July 14, 2026 |
When she was a baby, London-based designer Roxanna Vatandoust received a bracelet interlinked with a name bar as a gift from her relatives in Iran. Growing up in London, she subsequently outgrew the delicate gold chain – both physically and metaphorically. Years later, as she began reconnecting with her heritage, she had the bracelet extended to fit her wrist once again. For Vatandoust, the piece came to symbolise a return to her roots – a long chain linking her to her family on the other side of the world. It was this enduring, tangible quality of jewellery – its ability to carry stories, memories and connections across generations – that inspired her to found Telah.
As a second-generation Iranian growing up in the UK with her parents and sister, Vatandoust was surrounded by the richness of her heritage. Her home was filled with paisley motifs, the rhythms of Persian poetry, vibrant Nowruz celebrations and Saturday mornings spent at Farsi school.
Despite initially pursuing studies in biomedical science, Vatandoust was always drawn to the artistry of jewellery – the muted glow of gold, the soft scuffs left by time and the stacks of rings that have long served as cultural signifiers within Persian heritage. One only needs to step into a bazaar in Tehran to witness this enduring tradition: a vibrant tapestry of gleaming metals and treasured adornments. Turquoise stones set into talismans sit alongside evil-eye amulets and gold pieces inscribed with Farsi, displayed behind glass shop windows. More than objects of desire, these pieces are exchanged as gifts, passed down as family heirlooms.
It is this essence that forms the foundation of Vatandoust’s jewellery brand, Telah. Founded in 2020, Telah chronicles the designer’s journey back to her roots, informed by her experience as a British-Iranian navigating a transnational identity. As part of one of the world’s largest diasporic communities outside Iran, Vatandoust longed to see her heritage reflected in the craftsmanship around her. Through Telah, she found a means to imbue those stories, symbols and memories into contemporary jewellery.
Determined to educate herself, Roxanna immersed herself in Persian poetry, history and design traditions. Drawing inspiration from centuries-old motifs, her designs reinterpret symbols such as the paisley, long associated with eternity and renewal, and the celestial geometry of Persian gardens, translating them into contemporary, gold-plated jewellery.
Across Telah’s two collections, Motherland and Cosmic Garden – the latter launched this year – her jewellery serves as a physical expression of identity. From the Cosmic Numbers necklace to the Rising Lotus pendant and Eternal Source studs, each piece is rooted in Persian symbolism and crafted in Telah’s signature warm yellow gold, inspired by the rich hue of traditional 24-karat Persian gold.
On Her Upbringing
My Iranian culture is like a massive part of my identity. Obviously when you’re going to school and there’s not that many Iranians, how much can you really embrace that, especially at a young age? So that was quite difficult subconsciously. I went to Iran every year for the summer and made so many memories being around all the extended family, which was so different from our experience in London. That shaped my earlier years, it’s something I hold really close to me now.
On Why She Decided To Set Up Her Brand
I think jewellery has always had a really sentimental value as someone who’s Iranian. Going to Iran as a child, it was just a thing where the aunts would take you shopping and get you a bracelet that you could have forever. That was really special, so gold was a big part of the identity. But shopping in the UK, I wouldn’t necessarily see Persian cultural influences, like poetry, expressed through jewellery. That really inspired me to fill that gap and be able to authentically preserve the ancient Iranian identity.
On Her Creative Pivot
I definitely went through periods of feeling lost, especially right before I started Telah. It just feels so authentic to me, being able to express those emotions and translate all of those experiences that you’ve had growing up into pieces that hopefully will connect with loads of people, even people who are not Iranian.
On How She Would Describe The Jewellery She Creates
I want people to see the pieces and feel the sentiment that was put in it through the symbolism and the storytelling. Something that I learned when I was designing was that people see a piece, but won’t be able to read about it. So you have to feel that through the physical form – preserving the identity that won’t be erased.
On Her Most Prominent Motifs
I’m really connected to paisley, just seeing that around my home growing up and it’s something that’s always carried so much familiarity for me. The symbolism behind it and the different interpretations of what it represents, how it can be like the swaying cypress tree, something which represents eternity. I read about Persian gardens and what they represent, just connecting to that truth, which is eternal and ever-flowing. That’s something I keep returning to, I chose it for the necklace, the bracelet and the ring. Something I also came across was the Simurg, a mythological creature similar to the phoenix. It represents the interconnection between the earth and the sky.
On Her Favourite Design
The rose and the thorn studs. There’s a saying in Persian culture that without a thorn there’s no rose, just the duality of both things.
On Her Material Palette
It’s all hand-crafted, which is something that was really important to me because of the history of craftsmanship in Iran, it is something that I wanted to carry through. They’re made in the UK from recycled sterling silver and then plated in 24 karat gold, which has this really yellow appearance that’s quite common in jewellery sold in Iran.
On Her Creative Process
Personal things, like subconsciously how fear may sometimes hold you back. Because I have to do everything myself and teach myself, I really have to overcome a lot of those barriers. Also, the side of being a perfectionist, knowing when to let go and when to surrender those designs But I think that’s really rooted in the sentiment of the stories that I put into the pieces, all these prints that I was surrounded with growing up. It was definitely healing to be able to read about those and connect to those and speak to my parents about them. I want to spotlight these symbols and preserve Iranian identity. I like the power that physical forms can have in connecting us to something deeper.
On What’s Coming Up
Creating more with women in the community. I have a short film coming out soon surrounding poetry and how these women connect to their creative truths. I’d love to release some more pieces as well.
Photography courtesy of Telah.
