Thewa Jewellery: Unveiling Rajasthan's Intricate Art Of Gold On Glass

Thewa is a refreshing and elegant form of jewellery from Rajasthan. This 400-year-old craft has its origins in Pratapgarh. The term thewa is a portmanteau of two Malwa words, tharna (converting gold into thin sheets) and vada (the silver framing of the ornament). Goldsmith Nathu Ji Soni is known to be the creator of this craft.

“When Nathu Ji described the process of making the pieces to the then-ruler of the Devgarh province, Maharaja Sumant Singh, he picked up the two Malwa words and combined them to name the art form, thewa,” said Raghav Raj Soni, the sixth-generation thewa artist from the pioneering family. Nathu Ji Soni was also conferred the title of Raj Soni (Royal Goldsmith) by Maharaja Sumant Singh.

Designing Thewa

Thewa involves thin sheets of gold inscribed with meticulously punched designs. These sheets are then fused with coloured glass to give you the most beautiful pendants, ring centrepieces and earrings. These gold foils are etched with scenes of a baraat (wedding procession), Maharana Pratap riding the horse, Lord Krishna with gopis, hunting scenes, peacocks, flowers and royal weddings. Many of the designs are also inspired by the wall murals from the palaces of Pratapgarh.

However, Soni is experimenting and innovating with novel designs and techniques to make the jewellery relevant to the present times. “We have started using precious stones along with Arabic, Persian and 3D designs on our pieces,” he said.

Talking about the relevance of thewa jewellery for brides, he said, “Many women are ditching the overdone kundan meena for thewa.” He also mentioned that one could experiment with maximalist thewa rani haars and minimalist pendants for their trousseau. “Each piece, crafted with meticulous detail, tells a tale. It is encouraging to see many brides choose it for their special day.”