Ganjam

Filigree Jewellery

for Growth
While gold filigree mostly
produced in Bengal
remains a hit, the
intricate craft is slowly
diminishing in Odisha,
Ganjam

the state where the

craft originated.

Text: BY SOHINI DEY

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Gaja
Ganjam

I
t’s delicate, almost fragile, and Time-honoured craft But in its contemporary form,
the texture is reminiscent traditions filigree practice in India draws from the
of lace. Filigree has been To members and stakeholders in the technique’s rich heritage in Odisha, where
traditionally associated Indian jewellery industry, filigree hardly the art of filigree initially developed and
with fine craftsmanship and requires any introduction. The technique flourished. The tarakashi filigree is a
luxurious designs in classical jewellery. of ornamental metalwork gained favour long-standing tradition of crafting jewels,
The art of filigree has been utilised to craft among jewellers who found it possible practised by karigars in the eastern regions
artefacts for many centuries now, but its to use it to create fine, delicate jewellery of the state, primarily Cuttack. While
popularity rests on its incorporation into in gold and silver and more sporadically, practitioners in Cuttack traditionally
traditional jewellery. In Bengal, whose in other metals as well. Filigree has been employed silver in creating filigree
karigars are revered as being among the employed in crafting jewellery in cultures jewellery, the technique received a new
best makers of jewellery in the country, across the world – records show its use in lease of life as it gradually travelled to the
filigree has become an indispensable part ancient Greek and Phoenician civilizations neighbouring state of Bengal.
of the state’s cultural and artistic legacy. and it was a popular technique utilised
Thanks to the highly-skilled craftsmen and in Europe in the late medieval centuries Gold filigree popular
enterprising jewellery houses in the state, as well. But today, filigree has come to When it comes to sales figures, gold
filigreed gold jewels today constitute a be associated very intimately with the filigree jewellery is still shining brightly.
substantial portion of gold jewellery being jewellery craft in India, and, in particular, It is mainly artisans from Bengal working
sold within and outside the country. the state of Bengal. within the state or scattered across the

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ago artisans in the state began to modify

the otherwise straight-line metalwork
into meandering shapes – it has come
to be known as the “chowmein” pattern,
deriving its name from the massively
popular Chinese fast food found in shops
and shacks at practically every nook and
corner of Kolkata.
Employing filigree ensures that
customers can have access to bigger
pieces of jewellery without having to
spend excessively. Jewellery that scores
both in terms of aesthetics and pricing is
the USP of filigree. According to Nilesh
Parekh, the emergence of machinery and
technological advancements in jewellery
has given an added boost to the gold
filigree jewellery in Bengal, assisting
craftsmen to create jewels with finer
wiring to achieve enhanced intricacy
in patterns that used to be extremely
difficult, if not completely impossible, to
achieve by hand. Technology has created
new dynamics in the jewellery industry,
allowing for traditional crafts such as
filigree to be reinvented in various ways
without necessarily tampering with the
essence of the art.
in recent years, filigree jewellery from Of course, the complete penetration of
India makes its way to far-flung countries, technology is yet to occur in the jewellery
including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and units in Bengal. Both Pankaj Parekh and
Gaja

Iraq. Even in India, every store is sure Nilesh Parekh are however optimistic
to stock some amount of gold filigree about the future, especially with the
jewellery.” impending opening of an Indian Institute
Today, the craft has come to be of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ) in Domjur,
country who are involved in the creation intimately connected with Bengal not West Bengal, where emphasis will be
of these metalwork wonders. Pankaj merely from a commercial perspective but laid on teaching artisans the means and
Parekh, vice-chairman of the Gem and also a traditional one. “Bengal has been a methods of employing new technology
Jewellery Export Promotion Coucil centre for both gold jewellery and the craft in creating innovative designs using
(GJEPC), sheds light on the astounding of filigree,” says Nilesh Parekh adding that traditional jewellery crafts such as filigree.
contribution of Bengali karigars in the sale what makes gold filigree so popular and It is also being hoped that the institute
of gold, saying that an average of 200 kilos successful is a combination of factors such will encourage young people to join the
of gold per day is crafted by the artisans in as cost-effectiveness, ingenuity of design industry.
and around the state. and immaculate craftsmanship. Filigree’s flourishing status in Bengal
Almost three-fourths of the massive In a market where gold prices are has much to do with the patronage
volumes of gold jewellery being crafted high, incorporating filigree designs have provided to the craft’s practitioners
for both domestic and international a number of advantages. To begin with, by the people of the state. Bengalis are
markets incorporate some amount of the signature wirework ensures that the traditional customers of gold filigree and
filigree. As Nilesh Parekh, chairman of pieces are lightweight and bigger pieces it’s practically impossible, even now to
the Kolkata-based manufacturers Shree can be crafted by the use of minimal gold. find a Bengali bride who will not have at
Ganesh Jewellery House Limited, puts it, To use a single design element in covering least a few pieces of filigreed jewellery in
“Since the expansion of export markets more surface area of the pieces, a few years her trousseau.

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Hemraj Jewellery Craft

Hemraj Jewellery Craft

Over the years, karigars from Bengal
have made their way into jewellery units
and factories all over the country carrying
the art of filigree with them wherever
they go. As a result, today the influence
of filigree craft is evident in gold designs
in places like Gujarat and South India.
Despite the rising popularity of diamond-
and gem-studded jewellery and more
contemporary designs, filigreed gold
jewellery still remains a favourite among
the masses who continue to find better
investment value in the metal.

A different picture in Odisha

In Odisha however, the state of affairs
is hardly as rosy. Though the craft was
initiated in the state, it was Bengal with its
capacity of commercialising the designs
and providing more suitable infrastructure
where the craft prospered. In Odisha, In the face of insufficient support from easily, but do not since there is no demand
most filigree work is still done in silver the government and lack of clientele, the for it. Ganjam is the firm’s only client
and lack of access to modern machinery art is in danger, says Ganatra. In India, commissioning filigree designs in gold.
and dependence on hand-crafting makes the biggest client of Hemraj Jewellery On the whole, the state of filigree and
it difficult to create products in massive Craft is Fabindia. Ganatra rues the lack of its future lies in a somewhat complex
quantities. Bharat Ganatra, proprietor of interest among foreign buyers saying that state of affairs. On the one hand, the art
Hemraj Jewellery Craft, a Cuttack-based it will be virtually impossible to sustain is thriving in Bengal – the craft rests on a
jewellery house that specialises in delicate the craft without the support of exports. fine balance between art and commerce
filigree work says, “The art is in a declining There is little to no customer base for gold bringing both together into beautiful, cost-
condition in the state – hardly a lucrative filigree crafts in Odisha, a far cry from the effective designs. In its more traditional
profession, most craftsmen prefer doing thriving affair in Bengal. Ganatra who will and essential form in Odisha on the other
other jobs now instead of spending hours be showcasing filigree innovation in 3D hand, the craft is going through a very
doing filigree. The craft is attracting lesser at the India International Jewellery Show difficult phase and both government and
numbers of young people who do not want this year asserts that the state’s karigars can industrial impetus seems imperative if the
to get into a profession that does not pay.” recreate silver filigree design in gold just as craft is to survive and flourish in the state. n

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