Meenakari
Meenakari is the craft of decorating metal jewellery with fused coloured enamel to create vivid patterns.
Meenakari is the art of decorating gold, silver or copper with fused coloured enamel, taking its name from the Persian word mina, meaning enamel or the azure of heaven. Powdered coloured glass is laid into engraved metal and fired so it melts and bonds, producing rich, jewel toned floral and geometric patterns. In Indian jewellery it is often the hidden beauty on the back of a kundan or polki piece.
How the enamel is applied
Meenakari begins with the engraver, who cuts grooves and cells into the metal surface to hold the colour. Enamel, essentially coloured glass in powder form, is then packed into these recesses one shade at a time and the piece is fired in a kiln. The heat melts the powder so it fuses to the metal as a smooth, glassy layer.
Colours are usually applied and fired in sequence, starting with those that withstand the most heat. The most heat resistant traditional colour is red, and white and green feature strongly too. After firing, the surface is polished so the enamel sits flush and bright against the gold.
The hidden face of a piece
One of the charms of Indian meenakari is that it is often on the reverse. A kundan or polki necklace may show stones on the front and a full painting of enamelled flowers and birds on the back, so the piece is double sided and beautiful even when turned over. This tradition is especially associated with Jaipur, the historic centre of the craft in India.
Meenakari, kundan and polki are three different things that regularly appear on the same object. Polki is the uncut diamond, kundan is the gold foil setting, and meenakari is the enamel decoration. A grand bridal piece can carry all three, which is why the terms are often explained together.
- Meenakari fuses coloured enamel onto engraved metal by firing.
- The name comes from the Persian word for enamel.
- Colours are fired in sequence, with red the most heat resistant.
- In Indian jewellery it often decorates the back of kundan and polki pieces.
Meenakari, in short.
What is meenakari made from?
Coloured glass in powder form, packed into engraved cells on gold, silver or copper and then fired so it melts and fuses to the metal as a smooth, glassy enamel.
Why is meenakari often on the back of a piece?
It is an Indian tradition, strongly linked to Jaipur, to enamel the reverse so the jewellery is beautiful on both sides, with stones on the front and a painted enamel scene behind.
How does meenakari relate to kundan and polki?
They are three distinct crafts often combined on one piece. Polki is the uncut diamond stone, kundan is the gold foil setting, and meenakari is the coloured enamel decoration.
Related terms
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