All You Need to Know About Jadau Jewelry

Want to embarrass that gossip loving aunty, who is boasting of her pricey collection of jewelry? Ask her to differentiate between polki and jadau jewellery and I bet she will not be able to differentiate between them. Not just her, even the educated lot might fail to tell you what is what. So, it is important to know what makes jadau different from polka. Jadau jewelry is made with gems and other semi-precious material. Whereas polki jewelry is made with uncut diamonds. But the point here is not to make you differentiate between the two, but to help you understand what Jadau jewelry is.

What is Jadau?

Jadau is not to be confused with Kundan or polki. Kundan is the technique which is used to make jewelry with glass beads. The same technique is used to make polki jewellery. The only difference is polki jewelry is made with uncut diamonds. But jadau is a little different here. The literal meaning of jad is embedded, and that’s the technique used by jewelers who make jadau jewelry. Jadau jewellery is made with precious and semi-precious stones, which are embedded into gold by heating the gold first and then cooling the same piece of gold.

Who introduced it?

Jadau was brought to our country by the Mughals. Later the craftspersons of Rajasthan, particularly Bikaner, brought them to perfection. Till date the jadau work of Bikaner gets special preference. With time, the design of jadau jewellery has gone through a massive change and spread to other cities such as Jaipur and other states like Gujarat. Today, Rajasthan and Gujarat are the two most well-known states for bringing breathtaking jadau jewellery designs to us. However, jadau jewellery is available through major jewelers of the country.

How is Jadau made?

If you observe the making of jadau, it looks a little complicated. It certainly demands high level of expertise and a team of craftspersons. Each member of the team needs to be aware of their responsibilities. The primary design of the ornament is curated by the chiterias. People involved in making holes to complete the process embedding. People involved in this process are called ghaarias. To complete the process, gold is melted a little to make it pliable. People involved in making jadau jewellery need to be careful and they must have an eye for detail. When the slightly melted gold cools down, the gems or crystals are set on it. After that the enamellers design the back of the ornament with meenakari designs.

Jadau is known for its regal appearance. It can make any Indian bride beautiful. Jadau has also gained popularity in the heart of the Indian brides due to its extensive presentation in Bollywood. Because every woman wants to look regal on her wedding. So, it is wise to look for the best jeweler around you who can provide you with the best jadau jewellery. However, if you can travel to Jaipur or Bikaner or even in the popular cities of Gujarat, you will be able to find the right collection of Jadau for yourself.