A strand of Chrysoprase in Divot green from Jaipur.
We are in the middle of the dessert and many of the old buildings and palaces are made of pink sandstone or yellow lime stone. The old walled in Jaipur area is referred to as the Pink City. Intricate stone carvings along the building show the long history of skilled craftsmanship and stone works in the town.
Jaipur has long been a center for the fabrication of jewelry and is the trade center for stones, jewelry, gemstones, textiles and home textiles. My opportunity to buy gems for my jewelry collections. We wander around and visit jewelry and gemstones shops, we see men sitting at grinding wheels, carving facets into precious stones, others welding gold bracelets or setting stones. This is traditional jewelry craft at its finest. It is a very impressive experience for me, to be reminded how much work goes into a little faceted stone that came from the earth.
We sit with gemstone dealers in their tiny shops, take hours to carefully select strands of stones for future collections. My creative instincts are in overdrive, I have to hold back and focus on the projects already planned.
We hunt for colorful Topaz, Onyx, Amethyst in light and deep purple, Garnet, Peridot, Rock crystal and Topaz.