Dhani Ram Khanna Jewellery – Fine handmade jewellery

Gold strip being made according to the design

GADHAI

Designing Process

Ghadayi’ is the process of making the skeleton or framework of the jewelry piece. Firstly, thin gold strips are prepared from a rolling machine. These are cut, coiled, shaped according to the design chosen by (or given to) the karigar using small tweezers and fine tools.

These are placed or ‘set’ on a wax board to exactly replicate the design and then soldered together to form one solid piece such as an earring or a pendant. The black residue on the piece after the soldering process is cleaned using mild chemicals and then dried. Lac is heated and poured into the creeks, which are supposed to hold the gems.

Gold strips being soldered together to form
one solid piece

Gold strip being shaped according
to the design

Soldered strips being set on wax board to
exactly replicate the design

The pendant framework, finally taking the shape
of the intended design

Lac being heated and poured into the creeks,
which are supposed to hold the gems

KHUDAI

‘Khudayi’ is the process of engraving or etching the pattern on the front or back (or both) of the jewelry piece. Though most of the motifs are floral or inspired by nature, some are geometric as well.

Exquisite engraving requires a steady hand, high precision and immense concentration.

Floral pattern being engraved on the pendant
Floral pattern being engraved on the pendant
Details of the floral pattern being engraved
Details of the floral pattern being engraved

MEENAKARI

The jewellery piece on which the colours have to be applied
The jewellery piece on which the colours have to be applied
Colours being applied with thin spoke in the engraved pattern and after few more process and techniques here comes the final product.
Colours being applied with thin spoke in the engraved pattern and after few more process and techniques here comes the final product.
Jewellery piece with complete meenakari / enameling
Jewellery piece with complete meenakari / enameling

‘Meenakari’ is the technique of decorating the jewelry with enamel. It is an intricate and laborious process. Mostly red, green, blue and white are used. Combination of these with the color of gold is called ‘Panchranga’. These colors are applied with thin needles or spokes in the engraved pattern.

The jewelry piece has to be fired as many times as the number of colors used. Firing could be done in an electric kiln or on the coils of the domestic heater using a thin iron mesh. This fuses the color to the gold. Once all the colors are filled in and fired, the piece is scrubbed with a filer to enhance the gold outline of the pattern. Then this is boiled with a mild acid for sheen and sent to the next karigar for stone-setting.

Stones being heated &
placed on lac

24 ct Gold foil made soft &
malleable by hammering

JADAYI

‘Jadayi’ is the process of gem setting by inserting a gold foil between the stones and their mount. Diamond, sapphire, emerald and ruby are the stones commonly used.

To provide depth and refraction, a piece of silver foil is placed under the stones, making them gleam.

These are heated and placed on the lac, after which, pieces of 24 carat gold foil (made soft and malleable by hammering) are set into the sides of the gemstones till they grip on tightly.