Journal
Notes from the house
Craft, material and the makers behind what's on the shelves — written as we go.
1 September 2026The Leaf in the Ledger: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen From Madagascar Became a Modern Skincare Staple in IndiaIn the shelves of the French Institute of Pondicherry’s Herbarium, a dried specimen of Centella asiatica (accession no. 9309) rests under glass. Collected…24 August 2026Centella asiatica: From Colonial Herbarium to Craft in IndiaMadagascar’s Centella asiatica did not arrive in India by chance. It came as a specimen, pressed flat between pages of a colonial herbarium, its journey…23 August 2026The Leaf That Stood Still: How Madagascar’s Centella asiatica Became a Craft in IndiaCentella asiatica grows wild in the highlands of Madagascar, where it has been gathered for centuries by communities who understand its rhythms—when to pull…23 August 2026The Leaf That Was Gathered: How Madagascar’s Centella asiatica Moves from Highland Cure to HandFew plants carry a history as layered as Centella asiatica. In the highlands of Madagascar, where rivers carve slow curves through the earth, it spreads in…22 August 2026The Leaf in the Ledger: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen From Madagascar Became a Modern Skincare Staple in IndiaIn the late 18th century, the East India Company’s Calcutta Botanic Garden became a node in a global network of botanical exchange. Among the plants that…22 August 2026The Leaf in the Ledger: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen From Madagascar Became a Modern Skincare Staple in IndiaIn 1912, a single pressed leaf arrived at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. It was filed under the name Hydrocotyle repanda, collected in…22 August 2026The Leaf That Traveled: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen Became Madagascar’s Centella asiatica in Modern SkincareIn the early 20th century, a single plant specimen from Madagascar’s highlands made its way into colonial herbariums, a quiet witness to a moment when…21 August 2026The Leaf in the Ledger: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen From Madagascar Became a Modern Skincare Staple in IndiaCentella asiatica entered the botanical record through the ledgers of empire. In the early 19th century, French botanists working in Madagascar and the…21 August 2026The Hand That Harvested the Highlands: Centella asiatica from Ayurvedic Prescription to Madagascan FieldsCentella asiatica, known in Ayurveda as mandūkaparṇī for its resemblance to a frog’s foot, has been gathered from India’s highlands since at least the…21 August 2026The Leaf That Left the Ledger: How Centella asiatica Moved from Antananarivo to MumbaiIn 1858, a specimen of Centella asiatica—collected in India—was pressed into the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Its journey had barely begun.…20 August 2026The Leaf in the Ledger: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen Became a Modern Skincare Staple in IndiaIn 1898, a single sheet of dried Centella asiatica was pressed, labelled, and filed in the herbarium of the French Institute of Pondicherry. That…20 August 2026The Leaf in the Ledger: How a Colonial Herbarium Specimen Became a Modern Skincare Staple in IndiaIn 1858, a single sheet of dried Centella asiatica—pressed and labelled in an herbarium in India—recorded one of the earliest botanical sightings of this…20 August 2026What Is Centella Asiatica, and Why Korean Skincare Uses ItCentella asiatica shows up across Korean skincare, often labelled 'cica.' Here's what the plant actually is and why the formulation tradition leans on it so heavily.20 August 2026Indian Miniature Painting: Technique and MaterialsIndian miniature painting is a centuries-old court tradition of small-format, densely detailed work. Here's how it's actually made, and how a contemporary artist reworks the form.20 August 2026Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Actually Ethical?Lab-grown diamonds are marketed as the ethical choice. Here's what that claim is actually based on — how they're made, and what it avoids.20 August 2026What IGI and GIA Certification Actually MeansA grading report from IGI or GIA isn't a certificate of authenticity — it's a documented, independent measurement of a stone's cut, colour, clarity and carat. Here's how to read one.20 August 2026Lab-Grown Diamonds vs. Moissanite: What's Actually DifferentLab-grown diamond and moissanite look similar at a glance but are chemically different stones. Here's what actually separates them — hardness, fire, and how to tell them apart.20 August 2026The Hand That Holds the Thread: Why Hand-Spun Cotton MattersThe last shuttle clicks into place. A single thread, pulled taut between fingers, becomes the warp of a fabric that once clothed empires, resisted colonial…19 August 2026The Moissanite Shift: How a Lab-Created Stone Reshaped India’s Jewellery CraftSurat’s cutting wheels, once reserved for diamonds alone, now turn on moissanite. In India’s diamond capital, the stone’s rise has rewritten provenance and…19 August 2026The Leaf That Held Time: How Madagascar’s Centella asiatica Moved from Highland Cure to SkincareCentella asiatica grows in the highlands of Madagascar, where cool mornings and mist-laden soil give its leaves a particular balance of phytonutrients. Two…18 August 2026From Herbarium to Hand: The Journey of Centella asiaticaCentella asiatica did not arrive in modern apothecaries by accident. Its path begins in the quiet folds of colonial herbaria, where botanists preserved…18 August 2026The Long Leaf: How a Colonial Herbarium Shipped Centella from Antananarivo to MumbaiCentella asiatica arrived in Mumbai not by ship’s manifest, but by botanical specimen. In 1832 a British missionary in Madagascar sent a letter—now held in…18 August 2026The Leaf That Crossed an Ocean: How Centella Asiatica Moved from Colonial Herbarium to Modern SkincareIn 1838, a single botanical specimen left Madagascar aboard the HMS Tweed, bound for the herbarium of Sir William Jackson Hooker in Glasgow. Among the 450…17 August 2026The Indigo Line: From Vat to VaultIndigo does not begin as blue. It begins as green.17 August 2026The Lineage of Haldi: Turmeric as Pigment, Ritual, and Modern CareTurmeric is not a single act—it is a continuum. In South Asia, the same root that binds a bride’s hands in haldi ceremonies colors the walls of temples, the…17 August 2026Centella Asiatica: Unveiling the Traditional Craft Techniques and Historical ContextThe traditional craft techniques and historical context of Centella Asiatica, a key ingredient in many SKIN1004 products, are explored in relation to its…