The Amrapali Museum at Jaipur by Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera will showcase silver jewellery & miscellaneous objects

After having crafted pieces that have been on the must-buy list of most women, the founders of Amrapali Jewels are setting up a museum. The founders — Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera — are showcasing a collection that is unique because it draws from the “everyday” life of the people of India and have invested several years  in documenting and researching the collections.

The museum, which will open later this year, also seeks to explore the enormous range of inspirations for design that were available to the Indian craftsman over time, from nature, religion, geometry or international trends, seen through both the jewellery as well as the range of silver objects in the collection — from spittoons, rose water sprinklers and paan sets; to plates, tea sets, and assortments of boxes in every shape, size and type of craftsmanship; to personal accessories as small as a toothpick, or elaborately made silver shoe covers; and the most extravagant item of all, a chariot covered with silver.

Unlike most other institutions and keeping in mind the founders’ vision of sparking awareness, interest and providing opportunities for scholarship, the Reserve Collections will be in a visual store, effectively making everything available for visitors to see. Some gold and jewelled items will also be on display, in keeping with the aim of being representative of Indian art and craftsmanship.

Amrapali Jewels started out as a labour of love nearly 40 years ago when Rajiv and Rajesh became friends at college and that continues to this day. They were initially spurred by a general love for art and handicraft — a legacy from their hometown of Jaipur, which has a history of engagement with the “industrial arts” as they were known in the 19th and 20th centuries — which led them to travel as young men to see as much as they could of India.

As they admit candidly, they did not start out imagining that the road would lead to a collection, or even a museum. However, along the way, as they interacted with other jewellery enthusiasts, expert silversmiths and trained their own eyes, they began to understand the value of their pursuit. They observed common pieces becoming rarer over the years, and with the rush of westernisation and changing tastes, the appreciation for indigenous design and craftsmanship begin to wane. One way of addressing this was through their business enterprise — Amrapali Jewels — which they established in 1978, it has grown into an internationally-acclaimed name in jewellery. Over the years, Amrapali Jewels has regularly used the collections gathered by its founders to inspire its modern offerings, and is one of the brand’s distinguishing features.

 However, Rajiv and Rajesh felt that they could do more, both to share what they have with scholars, students, connoisseurs and other visitors to Jaipur, as well as to highlight the traditional silver jewelled arts of India in what is arguably the capital of the arts and crafts of India.