Atelier

At Atelier Raniwala 1881, We bridge the roots of Rajasthani handcraft's heritage with the modern fashion trends. Many aspects blend together to craft the unique masterpieces of timeless jewellery. Our proficient design team and highly skilled craftsmen work together to bring the best of handcrafted heritage jadau jewellery.

Art of Handcrafting Jadau Jewellery

STEP 1 - DESIGN - CHAAP

The design is the first & most important step where the graphic representation/ blueprint of all ideas and thought-process is formed. The proficient designers at Raniwala 1881 work hard to prepare exquisite formations out of modern inspirations and our rich heritage. These designs are shared with the karigars at Atelier Raniwala 1881, who bring them to life with sheer aestheticism.

STEP 2 - MOUNT- GHAT

Making of Ghat, the second step of crafting the Jadau Jewellery. Ghat is a gold frame over which the complete jewellery is built; crafted by Ghadia. The sections are structured to bring the final look of the design. Depending on the design, it could be a single structure with sections or different separate structures. Since Kundan; 24 karat – pure gold is too soft for jewellery, the ghats are made using 14-22 karat gold forms. After the ghats are completed, they are given to engravers for next stage of art.

STEP 3 - ENGRAVING - KHUDAI

Khudai being the third process, is where engravers create beautiful reliefs on the ghats for enameling. The skill-set of engravers is incomprehensible, not just because of the delicate formations but for the artistic aesthetic with which they forge the composition. For engraving, the Ghat is mounted on a wooden baton, with a layer of sealing wax, then the outlines are prepared using a pen or pencil then the engraving is done using a sharp metal tip. The engraved piece of Ghat is shared with the Meenakaars for the further ornamentation.

STEP 4 - ENAMELING – MEENAKARI

Enameling, here is the art of ornamenting the gold by fusing glass in it. The colors and patterns add the story and richness to the piece of art. After the hard work done by the engravers, the meenakaar takes over and prepares the colors as per the design. The meenakaar paints the enamel using a brush then fires it at high temperatures, so the enamel holds the surface. Multiple coats are painted and fired to achieve the desired thickness and reflection. After cooling the enamelled piece, the jadaia takes it to the next process of embedding the stones.

STEP 5 - EMBEDDING – JADAI

Jadai is the fifth stage of this process, where the jadaia embeds the gemstones using kundan in the structures of the jewellery. The ghat is again mounted on the sealing wax, the laakh is filled in every section of the ghat & is heated again to remove any air pockets. Jadaia sorts the stones on behalf of an acute calculation of caratage as any slight change in the measure of the stone can be a problem while settling the complete piece. After sorting, gemstones are foiled with a shining metal foil (made of gold or silver), as it adds depth and brilliance to the stone. After foiling – the Jadaia creates a precise rim around the structure of gold over the layer of lac, places the foiled stone and fills the sides with layers of kundan all around, when the kundan layers are filled enough to come over the rim – the excess kundan is removed. Once all the structures are completed – the finished pieces are send for the final process of prioi.

STEP 6 - BEADING – PIROI

Piroi is the final step of making a jadau jewellery. After all the beautification with meena and jadai, piroi assorts it to the final piece of art. All the segments of beautified ghats are composed together with the use of threads & metal rings; pearls, small gold beads & stones are tied to embellish the final look. With precise work of needles and gems, a fine piece of art is produced that justifies the nuances of its making process with divine luxe.

OUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Blend of past and present

At Raniwala 1881, an ethno-contemporary approach is the foundation of our design philosophy. We believe ourselves as patrons and purveyors of the heritage jadau-craft but our inimitable spin is to approach it through a modern lens. We believe in narrating the rich story of India’s heritage and its traditions through our designs. We try to preserve the hand-craft of jadau by introducing and innovating various design languages while keeping the rich heritage alive. Think of it as a dip into the past with an eye on the future.