Enamel jewelry has been around since the 13th century, and dare I say, we are still obsessed with it! It has evolved with us and has been on a wonderful journey from the timeless heirlooms to our go-to casual accessories. Blurring the lines between traditional and modern, this contemporary element of jewelry is definitely one of our favourite designs.
Enamel or Meenakari, adds a pop of colour to every piece of jewelry. To get into the specifics, enamel is the smooth, shiny and polished element on rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces that can be matched or even mismatched according to your taste.
Quintessential bridal jewelry in northern India, Meenakari has now inspired several modern looks, be it grand or minimal. At Lunaya Jewelry, we aim to keep this craft alive and get inspiration from the evolution of it all. Our products, made with utmost care and precision by artisans with an abundance of experience, have a hint of Meenakari on them all.
This has been the year of enamelling, so to speak. Fine and demi-fine jewelry brands across the globe have adapted this traditional technique in modern jewelry designs. At Lunaya, we use lacquer-based enamel on every piece of jewelry, which gives it a solid, shiny look. Handmade, then baked, every one of our products has its own individuality with enamelling.
Though inspired from the age-old craft, enamelling today has a completely different look from the traditional Meenakari designs. Minimal is the new model, and for demi-fine jewelry, enamelling has been a very promising trend throughout its history.
Be it our dainty bracelets, stacking rings, or chunky necklaces, everything is laced with a little enamelling; whimsically adding colour and contrast that ever so gently compliments the elegance of each design.
Overseas Origin
Bringing a little perspective to it all, in India, enamelling is also called Meenakari. Derived from Persian words ‘Mina’ or ‘Mino’, which roughly translate to the ‘azure colours of heaven’, this craft has always been associated with vintage, bridal looks. Let’s take a look at the origins of this beautiful craft of jewelry; brought to India by the Mughals, this traditional enamelling technique originated in Persia and was adopted in Rajasthan when Raja Ram Singh, a member of the then Kingdom of Mewar sent out invitations to numerous Meenakari craftsmen from Lahore.
Since then, Meenakari has primarily been associated with Rajasthan and its cultural practices. Today, we see that most bridal looks have incorporated Meenakari and we are all for it. People from all over the country travel to these places for the authentic and traditional Meenakari jewelry.
The Making of Meenakari
Interestingly, no matter the shape, form or design of the jewelry, the process of its making has been constant throughout centuries.
There is a lot that goes into the enamelling that completes the look into its vibrant entirety. Enamelling is essentially an art of colouring the surface of metals with the fusion of different colours. The colours used in this are predominantly precious and semi-precious stones that are embedded into molten glass with a bordering done with wires and molten gold or silver. These mixtures don’t reveal their colours until the product is placed in the furnace. Fascinating, right?
The influence of Meenakari is seen in a lot of local Indian brands – be it fine jewelry or demi-fine jewelry. At Lunaya Jewelry, we have a great deal of respect and draw inspiration from this ancient craft; our artisans are perfectionists in enamelling our minimal and refined designs.
Explore our designs here and delve into the enamelled elegance of our carefully crafted products!
