that I need time out, but I’m not a machine.
CG: There’s so much storytelling to Alighieri. If you had to choose one piece that represents your story, which would you choose?
RM: This fish necklace. Last year was, on a personal level, really terrible for me. I went through a very difficult abortion that I really regretted – that was around the breakdown time. In amongst it all, I can’t tell you why, but I couldn’t stop thinking about fish. So, I decided to make a capsule called Gone Fishing that was all about the importance of taking the time to play and the joy of being by the seaside. It did super well and brought me so much joy. My brother’s name is Pesh (like the French for fishing), he’s also a Pisces and a guiding light in my life. I later realised that fish are a symbol of fertility, joy, and abundance – maybe there’s hope again.
Rosh Mahtani, Alighieri Founder and Creative Director
A curation of Mahtani's jewellery, handcrafted from recycled silver and gold.
CG: You wrote such a beautiful piece about it for British VOGUE last year and Alighieri has been supporting the BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) charity. Thank you for sharing your experience.
RM: I hate surface questions, I like being real, so thank you for asking real questions.
CG: On that topic, I’d love to know – what do you believe that others don’t believe?
RM: That is such a good question! I truly believe that you can manifest your life. I believe that, if you want it enough and you focus on it enough, you can make things happen with your mind and heart. As a teenager, I used to dream about what my life could look like. We didn’t have much, I grew up in a house with 12 other people and slept on my parents’ bedroom floor until I was 16, but I remember thinking, “One day I am going to walk to work in a great outfit and there’s going to be an amazing team and we’re going to play and make, we’re going to bring people together and it’s going to be exciting.” And here I am today.
CG: It does seem like you’re a powerful manifester.
RM: It’s not something I ever did consciously until this year. But sometimes you have to go through darkness to realise that you have a choice: to dwell in your sadness and feel pain or try to bring the light. And hey, even if it doesn’t work, it still puts you in a better mindset to dream and write a nice list of everything that you’re grateful for.
CG: Would you say that you’re an optimist?
RM: I never used to be, no, I was born a pessimist. I get dragged into darkness quite easily but I love bringing light to other people – I find that hard to do for myself but I’m working on it.
At Mahtani’s Midas touch, the raw honesty and beauty of the human experience is written in recycled gold and silver. Each piece of jewellery is a storied talisman. In recognition of her services to design and philanthropy, Mahtani visited Windsor Castle shortly after our interview to receive an OBE from Princess Anne.
Discover Alighieri’s collections at alighieri.com and @alighieri_jewellery