Cheena Chandra was a successful jewelry designer before she even realized that it was her calling. "I was in Jaipur, India, and I fell in love with all the stones. I did the beading [of the jewelry] myself and had a goldsmith do the casting. I came home and had a trunk show for my girlfriends and sold everything. I didn't realize it then, but that was my first collection." While the 36-year-old entrepreneur had always been drawn to artistic endeavors, she was solidly ensconced in the corporate world. But after working in finance strategy consulting and even launching a dot-com, Chandra had burned out on business. At loose ends, she traveled to India and found her destiny in its gold and glittering stones.

Three years later, Chandra presides over an enterprise spanning 40 boutiques in the United States, London, France and Jamaica. Her jewelry can be found gracing the pages of fashion magazines and adorning celebrities such as Alicia Keys and Hope Davis. But Chandra's collections aren't purely western or contemporary: Her versatile pieces can move from Wall Street to a wedding and everywhere in between. "The nice thing that has been happening for me is that I appeal to both [eastern and western sensibilities], being bicultural. There are a lot of people who are in the same boat as me—they love Indian jewelry and appreciate the gold and stones, [but] it's just not something you wear all the time."

The eastern look of Chandra's jewelry stems from her childhood trips to the subcontinent, where "the fabrics and textiles and colors and sounds of India" inspired her creative side. And although her roots have definitely impacted her work, she credits western influences for her "classical sense of design." In essence, Chandra's design philosophy blends both sides of her upbringing. "The sense of style is feminine, and it reflects a modern sensibility combined with inspiration and homage to Indian culture."

But while "the cross between both cultures is the true inspiration," Chandra also draws on other muses, particularly the experience of globe-trotting. "I've traveled quite a bit, it is a huge passion for me; safari in Africa, [a trip to] Australia, each collection has that [influence]." Her new spring collection, "Je d'ete," or "playful summer," reflects exactly that: her summer spent in the south of France. Although she mines her personal experiences for inspiration, one thing Chandra steadfastly refuses to do is try to accommodate every passing fad. "I wouldn't consider myself trendy—you can run to H&M and get that. For me this is the difference. Obviously brooches are in, but I don't do brooches. I try to stay true to myself and what I believe."

Though Chandra may eschew trendiness for classic style, she still keeps one eye focused on the future. Not only is she contemplating expanding her jewelry collection, she's also considering forays into other areas of design as well. "I'm not in a department store yet, Bergdorf's and Barneys [New York] would be a big step for me. Also, I'd like to start a line of lingerie—but casual lingerie. I'd really love to use organic fibers and resources from India, even its textiles and silk." She also hopes to see more women who embody her style wearing her jewelry, such as actresses Liv Tyler and Uma Thurman. "Three words that describe my jewelry are organic, whimsical and classical, and I think both of them demonstrate that. I just think that their styles are a natural fit for my jewelry."

With a thriving business that fulfills her artistic ambitions and a plan to enlarge her empire, Cheena Chandra is thankful that she took that first risky step into the world of jewelry design. "Whether it's jewelry design or wanting to make a change, especially for all of us who are desi, we have this idea that we need to take the safe route. You need to take risks. At the end of the day I thank my lucky stars."