The Forgotten Art

A labour of love, the understated craft of meenakari is once again making its presence felt in the bridal storyline.

- Shivani Rai

One thing that has remained unchanged throughout history is our relationship with jewellery. From heavily be jewelled necklaces to intricately designed rings, we have loved them all the same. And a country as large as ours does offer numerous varieties of adornments that are soaked in tradition and culture. One such glorious style of jewellery making is meenakari.

Meenakari is actually a delicate art which fuses metals such as gold, copper, bronze, and silver with richly-coloured enamels to form tantalizing bijoux. Believed to have originated from Persia, this technique was used to make vases, sculptures, decorative items as well as jewellery. Complex designs are carved into metals, after which the depressions are filled with colourful enamels. The product is then placed in a kiln so that the metal and enamel fuse to become one. Jewellery pieces made by this method are rich in colour and have a royal essence to them due to which they are quite sought after, especially as part of a (Hindu) bride’s solah shringar (sixteen essential adornments). “Enamelling is a technique that requires a high degree of skill and application. It creates colours in jewellery that cannot be obtained from even the most sparkling gemstones,” says Shashwat Shah, a partner at Umrao Jewels. “A range of shades, right from deep crimson to fuchsia to turquoise to royal blue or for that matter any colour imaginable, can be introduced to a piece of jewellery. It is an art that was cultivated centuries ago, requiring meticulous care and precision to create beautiful objects.” An interesting fact shared by him is that in the days of kings and queens, the jewellery makers were told to depict in their work, scenes of war or valour. As such, the jewellery pieces of the time told beautiful stories. These days, inspiration is taken mostly from nature.