Meenakari jewellery is a must-have for all the jewellery lovers out there. There was a time when meenakari jewellery was equivalent to regality and was widely enjoyed by the royal households because of its pretty designs on a gold base. With time, other base materials like silver, copper, brass, etc gained popularity and helped in making these delicate pieces a little affordable.
History of Meenakari work
While some historical references believe that the art of Meenakari work originated in Persia and it paved its way in India through Mughal invaders, others feel that Meenakari has a timeless association with the vibrant state of Rajasthan. Raja Man Singh of Amber established the foundation of the meticulous work of Meenakari in Rajasthan by bringing highly skilled Currently, Jaipur is celebrated as the hub of Meenakari work. Being a type of enamel work, gold enamelling is widely done in Jaipur, Delhi and Banaras whereas Udaipur, Nathdwara and Bikaner are renowned for silver enamelling. Lastly, Pratapgarh is famous for its glass enamel work. To retain a monopoly over the craft of meenakari, the process used to pass from one generation to another and only men of the family were involved in making products. The process was kept a secret from the women of the family as well because they feared that after getting married women will take the craft to another house thus adding more meenakars in the market.
However, with time, we can see this trend changing and the craft isn’t limited to family businesses anymore. Our collection of meenakari jewellery online is inspired by blooming lotuses and come from the home of our nationally awarded master artisan. Each and every piece of our meenakari jewellery is a reflection of our finely skilled craftsmen and the craft they have been practising all these years.
The Process
The execution of this craft requires the utmost precision and skills. It is done by carefully fusing individual pieces of finely powdered coloured glass. To attain the bright colours in the glass a wide range of oxides is used. Apart from glass powder, some craftsmen use powder of precious and semi-precious stones like quartz, crystal and sapphire among others to make expensive pieces. Popular bases of Meenakari work are silver, copper, gold and sometimes white metal.
Meenakari jewellery is definitely a product of teamwork that takes place over a span of a few days to even months. The process begins with nacquash (designer) to make an eye-catching design. After finalising on the design, a sonar (goldsmith) moulds the base into the desired shape. As said earlier, the base does not necessarily have to be of gold but can be of copper, silver or white metal as well. Once the base is ready, a kalamkar (grafter) carefully engraves the designs made by the designer on the base and passes it to the meenakar who is responsible for carrying out the entire enamelling process.
Pieces of glass or precious/semi-precious stones are finely crushed and infused in the base as per the engraved design. This semi-finished product is fired in a kiln so that the enamelling can fuse with the base and the oxides can reflect their bright colours.
After the process of firing is finished and the said product is cooled down, a ghotnawala polishes the enamel to bring out a vibrant glow and finally, a kundansaaz sets in solid precious and semi-precious stones. To conclude the process, a patua (stringer) threads (if required) the product together before it can hit the markets.
Our Meenakari Work Products
Our collection of meenakari jewellery is truly one of its kind. With the markets flooded with all kinds of designer jewellery, as a consumer if often becomes difficult to choose authentic products from the available options.
At Craft Maestros, we have the perfect range of meenakari jewellery online and all our products come with a certificate of authenticity to make sure that only genuine products are being safely delivered to your doorstep. To place an order you just have to add your favourite products to the cart and proceed to checkout. At checkout, you can avail for the online payment method of your choice.
