Modern Heirlooms, Reimagined: Inside Sphinx & Emeralds (Win!)

What if fine jewelry felt less like a splurge—and more like a personal statement? Enter Sphinx & Emeralds, the Montreal-based brand redefining luxury with bold colour, intentional design, and a refreshingly transparent approach to craftsmanship. Founded by Kris Arora, the collection blends heritage techniques with a modern, genderless edge—think one-of-one gemstones, everyday gold, and pieces that feel as meaningful as they look. We caught up with Kris to talk conscious luxury, creative inspiration, and why the future of fine jewelry is anything but traditional. —Noa Nichol

Sphinx & Emeralds feels both timeless and boldly modern—how did your personal story and heritage shape the aesthetic of this first collection? 

Sphinx & Emeralds sits at the intersection of timelessness and modernity, but at its core, it is deeply personal. While the brand officially launched in Canada in 2025, it has existed in my life for much longer, shaped by my heritage, my childhood, and the bond I share with my mother. 

Some of my earliest memories are of being in jewelry stores with her. She would ask for my opinion on different pieces, even when I was only seven years old. That level of trust stayed with me. She never let societal expectations limit how she supported me or the things I was naturally drawn to. I was the child who played with Barbies, but I was also creating jewelry for them using small embroidery materials from clothing. Looking back, those were some of the earliest expressions of what this brand would become. 

That foundation is also tied to resilience. There have been moments in my life where everything felt uncertain, where I felt like I had reached rock bottom.What stayed with me through those moments was the belief that even at the lowest point, there is something of value beneath the surface, much like an emerald formed under pressure, waiting to be uncovered.Something that allows you to rebuild and rewrite your story. 

That is the spirit of Sphinx & Emeralds. Power, but also hope. 

The name itself carries meaning. While it reflects my love for emeralds, it also connects to strength and symbolism. I have a lion tattoo on my back, and in Hindu mythology, the lion represents courage and inner power. To me, the brand is a reminder that even in the most difficult moments, that strength still exists within us. 

You hand-select every stone with a “one of one” philosophy—what draws you to a gemstone, and do you remember the moment you realized this level of intention would define your brand? 

What draws me to a gemstone is often what others might overlook. Where the industry tends to value perfection, I find myself drawn to irregularities, inclusions, and subtle imperfections. Those are the details that give a stone character. They make it one of one. 

There was a defining moment that shaped this philosophy. A few years ago, I purchased my first natural emerald pendant. I remember feeling uncertain about its origin and questioning whether I had been given the full story. That experience made me realize how easily buyers can be taken advantage of when they lack information. 

It also revealed something deeper about the industry. Much of it operates on the assumption that the customer does not fully understand what they are buying. 

That realization stayed with me. I knew that if I ever built a brand, it would be rooted in intention and transparency. I wanted to be directly involved in sourcing. I wanted clarity in what I was offering. And most importantly, I wanted people to feel informed, not intimidated, when making a purchase. 

That is why intention defines Sphinx & Emeralds. Every stone is selected with care, but also with responsibility. Trust is not a marketing message for me. It is the foundation of the brand. 

There’s a growing shift toward “conscious luxury”—what does that mean to you, and how are you reimagining what luxury should look and feel like today? 

The shift toward conscious luxury is incredibly important because it challenges some of the more opaque and exploitative aspects of the industry, particularly around pricing. 

At its most basic level, conscious luxury combines quality with responsibility. But to me, it goes much further than that. It is not just about using terms like transparency or ethical sourcing. Those ideas matter, but they have also become easy to use in marketing without always being fully backed by substance. 

Real conscious luxury should also involve education. It should help people understand what they are actually paying for. Is the value coming from craftsmanship, materials, rarity, or simply brand perception? 

That distinction is important because it is what separates an informed investment from an emotional purchase. 

There is still a disconnect in the market. I continue to see pieces priced at 600 to 700 dollars that are simply gold-plated silver, without meaningful material value beyond that. That signals that there is still work to be done in aligning price with substance. 

With Sphinx & Emeralds, I want luxury to feel different. Not exclusive because it is out of reach, but meaningful because it is intentional. I want people to feel powerful wearing the brand, without questioning their financial decisions afterward. 

To me, modern luxury should feel empowering, honest, and deeply considered. 

Your pieces are designed to be genderless and expressive—how do you approach designing jewelry that feels both personal and universally wearable? 

I have always seen jewelry as inherently universal. To me, it has never belonged to a specific gender. It feels much closer to art than to category. 

What has been especially exciting is seeing more openness in the Western market toward bold and expressive designs, often influenced by Indian heritage and broader Asian traditions. Some of the most intricate craftsmanship and design language come from these cultures, yet for a long time they felt removed from everyday wear. 

When I design, I do not start with gender. I start with feeling. I think about power, presence, and expression. 

A friend once told me, “Fate favours the bold,” and that idea has stayed with me. It subtly informs how I create. I want each piece to encourage that boldness. To make people feel confident enough to fully express themselves. 

When a piece allows someone to feel authentic and strong, it becomes deeply personal. And at the same time, it becomes universal, because that desire exists in all of us. 

Inspired by Jaipur’s architecture and nature’s organic forms, your designs feel almost sculptural—how do those influences come to life in the final pieces? 

Jaipur’s architectural richness plays a significant role in shaping the collection. The palaces, the symmetry, and the interplay between structure and nature all inform how I think about design. 

One of my favourite pieces, the Sphinx Statement Bracelet, draws direct inspiration from the Mughal gardens of Rambagh Palace. The layout of the garden, where water channels flow through a series of precisely spaced fountain nodes, created a visual rhythm that stayed with me. 

I wanted to translate that into jewelry, but not through strict repetition. Instead, I focused on flow, allowing for variation in form while maintaining a sense of cohesion. 

It became a study in rhythm rather than repetition. 

You’re challenging traditional pricing and accessibility in fine jewelry—why was it important for you to remove those barriers, and how do you hope that changes the way people buy and wear jewelry? 

Challenging traditional pricing in fine jewelry was never just a business decision for me. It was about questioning a system that often keeps people disconnected from knowledge, and therefore from power. 

A book that influenced my thinking is 7 Rules of Power, which explores how industries are often structured to maintain control among established players. I saw a clear parallel in jewelry. 

High margins, combined with limited transparency, have historically made gemstones feel inaccessible, particularly to everyday buyers. Even now, when people hear “natural sapphire tennis bracelet,” the assumption is often that it must cost several thousand dollars. 

At Sphinx & Emeralds, our silver and natural gemstone bracelets are typically in the 500 to 700 dollar range. That difference is intentional. 

I wanted to remove the intimidation factor and replace it with clarity. I want people to ask questions, understand value, and feel confident in what they are buying. 

If that changes anything, I hope it encourages people to become more informed and more curious. To question pricing. To understand what truly holds value. 

And ultimately, to invest in pieces that mean something, not just pieces that signal status. 

If someone is buying their first Sphinx & Emeralds piece, what do you hope it represents for them—and how do you imagine it becoming part of their story over time? 

If someone is buying their first Sphinx & Emeralds piece, I hope it becomes more than jewelry. I hope it becomes a source of strength. 

There have been moments in my own life when I have felt disconnected from myself. On those days, I have reached for certain pieces, not just because of how they look, but because of how they make me feel. They ground me. They remind me of who I am. 

That experience shaped what I wanted this brand to offer. 

It is often said that diamonds are valued for their cut, but the same cut does not make glass valuable. Value comes from something deeper. I believe the same is true for people. 

I hope the brand reminds people of their inherent worth. Not something they need to prove, but something that already exists within them. 

And in the moments when they forget that, I hope the piece helps bring them back to it. Quietly. Steadily. 

More than anything, I hope it becomes part of their story, as a reminder of resilience, self-worth, and the strength they carry within themselves. 

Win! A $295 Pair Of Natural Gemstone Huggies From Sphinx & Emeralds!

Congrats Anji D. of Surrey, BC, who will receive a pair of natural gemstone huggies in the colour of their choice (excluding green emerald), retailing at $295 plus tax! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding. Full contest rules/regulations here.