Rajputi jewellery: 'Thewa' jewellery

'Thewa' / 'Theva' jewellery involves embossing of intricately worked-out sheet gold on molten glass. It evolved in Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan India. According to the Wikipedia , Thewa is a traditional art of fusing 23K Gold with multicoloured glass. The glass is treated by a special process to have glittering effects, which in turn highlights the intricate gold work.  The process of making thewa work is detailed; time consuming and intricate, taking up to a month to complete each piece.

Thewa glass plate depicting two peacocks

Source: Wikipedia



The artwork on the glass plate is very intricate and Rajasthani in nature. The artists take immense pride in embossing forts, battlescenes and birds and animals of Rajasthan on the glass  plates. Depiction of peacocks, camels and elephants is very common.

Traditionally, thewa jewellery consisted of thewa glass plate (shown above) attached with matching beads to make necklaces and earrings. Todayy, the glass plate is used as a base to create all kinds of modern jewellery.

'Suhaag' jewellery is a term used for jewellery specifically gifted to a bride on her wedding. The woman continues wearing suhaag jewellery throughout her married life. It includes bichiya and aad.   However, thewa jewellery is not specifically associated with any occasion. One of the reasons could be the fact that unlike traditional gold jewellery, thewa art is relatively new. However, it has become extremely popular in Rajasthan, especially in Pratapgarh district and nearby areas. In fact, thewa cuff links, bracelets etc. are worn by men as well.