Indian Accessories

From the very ancient times people in India are in the practice of making and using bead jewelry. Indian jewelry is very famous and Indian jewelry designers are appreciated lavishly for their innovative exquisite designs. Indian bead jewelry is no exception;

it has placed a firm foot in the global market.
Beads are made out of a variety of materials and these beads in turn are used to make fine jewelry. Some popular types of bead jewelry are Glass bead, Shell, Metal bead, Crystal, Ceramic, Wooden bead, Pearl, Clay bead, Paper bead, Gemstone bead, Papier mache bead, Plastic bead, Bone, Horn, Ivory, Coral, Resin bead, Seed bead, Rudraksha bead, Myrrh bead and Coco beads.
These materials are used to make different types of beads and these beads in turn are strung on elastic, natural fiber thread, wire, or nylon to produce various attractive bead jewelry. Or bead ornaments are made by fitting these beads to various surfaces. A great deal of imaginative, creative and dexterous skills is required in the creation of beads. Raw materials could be converted into beads of various shapes and sizes. The popular bead shapes are spherical, tetragonal, oval, cylindrical, diamond shaped, flat, bugle or tubular, charlotte cut.
It is possible to decorate the beads in various methods. It could be made more attractive by painting, varnishing, engraving etc or adorned with glitter. There are transparent, translucent or opaque beads and they are available in almost all shades like watery colors, pastels, bold shades, florescent bright colors, metallic hues etc. To say the least, there is great scope for the manufacture of bead jewelry in unlimited shades, shapes and decorative designs.
Most of the popular ornaments such as necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, bangles, finger rings and armlets could be made out of beads. Articles like belts, brooches and hair jewelry studded with fascinating beads are also available in plenty. Charming jewelry made out of beads was in vogue in India since very early ages. Indian jewelry, consisting of tribal trinkets, fashion jewelry, custom jewelry and even traditional ornaments, has been crafted out of various kinds of beads.

On first thought, the term ‘Jewelry’ is interpreted as trinkets of gold, silver and platinum, inlaid with gemstones or chunky ornaments made of naturally available materials like shells, bones etc.

Most Indians are not familiar with the concept of glass jewelry, except glass bangles, a trademark of Indian femininity.
Glass bangles are manufactured almost all over India and are sold out in various colors and designs with beautiful decorations. Glass bangles are available as carved, filigreed, engraved, and studded with gems along with other decorations. In the lengthy Indian history, at one point, these bangles had provided marital status to a Hindu woman.
Glass jewelry also is used to incorporate earrings, pendants, rings and beads that are used in the manufacture of necklaces, bracelets, anklets etc. The glasses that are often used in the making of glass jewelry are cast glass pieces, fused glass, and glass beads. The glass beads could be made in different ways such as may be wound, drawn, molded, lamp-worked or of diachronic glass.
In the fused glass jewelry, glass of various colors is cut to small pieces and glued together and heated in a kiln. The glass pieces melt and fused together and become one. Fused glass could be used to create colored and beautifully shaped jewelry like pendants. Ductile glass is heated and stretched around a solid core like a metal wire to produce wound glass beads. It is given shape by tools or pressing or rolling on a hard surface and then decorated.
Drawn Glass Beads are formed when a hollow tube is inserted into a ball of hot glass and the glass strand is pulled out to form a glass tube that is then chopped to make individual beads. Micro-beads or seed beads are good examples of modern drawn glass beads.
Molded Beads are made by heating glass rods till they are molten and then feeding them into a machine that stamps the glass and creates a hole in it. To make the beads smooth they are rolled in hot sand. Such beads are made in the Czech Republic.
A thin metallic film is fused on the Dichroic Glass so that when you view the glass from different angles you can see different colors.
To make Lamp-worked Beads, soft glass or soda-lime glass is melted and shaped using a torch or flame. The molten glass is merged with other pieces and shaped using tools, followed by annealing, a process by which the glass gets cooled at a controlled rate, thus reducing the stress and preventing the glass from breaking.
Sea-glass jewelry, another type of glass jewelry, has not yet received due recognition. It is made of pieces of glass washed into shore, smoothened and polished naturally. Sea-glass is used for making very pretty jewelry as it is found in many shades.

Rajasthan state could be termed as a Shopper’s Paradise more than any other Indian state because it still continues to use its very old techniques and skills in the traditional craft to create some of the most gorgeous and exciting products in the world,

to name some Tie and dye fabrics in radiant colors, fine block printed textiles, beautifully carved wood and ivory items, lacquer and filigree work, precious stones that are delicately cut, exquisitely enameled silver Victorian jewelry etc.

Particularly Rajasthani jewelry is very famous for its craftsmanship and designs. Jaipur meenakari, a very special work done with colored glass has world wide popularity. Rajasthani crafters work on silver skillfully to make enchanting ornaments embellished with various multi-colored stones and beads and women love to wear these beautiful pieces. These are ideal options for affordable gift shoppers.

In the field of sterling silver also, Rajasthanis have established themselves substantially in the manufacturing and exporting of eye-catching jewelry blended with traditional and rich cultural heritage. They offer superior quality products with innovative designs and exquisite craftsmanship.

Thewa Jewelry is a unique type of jewelry originated in the state Rajasthan in 1767 under the patronage of Maharawat Samant Singh. Theva locally means “setting”. Theva is a traditional art that requires great skill. It involves fusion of 24kt gold with multicolored glass. Pure gold sheets are fitted in a bed of resin and then the whole design is pierced on the gold sheet. The finished sheet known as the Theva Ki Patti is slowly and carefully taken out and is placed on the colored glass base. This unit gets fused when heated on in open crucible. Each unit has a flat piece of red, green or blue glass usually depicting ruby, sapphire or emerald. The colored glass is given a special treatment to produce more glitter to highlight the gold jewelry. The Theva jewelry with its breathtaking intricate designs and the raging colors enjoys a worldwide appeal and popularity.

Beaded silver jewelry of Rajasthan can satisfy those who look for something trendy and colorful as various colored gemstone beads are used to embellish this type of jewelry. This beaded jewelry is available in ethnic and traditional designs and also in a variety of shapes and colors. You can design your own beaded jewelry by selecting your favorite beads of gemstones of desired shape and color as semi-precious stones are available in all possible colors.