Rubies spark fire. Evoke passions. Are mysterious. Mined in Tanzania and Thailand, Afghanistan and Kashmiri Pakistan, Ceylon and Burma, rubies have long been the most favoured gemstone of Tamilians. They have been quoted in ancient Tamil epics like Manimekalai and Silappadikaaram. Temple courtesans or thevar-adiyal were named Manikkam or Precious Ruby. [...]
Setting gemstones into gold allows for many options. You can set a diamond using a claw setting or a prong setting. In India, perhaps unique to the region, South India uses what is called the "closed setting," in which the stone nestles inside a nest of gold. This requires many steps. Watch [...]
In the crepuscular light before dawn, Karaikudi's silhouette is softer; its cacophonous traffic, muted. The air remains humid and heavy but cooler, scented by a strange combination of jasmine and gutter. Roadside stalls serve Kumbakonam degree coffee in stainless steel tumblers. Some 3000 acharis or goldsmiths live in the [...]
Literally-- red The Tamil aesthetic is tuned to muted colours and high-quality material. People love kempu because of high-quality rubies without additional embellishments. "No jigina," or sparkly stuff, as traditionalists would say. Kempu jewellery fits this profile to a T. Typically [...]
As you will see, the range of answers is staggering. Jewels are not merely gems and metal. They are carriers of memory, keepers of identity, and markers of life’s most cherished moments. Being a Rajasthani Baniya, my grandmother was adorned in a chaniya choli. Head covered. Tattooed around the [...]
"The range of jewellery available in India in terms of materials used, designs and techniques of craftsmanship is unparalleled," says author and jewellery expert Usha Balakrishnan. She gives examples. The Nagas make jewellery using beetle wings, feathers and bones. Bengalis use conch shells for their bangles. Andhra brides adorn their braids with the [...]
To create this stunning kavacha requires a flight of the imagination. You have to imagine this beautiful body and then sculpt it in that most elastic (and fragile) of materials: gold. Creativity requires many things, but imagination is key. To connect disparate things, to see what others cannot see. [...]
Behold these spectacular gold funerary sandals: invented by the Egyptians for the afterlife. They are used for that most casual of reasons: to beautify yourself, and for that most weighty of objectives: as an investment for the afterlife. Jewels go back back in time to the dawn of civilization. [...]