Jewelry making in India

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The jewelery in India is based on several traditional techniques.

General

In India, jewelry always had multiple functions. Initially, however, it served as an amulet to protect against evil spirits, it emphasized the rank and position of the wearer and should of course also "decorate". Above all, it had to fulfill the function of an investment . The property as a capital investment, which is especially important for folk jewelery, has a fatal consequence: Depending on the life situation, jewelery had to be converted into money again and again, melted down or reworked. A bad harvest or flood not only destroyed grain, cattle or entire villages, but always also jewelry. Old jewelry is therefore rarely found and the richness of forms of traditional folk jewelry has been lost more and more.

Types of manufacture

Despite the enormous variety of Indian jewelry forms, the following traditional manufacturing techniques are worth mentioning:

Jadau

This art form was introduced by the Mughals and is currently prevalent mainly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat . First, gold is melted, brought into a malleable state and decorated with precious stones . Greatest precision is required here, as the stones only hold through their positioning in the gold. Jadau is mainly worn at weddings and other ceremonies. The production of the basic construction, the engraving of the holes, the setting of the precious stones, and finally the enameling is usually carried out by different artisans.

Kundan

During the Mughal rule, the Kundan style of jewelry making reached Rajasthan from Delhi . Today Jaipur is a center of Kundan jewelry.

Here, too, the focus is on setting the gemstones and designing the ornament. Holes are cut in the precious metal into which the precious stones are inserted. Then lac, a natural resin, is poured into the hole to fix the gemstones. The resin is covered with high quality gold and then the gemstone is inserted. Kundan jewelry is often enamelled on the back (Meenakari) so that both sides have a magnificent surface (Meena Kundan - a variation of the Kundan style).

Meenakari

Meenakari is the art of decorating metal with bright colors. It is a traditional handicraft from India that requires a high degree of skill and qualification and originates from Rajasthan.

The production takes place in several work steps: first, artisans punch a selected design (flowers, birds, fish ...) into a large piece of metal with the appropriate tools. Then the desired colors (enamel dust) are applied to the pattern with a brush and fired. The heat of the kiln melts the colors so that the colored liquid can be evenly distributed in the wells.

Since the colors are burned individually, this process is repeated several times. Traditional colors like red, blue, green, and white are most commonly used for Meenakari work. Gold or silver is used as the basis of the Meenkari. Meenakari is not only applicable to jewelry. This technique can also be used to decorate jewelry boxes and even small furniture.

Pachchikam

Pachchikam jewelry originally comes from Gujarat and is again more common as a jewelry style. Making jewelry bracelets in the Pachchikam style is very complex. The basic material is silver, into which gemstones and pieces of glass are pressed. Small metal clips fix the unpolished gemstones and pieces of glass.

This craftsmanship is very old and is passed on within families. Changes in the manufacturing process are rejected, which leads to a low spread. The pieces of jewelry look raw, which emphasizes the old tribal character.

literature

  • Oppi Inappropriate: Traditional Jewelry of India Thames & Hudson (September 14, 2008). ISBN 978-0-500-28749-1
  • Hans Weihreter: Protective splendor: Indian jewelry from three centuries Edition Khyun; Edition: 2nd, revised. Ed. (May 2008) 8). ISBN 978-3-938221-05-1
  • Manuel Keene, Salam Kaoukji: Treasury of the World: Jeweled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals Thames & Hudson (May 2001). ISBN 978-0-500-97608-1

Web links

Commons : Jewelery of India  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Indian jewelry from 3 centuries , Harti Weihreter
  2. ↑ Indian jewelry India jewelry art
  3. ↑ Meenakari jewelry boxes
  4. ↑ Pachchikam Jewelery