Minakari  

Enamelling or Minakari, is not indegenious to Rajasthan. It was introduced at the turn of the 16th century by Raja Man Singh of Amber. He is said to have bought five skillful labourers from lahore where the craft had flourished under the Mughals. They settled in Jaipur and created fascinating types of jewellery and decorative pieces with exquisite enamelling work in brilliant colours, such as the neclace and goblet shown.


Both Silver and Gold can be used as a base for meenakari. However, only a limited number of colours, including gold, blue, green and yellow, can be adhered to silver, whereas all available colours can be applied to gold, making it the preferred medium of enamellers.

Jaipur enamellers use the champleve method, in which engravings are made on the object to be enamelled, and these are then flooded with the enamel colour. Each colour has to be individually fired, so those colours which are most resistant to heat are applied first, as they will be re-fired with the addition of each new colour. As a rule, white is the first colour applied, and red the last.

The final object is the work of a succession of master artisans the sonar, or goldsmith the chattera, who engraves the piece; and the minakar, or enameller.Kundan ieweflery features precious gems on one side, and meenakari work on the reverse, requiring the expertise of a kundan, who applies the gems. Meenakari of Jaipur has particularly vibrant colour. The rich, ruby red the Jaipur makers produce is highly prized. Jaipur is also an important gem-cutting and polishing region.

  Tribal Jewllery 

Women, and men in Rajasthan can be seen bedecked in elaborate silver jewellery bracelets, ankle bracelets, pendants, nose and toe rings. It is said that one tribal rajasthani woman may wear on an average ornaments weighing up to five kgs.

The quality of the jewellery indicates the relative economic status of the wearer (or more accurately, of her husband) - ! Very rarely are these objects of pure silver. Usually the silver is mixed with copper to make it more malleable, although it is still of a very high grade - generally above 90%. Villagers and tribal groups of different regions can be identified by their ornaments, and these ornaments also indicate the caste to which they belong. Unfortunately, few antique pieces have survived in their original condition, inevitably being melted down and refashioned into another article according to the dictates of fashion.The ornaments of Barmer, Bhilwara, and moes of Alwar follow age -old designs often mimic of shapes o fleaves, tendrils, flowers finished with classical simplicity.