Six must-visit jewellery stores in Jaipur to buy the finest coloured gems, polkis, jadau and more

Possibly the biggest jewellery destination in the world and as design-driven as Paris, Jaipur’s tryst with jewels dates back to 1727, when the Pink City was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, moved from Amer Fort and its adjoining villages to the spanking new town. With a palace at its heart, the king, a connoisseur of all things fine, built the first-ever Johari Bazaar, or jewellers’ market, that soon had artisans from all over North India, right up to Afghanistan, making it their home.

Johari Bazaar marked the start of the gem and jewellery industry in Jaipur and also the arrival of numerous legendary jewellery houses that are known for their masterpieces even today. No bride who wants to add a rare heirloom to her trousseau can miss going to this veritable Mecca of heritage jewellery. To make her quest easy, Brides Today lists the super six jewellery stories that are a must visit in her itinerary once she’s in Jaipur.

Gem Palace

Three hundred years ago, the maharaja of Jaipur invited the Kasliwals to open a design atelier within the walls of City Palace and create jewellery pieces that the royal family commissioned to them. The jewellers and the royals have shared a close, intertwined relationship ever since.

With a design ethos truly regal and rare, the house includes only the most sumptuous of gems and outrageously beautiful designs in their collections. Their repertoire reflects the Rajputana extravagance and borrows heavily from the architectural marvels of Rajasthan. Shekhawati frescoes come alive in their jadau jewels, intricately hand- painted at the back and encrusted with the finest stones in the front. The glowing divinity of the Sheesh Mahal is evident in their finest, eagle egg-sized polkis, which they set into dramatic cuffs, neck clasps, rani haars, and sarpech. The sheer intricacies of the lattice work of City Palace is recreated through masterful meenakari in pure gold. The Gem Palace is a must visit if you wish to feel like a princess or a prince, dressed in one of their heirloom pieces.

Amrapali Jewels

The fable began four decades ago when two masters of design, Rajeev Arora and Rajesh Ajmera, began exploring their roots in Rajasthan—scouring the frescoed havelis of Shekhawati, spending time with silversmiths in hallowed tribal villages, meeting craftsmen who worked under the patronage of the royals and nobles, residents of the myriad forts that dot the state. At every stop, they not only discovered a series of rare gems in design, they also started recreating masterpieces of the past and collected jewels of vintage provenance. In fact, it wouldn’t be far off the mark to credit these two design aficionados with bringing  glory back to heritage design, like the jadaus, sat ladas, pachelis, aads, kamarbandhs and sarpechs that were worn by Rajasthani women.

The brand made it to Selfridges more than a decade ago, has inspired most modern Indian couturiers and is worn by Hollywood and Bollywood stars. Helmed today by Tarang Arora, the heir apparent, Amrapali is skillfully adapting fiercely traditional and vintage Indian jewellery to modern tastes, moulding ancient techniques into boho-chic and contemporary settings. Their boho charm necklaces, clean and classic Victorian medallions, and tutti-frutti sat ladas make them the brand that they are. Though yet another ace up their sleeve is the Amrapali Museum in Jaipur—the founder’s labour of love, it’s dedicated to Indian jewellery and jewelled objects, and chronicles silver ornaments over 300 years old.

Raniwala 1881

Founded in 1881, this 140-year-old house of heritage jewels is a master in jadau. Their luxurious and regal by-appointment flagship store in Jaipur offers two floors packed with beautiful statement designs for brides. Presently handled by two industrious brothers, Abhishek and Abhiyant Raniwala, the brand is also a partner to couturier Manish Malhotra. So if you want to add a touch of couture to your wedding ensemble, then Raniwala must be your choice of bijoux destination. The beauty of their bridal bling is their rich and sumptuous yet delicate, artsy leaning. Their artisans are masters in art-infused jadaus, and the enamel art in their creations are worthy of museums.

The Raniwala design cell dives deep into the many aspects of creating unique pieces. Like the heritage of jewellery making, the emotions that involve gifting them to a daughter, the subliminal way in which we link each piece we possess to a memory...Backed by this art of storytelling, the karigars of Raniwala then craft a completely new, themed collection that makes it to the store’s shelves.

This season, brides can indulge in the Aangan collection that links their memory to their parents’ home. The line is defined by exaggerated chokers and malas with striking polki diamonds, accompanied by Russian emeralds and rubies, encrusted with lustrous gold and jadau work. Bringing in a tinge of minimalism are the dainty hath phools and delicate maang teekas.

Sunita Shekhawat

She’s the change maker, trailblazer, creator and design aficionado. To own a Sunita Shekhawat is equal to owning a piece that’s not to be found anywhere else in the world. Each piece she creates is a one-off, and every series is linked to a heritage-rich story, a folklore or a mystical, mythological tale. A beautiful and firebrand Rajput, Sunita was born into a much respected noble family of Jodhpur; she grew up playing in the courtyards of Umaid Bhawan.

She’s also deeply influenced by the Hawa Mahal, Jaipur’s design legacy, and the reigning mastery that its artisans have over meenakari, considered art by the very virtue of its essence, craftsmanship and rich history. Their challenge—and conversely their strength—lies in maintaining equilibrium between the old and the new, without diluting the authenticity of the craft. As a reflection of these efforts, brand Sunita Shekhawat has pushed forward the boundaries of meenakari by introducing a broad spectrum of colours into it, thus pioneering craft innovation—a feat that will soon be immortalised in a Sunita Shekhawat Meenakari Museum in Jaipur.

Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas

Indian maharajas were deeply inspired by the Art Deco era of design. Many a palace made in the 18th century celebrate this school of design, jewels made in the princely era too European and British in their aesthetic. Birdhichand, born from the creative mind of Yash Agarwal, is a brand deeply by the Art Deco era, as well. The emergence of this school of design was closely connected with the rise in status of decorative artists, who, until late in the 19th century, were simply considered artisans. It’s also an art form that takes away the intricacies of the Renaissance era and lends to the gentleness of lines and curves in design.

If you love Art Deco and also are fond of flora and fauna, then Birdhichand is the jewellery destination for you. Avant-garde in looks, splendorous in its sheen and perfection personified in finish, each piece celebrates the rarest of rare designs. From Burmese rubies and tourmalines to the finest Colombian emeralds and glorious purple-blue tanzanites, the brand’s reservoir of unique gemstones is a testament to Agarwal's deep understanding of coloured stones and his voracity with classic design.

TOTUKA JEWELLERS

Eclectic in their design inspiration, Totuka—founded by Sunil Totuka and now nurtured by his sons Sidharth and Gautam—is Jaipur’s most beautiful hidden gem. Personifying Jaipur’s mastery over coloured gems, polkis and the craft of jadau and enamelling, Totuka is a perfect blend of artistically designed jewels and exquisite craftsmanship. Only the finest polki diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and natural-coloured stones find their way into their heirloom-inspired collections, making it a store where trust meets design, and affordability makes buying a bridal piece feel like a song.

This article originally appeared in the Brides today volume 6 number 1 print issue.

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