Rajasthan, men and women traditionally wore necklaces, armlets, anklets, earrings and rings. With the advent of the Mughal Empire, Rajasthan became a major centre for production of the finest kind of jewellery. It was a true blend of the Mughal with the Rajasthani craftsmanship. The Mughals brought sophisticated design & technical know-how of the Persians with them.

Thewa pendant
The common link was the inherently decorative nature of the Muslim and Hindu Art. The synthesis of the two cultures resulted in a period of grandeur and brilliance that dazzlel the eyes of foreigners and has passed into legend.
Rajasthan, men and women traditionally wore necklaces, armlets, anklets, earrings and rings. With the advent of the Mughal Empire, Rajasthan became a major centre for production of the finest kind of jewellery. It was a true blend of the Mughal with the Rajasthani craftsmanship. The Mughals brought sophisticated design & technical know-how of the Persians with them. The common link was the inherently decorative nature of the Muslim and Hindu Art. The synthesis of the two cultures resulted in a period of grandeur and brilliance that dazzlel the eyes of foreigners and has passed into legend.

Making of bangles
The jewellers of Rajasthan specialised in the setting of precious stories into gold and the enamelling of gold. Jaipur, and to some extent Alwar, emerged as the enamelling centres par excellence in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Enamelling was introduced by Maharaja Man Singh who had cordial relations with Akbar. The enamelled gold staff of the Maharaja is unsurpassed even today for its brilliant colours.

For enamelling, the piece to be worked on is fixed on a stick of lac and delicate designs of flowers, birds and fishes etched on it.

A wall is made to hold the colours, while engravings are made in the grooves to heighten the interplay of the transparent shades, thus enhancing the beauty of the jewel. The surface is fully burnished by agate; then the enamel colours are filled in painstakingly as in a miniature painting. The article is then justify in the oven on a mica plate to keep it off the fire.Colours are applied in order of their hardness; those requiring more heat first, those requiring less, later.

Bejewelled tribal belle

 

When set, it is rubbed gently with the file and cleaned with lemon or tamarind. The craftsmen in Jaipur are believed to have originally come from Lahore. In Jaipur the traditional Mughal colours of red, green and white are most commonly used in enamelling.
A quintessentially Indian technique and a speciality of Rajasthan is the setting of stones by means of Kundan, the jewellery in which stones are set, is rarely solid gold, it has a core of lac, a natural resin. The pieces which make up the finished object are first shaped by specialised craftsmen (and soldered together if the shape is complicated) and justify in separate hollow halves. Holes are cut for the stones, any   engraving or  chasing  is carried  out, and  the pieces  are      enamelled. When the  stones  are    to be set, lac  is  inserted  in  the  back, and  is then  visible   in the front through the holes.
Highly refined gold, the kundan, is then used to cover the lac and the stone is pushed into the kundan.
More kundan is applied around the edges to strengthen the setting and give it a neat appearance. This was the only form of setting for stones in gold until claw settings were introduced under the influence of western jewellery in the nineteenth century.
More than one craftsman was often involved in the making of a single piece of jewellery. The chiterias made the design, the ghaarias the engraving, the meenakari as the enameller and the sunar was the goldsmith. These craftsmen received patronage from the nobles and the kings, and therefore, they did not have to compromise their art for the sake of popular taste.

Meena work on back of necklace

They could take as long as they liked over a piece of jewellery.Many of the oId styles remain unchanged to this day. In Pratapgarh a special type of quasi-enamelling is done in which extremely fine work on gold is daintily carried out on green enamel which forms the base.In Nathdwara a good deal of enamel work, on silver and other metals is done nowadays as a futherance to this famous age old craft.The State Government of Rajasthan is committed to the revival of traditional crafts of Rajasthan and providing of employment opportunities for aspiring artisans.

The Masculine Jewellery : Vanity, a love of opulence and deep aesthetic sense gave the Rajas and Ranas of Rajasthan a great fondness for jewellery. The men were as elaborately and dazzlingly dressed as the women, with jewellery that often rivalled that of their wives.
Tiger claw necklace-lucky charm It was a status symbol and a portable display of wealth, and consequently, power.
Turban jewellery was the prerogative of the king, his close family or the members of his entourage (including his horse). The turban it-self would be heavily encrusted with jewels and fastened with a gem set kalangi or aigrette. Men also wore necklaces of pearls and precious stones, carring jewelled sashes around their waists and several rings on every finger.

The ornament worn in front on the turban is called a sarpech. It was often extended into a golden band set with emeralds, rubies, diamonds. Pearls were greatly valued by the Maharajas and they often wore double or triple strings of pearls with pendants of precious stones round their necks.
The sashes round their waists were heavily jewelled as were the clasps or buckles of their sword belts.
Masculine jewellery was not confined to articles worn on the body alone. The Rajasthani princes had gold epulets, gem encrusted sword hilts, dagger sheaths, sword scabbards and hookah mouthpieces.
The commoner of Rajasthan has traditionally worn jewellery too, though what he wears is made from more modest metals like silver, and gems are substituted by coloured glass.
Earrings, armlets and anklets of silver are still commonly seen adoming the rural Rajasthani male. Males also wear
 necklaces, earrings and lucky charms which are considered to ward off evil.