Transcendent Ornamentation: Ajoonii
owner and creator Rishita Monga in Ajoonii, 830 Chartres Street
January 2025A boutique jewelry shop recently opened on Chartres Street where the ethereal has become tangible . . . and infinitely wearable.
– by Kim Ranjbar
photos by Ellis Anderson
This column is underwritten in part by Michelle Broom
Enveloped in billowy white linens and adorned with a crystal chandelier, Ajoonii is a fantastical bijou shop, a dream manifested by owner and creator Rishita Monga. Singer, writer, actor – Rishita has many talents, but she says New Orleans inspired her passion for designing jewelry.
“I used to make music full-time. I signed with a very prestigious music label back home [in India]. I was an artist trying to make it big like everyone else, but it was not the universe’s choice for me. [New Orleans] inspired me so much, I started to make jewelry, so it chose me.”
According to Rishita, the Punjabi word or name “ajooni” means the conscience of the universe. “It’s actually two words. The ‘a’ means without and ‘jooni’ means birth. Ajooni means one without birth or one with a higher conscience.”
As a practitioner of non-duality, a traditional yogachara or Buddhist philosophy in India, Rishita was very familiar with the concept of ajooni. “It is one of the words from our holy hymns and this word always stood out for me – I just had to add one more “i” because I couldn’t find my website name,” she laughs.
Lovers of the nightly Frenchmen Art Bazaar are likely already familiar with Ajoonii and Rishita’s graceful designs; golden rings featuring semi-precious stones; earrings dangling raw, lustrous, freshwater pearls; brooches featuring delicate falls of flowers with luminous petals; or flitting begemmed dragonflies.
Leaving behind a burgeoning acting career in Punjabi cinema, Rishita moved to New Orleans in 2021 from Tampa Bay in the midst of the pandemic. She began taking online jewelry making classes for fun during the shutdowns, but the hobby quickly became a passion. Seeking a local audience, Rishita auditioned several times before she was finally admitted to show and sell her jewelry at the Frenchmen Art Bazaar in 2023.
Vending at FAB laid the groundwork for Risita to venture into other local, open-air art markets from the Uptown Freret Street Art Market and New Orleans City Park Art Market in Mid-City, to LUNA Fête – the annual downtown festival of lights, art and technology. “We’re hoping for Jazz Fest this year!” she adds excitedly.
Rishita’s designs gradually became more popular as the tenacious young artist also handled all of the promotional aspects of her growing business as well, skills gained from her previous career in showbusiness. “My paths in life have made me ready for Ajoonii. People have these opportunities in life where all the dots connect … and it happened to me.”
As word of Rishita’s designs spread, handmaking the jewelry herself became far too expensive and time consuming. Realizing the value of a good work/life balance, Rishita wisely invested both time and money hiring and training a small team of craftsmen back in India, though she still assembles select pieces in-house.
“The goal was to keep the flower pieces more accessible, the price points more approachable. I wanted every tourist to take a piece of New Orleans home with them.”
The wearable artwork at Ajoonii features two distinct collections. “Noor” – translated as radiance or divine light – is a nod to Rishita’s Indian heritage with semi-precious gems such as amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, amazonite, tiger’s eye and freshwater pearls of all shapes and sizes in 18kt gold-plated wire settings. Tiny pearls are hand-plaited into earrings or set into clusters for a show-stopping choker, while polished stones form “stepping stone” bracelets and chandelier earrings.
The second collection called “Bahaara,” a poetic word for spring or bloom, was heavily inspired by springtime in New Orleans. “The flowers I see here and the beautiful trees by the roadside. I’m inspired by everything I see here and I make them into different wearable pieces.”
Translucent and magical, Ajoonii’s red hyacinths, pearlescent butterflies and dragonflies, and spreading magnolias seem to flutter as if touched by a gentle breeze. Shaped from a mixture of hard and soft epoxy resins, they seem almost too delicate to wear.
“I always want people to hold them, try them on – these are very experiential pieces because they look like they’d be heavy and extremely fragile, but they’re none of that because of the material that is used.”
In addition to her own designs, Rishita’s shop also offers exotic clothing from Indian couture designer Kartikeya. “I invited him to New Orleans to get inspired and make pieces for me at the art market. It’s all hand-embroidered, there’s just so much work in every single piece.”
Though she can only have one item per design in the shop, Ajoonii can offer custom pieces and sizing, making the bespoke clothing available to any customer … by appointment, of course.
The brick and mortar location of Ajoonii opened on Chartres Street just this past fall. Instead of launching a boutique Uptown near her home, Rishita wanted a spot that would appeal to tourists, as thus far visitors have made up most of her customer base. “I feel that through the French Quarter, I can reach people from all over the world.”
Since opening, Ajoonii has also drawn in locals and neighbors eager to share the building’s long history. 838 Chartres Street is one in a series of six rowhouses – the oldest still-intact row in the French Quarter – built in 1828 by architects Lemoine and Lambert. The last three houses on the Downtown side were built for Simon Cucullu, a successful Spanish merchant, real estate developer and ship owner and is fondly referred to as “Cucullu Row.”
Stepping into the shop is an otherworldly experience, with harsh angles softened by sweeping white fabric and glittering displays and golden-framed mirrors suspended from the ceiling.
“Over the years, I’ve been asking my customers how my pieces make them feel and they say things like ‘this is ethereal, magical, and romantic’ – everything they said inspired the atmosphere. My goal is for everyone to step into my world and to feel the feelings my pieces inspired.”
