By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TRIBECA — Amid the glittering jewels and gleaming framed paintings at Nirvana International on a recent evening, owner Amit Sharma stood with a quiet smile creasing his face.
Just over six months have passed since thieves broke into Sharma's West Broadway shop and gallery, stealing more than $500,000 of his painstakingly handcrafted jewelry.
"That's all over now," Sharma said as his guests sipped wine and nibbled miniature tarts last Thursday night.
Sharma has swept away all traces of the incident. His glass display cases are once again full of his work. On Thursday, he launched designer Alexandra Mor's new 24-piece collection and threw a party for friends and industry professionals.
Sharma, 39, who grew up in India and now lives on the Upper West Side, opened Nirvana International in TriBeCa last summer because he wanted to unite his passion for making jewelry and collecting artwork.
But burglars struck just as he was gearing up for his first holiday season there. Sharma said police have made some progress on the case, but he could not give any details.
Sharma's collection focuses on the jewels themselves, with just the bare minimum of metal to join them together. He often takes estate jewelry, removes the stones and builds more modern pieces that still retain a touch of history.
"This is what I love doing," Sharma said. "I'm still very optimistic that it could lead to something better."
His jewelry is bit more fanciful than Mor's collection, in which the pieces are defined by narrow, architectural rows of diamonds and have a more sculpted, dramatic feeling.
Mor said Nirvana International is the perfect space to show her work, and she was thrilled when Sharma reached out to her and asked if she would consider it.
"What I like about Nirvana is the gallery feel," Mor said during Thursday's reception. "I see [my jewelry] as pieces of art."
Nirvana International, 246 W. Broadway, is open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
