The Unrivalled Craft of Jaipur’s Jewellery Making

The process of jewellery making in Jaipur, Rajasthan

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gyan Museum (19 century) by Gyan museumDastkari Haat Samiti

The art of creation is itself a rite surrounded by traditional skills invested with the magical touch of an artist. The craft of jewellery making is considered sacrosanct as it deals with pure metals and precious stones. Ornaments made with devotion and spiritual consciousness automatically become valuable on their own as a result of dedicated and highly skilled craftsmanship. A piece of jewellery goes through many stages of designing, selecting, moulding, setting, cleaning, polishing and many other intricate processes. 

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Gem Plaza, a state-of-art jewellery workshop owned by a prominent family of Jaipur, is known for its handcrafted jewellery and attention to detail. The jewellery house has a team of 150 specialized craftsmen and experienced designers. Their team of craftsmen mostly comprise of traditionally trained artisans who acquire the skills from their forefathers. 

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Most of their craftsmen come from Bengal, as they are known for their special aptitude for crafting jewellery and have been probably an apprentice to a senior goldsmith to find work in different city.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

They also provide training to amateurs. A new entrant to the workshop gets trained by working on brass and silver for one to two years, and later he moves to handling gold jewellery, once he has perfected his skills.

The production process ranging from designing to final polishing is done in-house.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Preparing the sketch

The process of crafting jewellery starts either from designing or stone selection. At times one precedes the other depending on the demand of the design. In certain situations designing comes first while in others the natural shape of the stone dictates the design. 

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Hand drawn motifs of a four-leaf clover collection with variations.

In the conventional manner the design is sketched on paper and after the final approval it is shared with the team of stone selectors and mould makers.

The stone is first shaped and then refined for lustre. The final process involves finishing and quality checking before the piece is displayed.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Jewellery manufacturing unit (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Selecting the right stones

After the design is approved, it goes to the expert who does the selection of stones depending on the design, the shade, size and quality of stones required. According to Sandeep Jain, a stone selector in the establishment for the past 7 years, a pack of graded gemstones does not take much time. It is the non-graded stones which makes it a tedious and lengthy process.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

The size of each gem stone is measured to check if it fits the design suitably.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Besides the size, the shape of a stone plays an important role in its selection for a particular design. A magnifying glass is used to check different facets of a gemstone.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Shaping the stones

The pencil-like wooden tools used to shape gemstones, have tips covered with wax. The wax on the tip is melted to fix the gemstone on it and sculpt the stone in the required form.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

The stone is fixed onto the wax tip of the wooden pencil-like tool, so that it does not move while filing. The gem is rubbed on a revolving copper plate to cut and shape it.

While making the cuts the craftsperson checks its shape at frequent intervals with a magnifying glass. A paste made of diamond powder and coconut oil is used to polish it.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Shaping the edges of a round gemstone (2018-03-01) by Gyan MuseumDastkari Haat Samiti

Shaping the edges of a gemstone.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Preparing the metal work

A range of tools is used to create gold or silver wires of different sizes.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Prabhat Dey scrapes a gold wire to make it thinner and get the required size. From the wire he makes shanks, the circular part of the ring that fits the finger.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Prabhat Dey has been working in the production section of the organisation for the past 10 years. He specialises in making gold and silver wires.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Robin Verman shapes a gold bangle by putting it on a wooden block and correcting its girth.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Fashioning a gold bangle (2018-03-01) by Gyan MuseumDastkari Haat Samiti

Robin Verman shapes a gold bangle by putting it on a wooden block and correcting its girth.

Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Bringing together jewel and metal

A craftsperson sets an emerald into a diamond frame of a gold bangle. The neat handcrafting and attention to detail makes each piece a treasured possession.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Cleaning, Polishing and Quality check

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

A craftsperson polishes a diamond piece using the traditional technique of rubbing it against a waxed thread.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Final polishing is done with the help of a hair buff.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Part of the cleaning process of a necklace (2018-03-01) by Gyan MuseumDastkari Haat Samiti

The final stage of cleaning involves sreaming, which helps in eliminating the smallest dust particles and water stains.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

Quality check of the stone is done with a magnifying glass.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Quality check of precious stones (2018-03-01) by Gyan MuseumDastkari Haat Samiti

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gem Plaza Jewellery (2018-03) by Gem PlazaDastkari Haat Samiti

At the end of every year uniforms and all personal effects that have been inside the workshop and other items such as the workshop’s floor coverings are burnt.

This is done to condense gold waste and dust that accumulates, to be reused.

Jewellery of Rajasthan: Gyan Museum (19 century) by Gyan museumDastkari Haat Samiti

Credits: Story

Text: Rashmi Sacher
Photography: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Artisans: Craftspersons at Gem Plaza workshop
Ground Facilitator: Harneet Pabbla, Rashmi Sacher
Documentary Video: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Curation: Ruchira Verma

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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