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Jewelry of Jaipur

Jaipur is a charming and attractive city, especially for those who love ancient heritage and exquisite jewelry. Jewelry is a very integral and inherent part of Rajasthani culture. To add to the lovely fabrics and vibrant colors, the jewelry here is contemporary, yet conventional. Jaipur is popular for its jewelry and this can be seen in its market places or 'bazaars'. Johari Bazaar, Haldion ka Rasta, Gopalji ka Rasta, M.I. Road, Maniharon Ka Rasta, Tripolia Bazar and Surajpol Bazaar are popular from gems and jewelry shopping. There are many different styles of jewelry that can be found here, including Thewa Jewelry, Kundan Jewelry and Meenakari Jewelry. The jewelers use different precious gems like rubies, emeralds, diamonds and even sapphires while working on ornaments made of both, silver and gold. The styles that are used for these pieces of art are exclusive to Rajasthan. These exceptional pieces of jewelry are made with care and finesse. Apart from the rich food and the royal heritage, Jaipur is best known for its souks and jewelry 'bazaars'.

Thewa Jewelry
Thewa jewelry has been a popular Rajasthani style since the Mughal ages. The technique of making this particular style of jewelry is a very unique process. The jewelry is made and embossed with gold sheets on molten glass. Such pieces come in a wide range of different designs and patterns that are exquisite and unique to 'Jaipuri' designs.

Kundan Jewelry
This particular type of jewelry is very popular in Jaipur, especially for festive occasions, weddings in particular. This is created by using polished gemstones in a variety of colors which are carefully set in ornately designed, pure gold, or any other metallic, base. This process begins with a complex framework called the 'Ghaat' followed by the 'Paadh' procedure and finally the molding of the lac/wax with the gems, in a process called the 'Khudai'.

Meenakari Jewelry
Meenakari is the most important style of Rajasthani jewelry and is incorporated with various other styles such as Kundan, Jadau and Thewa and temple jewelry. This particular art form was introduced to Rajasthan by Raja Mansingh of Amer. The jewelers and craftsmen of Rajasthan were taught by artisans from Lahore and this blend of 'Jaipuri' and 'Lahori' designs was called Meenakari. There is a lot of skill involved in the making of this kind of jewelry. It is a very technical process and requires a great deal of talent and dexterity. The base that is used is usually silver or gold, which is filled with various colors. For silver especially, the colors that are used are blue, green or yellow, because these are the only colors that stick to silver. With gold, however, any color can be used.

Jadau Jewelry
Jadau Jewelry, is originally from the Mughal Era, and has been made in Rajasthan since. This type of jewelry is popular for festive occasions like marriages and other celebrations. In the Jadau style of jewelry, the 'Jaipuri' artists add their own personal touch and usually use different kinds of gems, crystals semi-precious stones, precious stones and even beads. These are embedded in pre-heated and softened gold so that they fixed into the metal without the help of any glue or other bonding agents.

The gems and jewelry of Jaipur are world renowned for their antique look that never goes out of fashion. To get a closer glimpse at these classic jewelry pieces, take time out and make a pit stop at the local souks to see what it feels like to hold these artworks in your hands.