The act of creation is in and of itself a ritual including age-old techniques that have been given the artistic touch. Jewelry manufacturing is a sacred art since it uses only pure metals and priceless gemstones. As a result of devoted and extremely competent craftsmanship, ornaments manufactured with commitment and spiritual consciousness instantly become precious on their own. A piece of jewellery must go through a number of technical steps, including designing, picking, moulding, setting, cleaning, and polishing.
A well-known Jaipur family owns the state-of-the-art jewellery workshop Gudha Gems, which is renowned for its handcrafted pieces and meticulous attention to detail. The jewellery store employs 150 skilled artisans and seasoned designers. The majority of the craftspeople on their staff have received traditional training from their ancestors.
Either jewellery design or stone selection is the first step in the jewellery making process. Depending on the needs of the design, one can occasionally come before the other. In certain circumstances, designing occurs first, and in others, the design is determined by the stone's natural shape.
Jai Singh II attracted excellent craftsmen from the surrounding area to Jaipur, which practically from the beginning became a city for them. These artisans included stonecutters and jewellers who worked under the maharajas' patronage. They used enamelling and gemstones to make gorgeous, colourful pieces of jewellery that were meticulously finished on both the front and the back. Jai Singh II ordered the construction of the Johari Bazaar, one of the city's oldest markets, which launched Jaipur's gem and jewellery industry. There are still a lot of little businesses and emporiums in the market. With the help of current entrepreneurs, Jaipur has expanded on this illustrious legacy by becoming a major hub for the cutting, trade, and production of contemporary jewellery.
On behalf of over 6,000 exporters, the Gems and Jewellery Export and Promotions Council (GJEPC), established in Jaipur by the Ministry of Commerce, works to promote the Indian gem and jewellery industry. It is challenging to estimate the overall workforce for the gem and jewellery industry in Jaipur. The city's organised jewellery and gemstone cutting companies are included in this sector, as are the neighbouring regions and a substantial cottage economy where families and households perform contract production.
Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera, two enterprising history students, founded Amrapali Jewels in 1978 as opposed to other Jaipur businesses that had been around since the 1700s. Both guys were looking to launch a company that embraced Indian history and culture, and they discovered that jewellery was a great way to do this. They didn't have a long-term business plan when they launched the company; all they had were a few hundred rupees and a burning desire.
To find unique tribal jewellery to reimagine in their vision, the two ventured to isolated areas in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Orissa. These items could be obtained for a very small sum, frequently just 10% over the metal value, in secondhand shops and pawnshops. They used parts of the original jewellery in a lot of their creations.
Amrapali introduced the tribal motif into the world of expensive, stylish jewellery, luring Bollywood stars and other affluent clients. Up until the company constructed its first plant in Jaipur, the majority of Amrapali's jewellery production was outsourced to craftsmen in the nearby cottage industry to meet the expanding demand.
The stereotypes of India come together in Jaipur: buildings in every colour imaginable, cows wandering the streets, stunning palaces and courtyards, crystal-clear lakes, winding lanes, people wearing brightly coloured apparel, etc. It is one of those princely cities that has cherished and preserved its royal past and wealth of age-old skill, which it has learned from and gained from all areas of the world. When one is born in this ancient country, one inherits the propensity for craftiness and artistic talent shared by the people of Jaipur. Few people are aware that Jaipur was one of the country's first planned cities. It's improbable that his name won't appear when you Google "Jaipur history." He must have been a really idealistic individual to envision and plan the construction of a city that would be alive with art and craftsmanship. Along with palaces and royal residences, workshops where artisans could polish their trades and prosper were established in the parched environment. An enthusiastic collector of gemstones and jewellery, it is said that he imported eleven families from various areas of India who were renowned for their artistic propensity in jewellery. The majority of these families are now carrying on the Maharaja's legacy.
One of the best locations in the world for coloured gemstones is Jaipur, where skilled craftsmen have been cutting over 300 different colours of precious and semiprecious stones for centuries. Both seasoned professionals who have been cutting and polishing gemstones for many generations as well as more recent newcomers are prevalent in the market. "We had enough of garnets in and around Jaipur, and there was a lot of garnet cutting and polishing done in those days. Gradually, jewellery makers started introducing emeralds and other precious stones since they had the talent. Given the abundance of garnets discovered in Rajasthan, Jaipurites must have developed the art of cutting and polishing gemstones independently. In reality, Maharani Gayatri Devi once told me that artificial stone work and costume jewellery were being produced in the City Palace during Ram Singh's reign.
The cutting and polishing of gemstones has taken place in Jaipur ever since the city was founded, demonstrating the age of the sector. A stone's best part is turned into a faceted stone, and its second-best part is turned into a cabochon. Another special talent that Jaipur learned from the Mughals was carving jewels; stones that cannot be carved are turned into beads, and those that cannot be turned into beads become uncut stones. Jaipur literally leaves no stone untouched.