Skip to content
Nexware.
Luxury handicrafts · 08

Meenakari, Thewa
& Kundan

Enamelled and gem-set work — jewellery and decorative objects where the material value and the craft value are both high, and both need documenting.

Start a brief for this line The handicrafts wing
A close-up of ornate traditional gold jewellery set with green and red stones and pearls
What we buy

What we buy in this line

  • MeenakariVitreous enamel on gold, silver and brass, in the Jaipur palette.
  • ThewaPierced gold sheet fused to coloured glass, made by one family tradition.
  • KundanRefined gold foil settings holding uncut and cut stones.
  • JadauKundan and meenakari combined, worked front and back.
  • Decorative objectsEnamelled boxes, frames, bowls and desk pieces rather than jewellery.
  • Silver and brass linesThe same techniques at accessible price points.
Acceptance criteria

What we fix before the first piece

Hand-made goods are bought against an approved sample, not a drawing. That only works if what the sample is being judged on is written down before anyone starts.

Metal and purityKaratage or silver fineness, with assay and hallmarking arrangements.
StonesType, treatment and origin disclosure; whether uncut stones are natural or glass.
EnamelColour palette, firing count and expected durability of each colour.
WeightMetal weight separated from gross weight so you know what you are buying.
FindingsClasps, posts and fittings named, and their metal declared.
Nickel and cadmiumDeclared for anything worn against skin, to the destination market rule.
DocumentationInvoice, assay and stone disclosure aligned before anything ships.

Every criterion above appears in the inspection report as a pass or a fail, with the measurement beside it. Where a criterion is a judgement rather than a number, the judgement is recorded against a retained physical sample.

Risk & compliance

What we screen before a sample is quoted

Metal purity

Under-karated gold and low-fineness silver are the oldest problem in this trade. Assay is arranged independently of the supplier.

Stone misdescription

Glass, doublets and treated stones sold as natural. Disclosure is written into the engagement, and tested where value justifies it.

Nickel and cadmium

Regulated in the US and EU for skin-contact jewellery. Tested rather than declared.

Gold provenance

Responsible-sourcing expectations increasingly reach jewellery importers. We ask the question at the outset rather than after a buyer’s customer does.

Where this is made

Clusters we work for this line

JaipurPratapgarhNathdwaraBikanerDelhi NCR

Jaipur is the centre for meenakari and kundan. Thewa is made in Pratapgarh by a single lineage, which sets both its value and its ceiling on volume.

Related lines

The other hand-made skills

Pashmina & Fine ShawlsHand-made Banarasi & Silk BrocadeHand-made Patola, Muga & HandloomHand-made Kalamkari & Hand-Printed TextilesHand-made Chikankari & ZardoziHand-made Bidriware & DhokraHand-made Temple Bronze & BrasswareHand-made Jaipur Blue PotteryHand-made Pichwai, Tanjore & MiniatureHand-made Papier-Mâché, Lacquer & WoodHand-made Kashmiri Carpets & RugsHand-made

Send us the sample. We will tell you honestly.

Whether we can source it well in India, what it should cost, and what could go wrong — before you commit to anything.

Start a brief