Antique Jewellery

Antique is not a colour we spray on. It is a finish built by hand, layer by layer, until every carved edge and every kemp setting reads clearly from three metres away.

Antique finishing is the hardest thing we do, and it is the reason retailers who buy this category from us rarely change supplier. The patina has to be even across a 90 gram haram, consistent between the necklace and its earrings, and identical when you reorder eight months later. Machines cannot do that. Karigars who have done it for twenty years can. WHAT THIS CATEGORY COVERS Temple-form antique chokers, harams and kasu malas in 22K. Kemp-set bridal suites in red, green and uncut stone combinations. Polki necklaces and earrings with foil-backed uncut diamonds. Nagas-work pieces where the serpent-scale texture depends entirely on correct oxidation to be visible. Antique bangles, kadas, vankis, oddiyanams and maang tikkas. Lightweight antique daily-wear pendants and jhumkas for the 8 to 20 gram counter. THE FINISHING PROCESS The frame is hand-built and soldered in 22K, then carved or granulated to create the relief the finish will later reveal. Stones are set individually into hand-cut mounts. The piece is then chemically darkened, and a karigar selectively brings back brightness on raised surfaces with fine abrasives and a hand burnisher. Depth is checked against a master reference sample so a reorder matches the original parcel. Finally the piece is sealed and lacquer-free polished, because sealants yellow and customers notice. QUALITY, HALLMARKING AND STONES All 22K antique work carries the BIS 916 hallmark with HUID; 18K work carries 750. Kemp stones are traditional glass-and-foil as the genre demands, and are declared as such — we never describe kemp as ruby. Polki is natural uncut diamond with a stone-weight statement on the invoice. Emeralds, pearls and rubies, where used, are origin-verified and specified by weight and grade so your counter staff can answer questions confidently. BUYING INFORMATION FOR RETAILERS Antique jewellery carries higher making charges than plain gold because of the hand labour, and it also carries a higher margin at retail — customers pay for visible craft. We quote making per gram by finish grade, and we hold your approved patina depth on file. Minimum order is 100 grams per design family. Dealer terms, region exclusivity and catalogue access are available through our dealer programme. WHO BUYS THIS CATEGORY Bridal-focused showrooms, temple-jewellery specialists, Bharatanatyam and dance costume suppliers, wedding rental houses, and export buyers serving South Indian diaspora communities in the Gulf, Singapore, Malaysia, the UK and the USA.