Sunita Shekhawat trains Jaipur artisans in French techniques for fine jewellery line

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 8, 2023

Jewellery designer Sunita Shekhawat has trained her eponymous brand’s artisans in French enamelling technique of plique-à-jour. According to Shekhawat, this is the first time the technique has been carried out in India. 

Sunita Shekhawat’s new fine jewellery line has launched featuring botanical motifs and rubies, pink sapphires, emeralds, and black and champagne diamonds, the brand announced on Facebook. The ‘Bougainvillea’ line is set in 18 carat gold and has a realistic quality, achieved through the sheer effect of plique-à-jour enamelling. 
 
“We chose to experiment and take our design skills up a notch to further our brand DNA,” Shekhawat told Vogue India about the brand’s new designs. “We wanted to push our boundaries through this collection by bringing the ancient and rare French enamelling technique of plique-à-jour to India for the first time… We trained our existing artisans in Jaipur for three years, to master every nuance of the craft. Furthermore, the designer worked with over 300 shades of enamel to find the right tone to match the coloured stones to perfection, a technical rarity in the world of jewellery design.”

Based in Jaipur, the brand is inspired by the jewellery heritage of the Pink City. The 15-piece Bougainvillea line is inspired by the flowers found across Rajasthan and features necklaces, earrings, and cocktail rings. The brand retails from its two flagship stores in New Delhi, flagship store in Jaipur, and e-commerce store.