Jaipur Jewels & Materials
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sun 21 Apr 2019 22:57
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Jaipur Jewels and Materials – Factory
Visits
 After we had visited a couple of
pretty temples Mob asked if we would “like to visit a jewel shop and material
place, but they will want sell you......”. Sounded like fun so we pulled in next
to a small polishing shed with huge shop attached. Welcomed by a nice man who
explained the process. They deal mostly with semi-precious
stones. I heard Bear sigh with relief.......
 After a rough cut the stones are
ready for the polishing machine. The white paste in
the small dish is made from diamond powder. Coconut oil is painted on the
spinning disc, it is the only oil that cannot be absorbed into the stone. The
‘arms’ on each side of the spinning disc have tiny holes all the way up the arc
where the pointy end of the polishing rod are poked in to get the angle of the
facet.
 The small pieces of stone are attached
to a polishing rods and many lay in wait, they have
to be rotated as they get too hot to handle.
 The
polishers work all day.
  Once in the shop we were introduced
to hundreds of necklaces of mixed stones, tigers eye,
lapis lazuli, sun stone, garnet and so many more. The shorter necklaces start at
two pounds, plus six per cent tax. The longer the necklace, the rarer the
stones, the price increases.
 Rows and rows of every type of ring,
brooch, bracelet and at the far end single stones to
be chosen and made to order.
 Shelves of Hindu
gods and goddesses, elephants and all sorts.
 My favourite bit was rummaging through
two big boxes of pendants seeking bits for my travel
bracelet. Bear sat down......but did a bit of rifling too.
 I came away with a little elephant (to represent Sri Lanka), a set, semi-precious stone (for India) and an owl (for the Ranthambore National Park as they didn’t have
a tiger). Each about six pounds fifty plus tax. Chuffed and delighted. My purse had shuddered on the way in but was very happy on the
way out.............
 Just a short drive from
the jewellers, I got to play at block printing. I was given a little square of
white cotton and placed a dye covered block and
produced the magic thump. Lifting the block, there was my
elephant.
 The blocks are teak and carved on site to whatever is needed.
  The next two
blocks were handed over covered in dye.
   Our elephant was
complete.
  Normally a completed piece would soak
in salt for two days, and dried in the sun after a thorough rinsing. No time for
our chap so he was given a quick briny swill and
rinsed. His colours ‘popped’ and we went inside while
he dried.
 On a workbench was
a completed two metre run costing about eight pounds. I was excited,
oh dear.
 It was at this point, after being
offered water, Coke or masala tea that our guide went
into full sales pitch. Groan.
 At the other end of so many cuts of
fabric, a withering assistant. Some runs were very
nice, if a little too ‘busy’ for our liking. Some block printed, some machine
produced. Material, sheets, duvets, scarves, shawls, pj’s, dressing gowns – in
cotton, cotton mix, linen through to pure silk. I don’t mind paying a pound or
two more to support local firms but two and three times the price with
questionable quality........ We tried our best looking at male and female
shirts, cushion covers, table cloths, table runners and just as we both gave up
our guide produced a reject trouser bag. I came away with two fairly shiny
trousers at fifty pence each. One has the pockets on the insides of my legs, the
other I doubt will manage the art of sitting but.......for working on
Beez....happy.
ALL IN ALL PLEASED TO HAVE
DONE IT ONCE..............
INTERESTING JEWELS, MATERIALS TOO BUSY AND
PUSHY |