Bangla Begum, technically, means "lady from Bengal" but it is also a full name. It's the name of the imaginary character my brand is based on.

I was tired of mainstream storytelling, which I think are often flat-out lies, and wanted to embrace fiction as a way to talk about my work. 

The reason I chose the name Bangla Begum is because I started my jewelry career in India, where I worked and lived for almost 10 years. Although I lived in Rajasthan, I learned jewelry with Bengalikarigars, and I wanted to honour that.

Although my products and my art direction have nothing much Indian or Bengali, I did want one aspect of my brand to reflect the beginning of my career and the people with whom I first learned about jewelry, hence this name.

It was also important for me to choose a name with a Muslim heritage as one of the reasons I ended up leaving India was my sadness and horror at the way the Muslim community, more and more, is being targeted by Hindu nationalists there, and the way Muslim culture is being erased from the official narration of India. 

It may sound very little, but to have Bangla Begum as a brand name, to me, is a small way to make this heritage visible in the global landscape. And let me tell you, it's bad in France too. In fact, a few people tried to dissuade me from choosing a Muslim name for my brand, but I was determined!

Which brings me to another point, or maybe just an answer to remarks I sometimes get about my "profiting" from Bengali culture: I don’t think my brand name is actually helping my business! If I had wanted an efficient brand name I would have chosen a single, short and simple word with maybe one French detail about it like an acute accent.

I do think that the name Bangla Begum is making my brand more obscure to my main audience. But I don’t mind. 

Also, I feel like - but I understand if some people feel otherwise - making products and images taken from Indian and/or Bengali culture, *that* would be, to me, appropriation. I instead chose the name Bangla Begum as a reminder, a little sparkling sign of remembrance, not a pool of designs and imagery I use in my work. 

To sum it up, my brand name is a little bit dissociated from my products and is meant to honour the country where my jewelry career started. I don’t think it is helping my brand at all so I don’t think there is any advantage for me there. It’s just my story, and however weird, it still is my story.

My name is Fanny Boucher and I founded Bangla Begum in 2019. I have been designing jewelry for 15 years, first in India where I used to live, then in Paris where I co-founded a fine jewelry startup. A couple of years ago I left my startup and started working full time on Bangla Begum.

Bangla Begum turns jewelry codes on their head with resolutely singular pieces, a gender fluid communication, exceptional craftsmanship usually reserved for fine jewelry, and CSR commitments that are still rare in the sector (with a strong focus on the preservation of artisanal skills and the ecological impact of its packaging).

In terms of pure design, I describe my work as poetico-political jewelry. If you need a more palatable word, I am also fine with literary jewelry! A friend of mine says that I make “jewelry with chutzpah" which I like too.

I do try to put thoughts and humour into my pieces and there is definitely a big narrative element in them. Literature, the written word, is very important to me and it shows - at least I hope!

What is sure is that for me, jewelry is not an accessory. It’s a medium, a shield, a talisman, sometimes a weapon and at the very least, a story.

Both! I’m in an open relationship with jewelry. I like the way costume jewelry allows us to play and experiment, as customers and as designers, but I also like gold, old cut diamonds and weird gemstones.

I have always been frustrated by the segmentation of the jewelry world: it’s either just gold, or just costume, or just bridal. Even workshops operate like this, even though it’s the same techniques.

With Bangla Begum, I didn’t want to price out anyone, but I didn’t want to limit myself either. And I think people appreciate this. They understand that some pieces are spectacular and difficult to make, hence expensive, and that some pieces are more fun and affordable. In fact, I think customers are highly sophisticated, they get it!

Bangla Begum's level of CSR commitments is rare in the costume jewelry sector, with a strong focus on the preservation of artisanal skills and the ecological impact of our packaging.

Our design and manufacturing process is based, for each piece of jewelry, on four pillars: the proximity of the craftspeople who make it, the origin of the materials that compose it, the ecological impact of its packaging and the preservation of French and local savoir-faire.

We strive to honor local and historical manufacturing cultures and our jewelry is sustainably manufactured by French and European workshops, each specialized in a specific craft. Committed to transparency, we also mention, on each jewel's product page, the origin of its components.

We are also committed to reducing waste and therefore produce only small series. We also craft two collections a year using dormant material and have created a fine jewelry one, the Bin Bling collection, using only discarded material.

Finally, as members of the 1% For the Planet global network, we give back 1% of our revenue to environmental organizations.

Most of our jewelry is made in-house in our Parisian atelier or locally in France. For some specific skills, not available in France, we work with European workshops. And because a few specific skills are available only in Asia, we have partners there too.

• 3D design: Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• 3D printing, casting, galvanoplasty: Ile-de-France
• Chains: Germany, France
• Fine jewelry: Rhône-Alpes
• Glyptic, recycled resin, findings: Italy
• Mechanical findings, fusion setting: Asia (these skills have disappeared in Europe)
• Mounting, soldering, coloring: Paris
• Packaging: Spain
• Paper: England
• Paper goods: Paris
• Pearls, strass (colored): Asia (Austria and the Czech Republic recently stopped producing colored strass)
• Shipping boxes: Austria
• Shredding: Lorraine
• Stampings: Seine-et-Marne
• Strass (white): Austria, Czech Republic

Sustainable yet delightful packaging has been at the heart of the Bangla Begum project since the very beginning. When the Boob ring, our first design, came out, it was delivered in upcycled vintage jewelry boxes. Today, we still deliver our fine jewelry pieces in this way.

Our core packaging is made in Spain using paper made of recycled coffee cups. Our shipping boxes come from Austria and are made of undulated kraft paper, a sustainable and durable material. We encourage our customers to keep it and use it for storage. The shredding in our shipping boxes is 100% recycled and our cards and stickers are printed in Paris. Our pouches are made in Brittany using upcycled linen and our velvet ribbons, in the

Good question! My unpopular opinion is that any brand making a product should abstain from claiming they are fully sustainable. But we can have better standards and do things in a way that is way less harmful to people and to the environment.

It all started with a joke. I wanted to poke (gentle) fun at people who wear signet rings. What better way to do this than by using a nipple instead of a coat of arms? Also, the shape lent itself to it. But when the first Boob ring arrived from the atelier, I realized it was way, way more than a joke. It was a powerful piece of jewelry about women and feminity. A talisman, a shield, a weapon even maybe. And in the end, very much a symbolic signet ring. It was as if I had got a grave echo to my first, humorous thought. I will never forget unpacking this first prototype!

We know this can be issue, so we decided to ship a ring sizer (for free!) to anyone who needs one. All you need to do is order it here.

The first resizing is free! Just email Salomé, our customer care fairy, at hello@banglabegum.com and she will let you know how to proceed. Just make sure your ring still has its wax seal on, other wise we won't be able to resize your ring for free!

There are a couple of ways to handle this. The first option is to order our free ring sizer and somehow make the person try it on. The other option is to order the Boob ring in any size, then email or DM us so that we put your order on hold and send you a calligraphed card announcing a Boob ring has been ordered for the person. Our calligraphed cards are a beautiful object to gift! Then the person can get in touch with us to confirm his/her finger size. Finally, a third option is to order a Boob ring in a size we have in stock (email us for this) and to exchange it later. In any case, we are always happy to help so do email us with any question or deadline and we will let you know what we can do!

You can return your Boob ring or request a resizing free of charge within 30 days of receiving it. It must be unworn, in its box, and its seal must be attached. Simply contact Salomé at aiuto@banglabegum.com and she will guide you through the process.

The Boob ring is available in sterling silver or 18kt gold (yellow, rose or white). We also produce it in vermeil upon request, but do bear in mind that vermeil wears off quickly on round polished rings.

Yes, it is a theme I love exploring. I made a ring in the shape of an antique statue's b*m and another one with a phallus on a bow. And the Pompeia necklace has a tiny b00b on it.

This is what many people say when they arrive at the atelier. When they try on the Boob ring, they forget about this. I myself had never worn a chevalière before I made the Boob ring. Now I have a hand full of them!

I designed the Boob ring for the small finger, and I still think that it is its destiny, but it can be worn on any other finger. Personally, my favorite is two Boob rings, one on the small finger and one on the ring finger.

The Boob ring weighs more or less 15g. It is not heavy but you do feel its presence on your finger. In a good way.

Of course!

You can return your order for free within 30 days of receiving it. It needs to be intact and in its original packaging. The Boob ring, the Marcellus ring and the Magic ring must have their seal still attached. To request a return, simply contact Salomé at aiuto@banglabegum.com and she will guide you through the process.

Soon! For the moment, you can buy our jewelry directly at our Parisian atelier and until January 2025, at the Bon Marché.

We do! Every day! We use UPS and DHL.

Yes. All our parcels are independently insured by Helvetia. If anything goes amiss, you will be refunded immediately.

Jewelry is fragile and our lives can be tough on them. Please be gentle. Store each piece separately in its own box and keep it away from water and chemicals. Take it off to work out and make love. Use a chamois cloth to clean it. Beware of excess light and heat. And for your gold and silver jewelry, use ultrasonic cleansers with caution.

Repairs are free for one year if there is a technical defect on the piece. If the issue is caused by normal wear and use, we are happy to repair your piece for a small fee it if it is technically feasible. Email us at aiuto@banglabegum.com and we will guide you through the process.

You are most welcome to come to the atelier! We are open from Monday to Saturday (10am-7pm). If our bench jewellers are there, they might even be able to repair your piece on the spot.

The Boob ring is made of silver, a fabulous and malleable metal. You can keep it radiant and shiny by using a chamois cloth. Please note that the shape of its band will slightly alter if you wear it every day, it's normal - especially if you ride a bicycle.