Our Story
Meet Sunil Devalia
Our creative lead and founder of Carynx talks about his inspirations
“I literally spent my childhood in the jungle. I grew up in Northern Rhodesia surrounded by swathes of thriving plant life and incredible wild animals.
That environment fired my imagination and continues to inspire me today.
From an early age, I was also enthralled by the Scottish explorer David Livingstone, who studied Africa’s animals closely and was once attacked by a lion. When I moved to the UK in my teens, initially to a boarding school in Kent, I found myself drawn to the mythology of the Celts and their deep-rooted respect for the natural world.
My designs for Carynx reflect my experiences and inspirations from the natural world and my interest in the Iron Age. My first collection focuses on majestic stags which were an integral part of Celtic mythology.
The company name is another nod to my fascination with the Celts. A carynx is an Iron Age trumpet used by the Celts to call troops to battle and intimidate opponents. I’m committed to ensuring the beauty of our champagne coolers is equally as formidable as the Celts’ reputation as warriors!”
Discover our process
From clay to precious metal
Learn about the design and moulding processes involved in our handcrafted champagne coolers
Sunil and his team of designers start their creative process with a series of sketches. Their finished designs are then resized and developed into prototype sculptures using modelling clay and mouldable plastic. The modelling process allows further refinement of the features. This additional crafting ensures the trademark intricacy of Carnyx designs. Once the clay and plastic model is complete, it gradually transforms into a pewter figurine through the use of a series of moulds, each one made from a different material and delivering a different creative impact. Wax is used to test the quality of the moulds with repairs and further enhancements made before each of them is declared final. The combination of moulds and processes delivers very accurate figurines with a high standard of finish and complexity. Each figurine is cast in pewter with gold or silver plating applied in line with each customer’s preference.
Finishing the metalwork
Discover how we bring the components of our prestige champagne coolers together
The skilled work of a pewtersmith ensures our finely cast figurines and delicate beading are secured beautifully to our vessels. Once the soldering is completed the figurines are thoroughly cleaned ready for finishing. Our vessels are made from 18/10 stainless steel that customers can choose to be gold or silver plated. We use a bespoke process to create the vessel’s shape and polish the surface to a mirror-like finish. The grade of stainless steel we use not only has a lustrous surface but is low maintenance and resistant to corrosion or staining. Many skilled metal workers have asked us how we create the vessel out of 18/10 stainless steel at the size that we do. They ask because the molecules in this stainless steel "remember" their original shape and will return to it when deformed. Our bespoke process, that makes this scale of vessel possible in 18/10 stainless steel, is a very well-kept secret. It adds to the overall quality and stature of our champagne coolers and ensures their prominent role at the greatest social occasions. They’re enjoyed in every luxury location from the Russian Summer Ball to the Game Dinner at St Moritz.