 Indians use
silver as an exclusive material for creating artifacts and utensils for use on special
occasions. In fact, during the moghal rule, the craft of fabricating silver utensils
touched its zenith under the royal potronage. Indians also wear silver very generously,
religiously and purposefully. High grade silver jewellery is regarded as a form of
portable currency, identity and prestige. The village silversmith is busy creating all
manner of utensils and trinklets with the most rudimentary tools.  Many communities of Rajasthan and Gujarat use
silver utensils and adorn heavy silver ornaments since ages.The women, continue the custom
of wearing their dowry jewels day and night as a precautionary habit. Not to be outdone,
the menfolk also wear their share of necklaces. earings and chokers, often of solid silver
or silver wire.
 The traditional
method of making silver utensils and jewellery includes melting of silver, which is then
hammered into a sheet against a wooden die. For making fine jewellary, it is
converted into a square rod which is then drawn into a wire. Such sheet or wire is beaten
over a die to form the components or a linked piece of jewellery.
A similar effect can be achieved by chasing, whereby a
sheet of silver is set into a bed of shellac on wooden board and patterns created with a
hammered punch. |
