Four sisters from Kerala, united by one mission, one voice, have founded Theyn, a home-grown, women-owned jewellery house. Theyn, (‘honey’ in Malayalam and Tamizhl), seeks to take the South Indian artistry to the world through its new-age creations. In many ways, it is renewing cultural narratives to align with the tastes of today’s consumer.
Despite its recent debut, Theyn has spread its wings wide, selling in the domestic market as well as the USA, the UAE, the UK and Singapore.
Mona Girish, one of the Co-founders of Theyn, speaks about the birth of the brand, which has made a timely entry into the market amid rising demand for heritage-inspired, skin-safe jewellery is sought after.
Theyn, with its genesis in Kerala, relies heavily on telling culturally inspired stories through its chic 18-karat gold-plated jewellery. Founded by four sisters, Theyn is quickly carving out space for itself worldwide, through its exclusive online presence: shoptheyn.com
Committed to responsible manufacturing, Theyn’s production partners are RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council) certified, alongside ISO 9001 and BIS certifications.
By combining family-led storytelling with quality craftspersonship, using hypoallergenic brass free of lead, nickel and cadmium, making it skin-safe and 1-micron-thick gold plating, Theyn has seen immediate traction.
Its first collection Aadhyam (meaning ‘First’ in Malayalam), reimagines iconic South Indian motifs such as the Aanavaal (elephant hair), Kaashu (coin), Vanki (snake), Pichimottu (jasmine buds), Palakka (leaf), and mango silhouettes along with stories of braided coconut leaves, amulets and red ‘manjadi kuru seeds’ into jewels that are linked to memory and symbolic of protection. Every piece in the Aadhyam collection is named after a loved one.
Mona, tell us more about the genesis of Theyn… What was the turning point that made the four of you decide to build a jewellery brand together?
We grew up surrounded by the rich tapestry of Kerala and Tamizh culture, and wanted to create meaningful high quality and functional jewellery that represented that identity in a way that fit modern lives,” say the founders. “Theyn comes from the belief that we all deserve small ways to carry nods to our culture with us. Every Theyn piece will always carry a story for you to wear with pride.
Theyn has been many years in the making but really came to life when we started working on the idea in May 2024. From the beginning, it was less about jewellery and more about creating meaningful, high quality pieces that could carry the stories and beauty of our culture, made for today. It’s a tribute to our heritage, and the best part is being able to build it together as sisters.
Are the four of you first-generation entrepreneurs? Did any of you sisters have a background in jewellery, design, or craftsmanship?
We’re all first-generation entrepreneurs and don’t come from a traditional jewellery or family business background. Each of us comes from different professional fields like business, design, and production. This definitely worked as our strength going into building this business from the ground up.
How did different skill sets come together in shaping Theyn’s identity and operations? Amongst the four of you, who takes a creative call?
Since we all come from different professional backgrounds, each of us naturally brings something unique to Theyn. It’s a truly collaborative process and very much a shared vision shaped by all four of us.
Where is your manufacturing facility?
All our pieces are conceptualised and designed in-house by us, led by Lakshmi and Mithra. We then partner with our RJC-certified manufacturing partners based in Jaipur, to bring them to life.
What has that journey been like, specially building a brand rooted in heritage?
It’s been a deeply meaningful and personal journey. Working with heritage means there’s a lot of care and responsibility involved. We’re constantly thinking about how to honour these traditions, their origins and so on, while still making them feel relevant to our present-day lives.
We’ve learned so much along the way and it’s been incredibly fulfilling to see our work take shape in a way that feels authentic and meaningful to us.
Theyn is deeply inspired by Kerala’s motifs and cultural ethos. How do you research and reinterpret these elements while keeping them relatable to today’s wearer?
A lot of our inspiration comes from our own childhood and memories of home – from jewellery we’ve seen on our mothers and grandmothers, to everyday cultural nuances we grew up around.
We spend time researching these elements and understanding the meaning and stories behind them before bringing them into our designs. The focus was then on simplifying forms, refining details, and reimagining them for contemporary lifestyles so they feel wearable and relevant today. It’s always about respecting the essence of the tradition while presenting it with a fresh design perspective.
Your collections rely heavily on narratives. How important is storytelling to your design process, and how do customers respond to the stories?
Every piece is inspired by a motif, memory or a cultural reference that means something to us, and that story shapes everything. It helps us create jewellery that feels rooted and meaningful which we feel that our customers really connect to. They appreciate knowing the story behind what they’re wearing, and it makes the pieces feel more personal.
As with our first collection, being a deeply personal tribute to our heritage, each piece from the collection is named after a loved one.
Who is the typical Theyn client? And which are your most thriving markets in India and abroad.
Our customer is someone who wants pieces that tell a story – they appreciate craftspersonship, culture, and thoughtful design, but want it to feel modern and wearable. We’ve seen stronger interest across India as well as internationally from the USA, the UAE, the UK, Singapore among others.
Since you have an online portal, does having an RJC accreditation help in sales, especially abroad?
Working with RJC certified partners was very important to us as our brand values ethical sourcing and practices as well as materials that meet global standards. As a young business, we feel this will help project credibility and instil trust in customers, especially when purchasing products online.
How do global customers connect with jewellery inspired by Kerala’s cultural vocabulary?
We believe that people connect with authenticity. Even if they’re not familiar with South Indian cultural references, we feel that they are drawn to the honesty of the inspiration and the craftsmanship behind each piece.