I have loved jewellery from the time I was very young. My memories of Pati, my maternal grandmother, in the red uncut ruby lotus necklace are myriad - weddings, family functions. Even today when I think of summers with her, the memories are entwined with this gorgeous lotus necklace. My hugging her as I [...]
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 [...]
What can I tell you about Tamilnadu? The land of my birth. Madurai Malli (jasmine), Kumbakonam degree coffee, Ambur Thalapakatti biriyani, Kanchipuram silk, and the Kaveri delta. The sari-clad matron grudgingly accepts the cellophane-wrapped plastic bag from the jewellery salesman behind the counter. “No calendar?” she asks. This then [...]