Indian Jewellery

BBC Learning EnglishLondon LifeIndian JewelleryAnna: Hello, I'm Anna Jones and this is London Life.
　　And in today’s programme we focus not so much on Londonlife as one aspect of Indian cultural life that recentlycame to London. A London gallery recently hosted anexhibition of Indian jewellery most of which was made byjewellery makers 1 from the Indian city of Jaipur.
　　Jaipur has been a centre for jewellery making for manyyears - priceless gems 2 including rubies 3, diamond andemeralds have all been turned into jewellery for the mogulemperors of the past and jewellery is still made theretoday. BBC reporter, Anna Macnamme, was shownaround the exhibition by the curator, Harry 4 Fane. She askedhim to describe one of the pieces of jewellery in theexhibition. How many diamonds are there on this necklace?
　　How many diamonds are there on that one? There are alot of diamonds because we have this top fringe 5 whichcontains there must be 200 what they call Moguul-cutdiamonds and then you’ll see a whole range of these tear-shaped diamonds set in enamel 6 which are much larger thatthe ones above and the bottom ones probably weigh about 2-3carats each.
　　Anna: Did you catch how many diamonds are on on thatnecklace? Well Harry said that there are 200 Mogul-cutdiamonds. The word mogul refers to an important person whohas great wealth or power. Harry says that you can see a “whole range” - there’s a whole set - of tear shapeddiamonds on the necklace – diamonds that are in the shapeof a tear. He tells Anna that the diamonds are set inenamel which is a glass like substance often used fordecoration. The diamonds that are set in the enamel eachweigh about 2-3 carats – a carat is a unit for measuringthe weight ofjewels.
　　London Life  ? BBC Learning EnglishPage 1 of 3bbclearningenglish.comBut why did Jaipur become such an important centre forjewellery making? Annaasked Her Royal Highness the Maharini of Jaipur thisquestion. What does she reply?
　　Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur who built the city of Jaipuris responsible for that. He built the city of Jaipur withstraight streets and beautifully designed city. And so topopulate it he invited people from all over India to comeand settle there, so many jewellers or artisans came fromBengal and from all over the Punjab and everywhere andtheir descendants 7 are still in Jaipur and they’re the oneswho do the work for the jewellery and so that’s why Isuppose Jaipur became a centre of jewellery.
　　Anna: According to Her Royal Highness the Mahararni(Marherrarnee) of Jaipur, the reason why Jaipur became acentre for jewellery making was because of a decision byone man. Maharaja Jai Singh built Jaipur and he madesure that it was a beautifully designed and constructedcity. But he also needed people to live thereso he invited people from all over India to settle in thenew city. These people included artisans – people who doskilled work with their hands. It was some of theseartisans who became the jewellery makers in Jaipur. Andit is their descendants – their relatives from latergenerations who are still working as jewellery makers inJaipur today.
　　Anna: But why was the jewellery so popular with Indianprinces? Anna put this question to Alan Jaffer, the authorof a recently published book about Indian jewellery. Whydid Indian princes like wearing jewels so much?
　　We have to remember of course that jewellery also forms avery, very easily liquidated 8 asset 9. So in fact when aprince is wearing jewellery he is wearing his Treasury 10 andrepresenting his wealth and his authority for thepossession of rare and wonderful stones.
　　Anna: Well according to Alan Jaffer Indian princes usedto like wearing jewellery because it immediately showedother people how wealthy or rich they were. They would beable to display their wealth through their jewellery and itrepresented their Treasury – how much money they had. Hesays it was also a very easily liquidated asset –jewellery was a very valuable item that could easily besold and turned into money if necessary. Alan Jaffer goesonto describe a photograph of an Indian prince who iswearing a lot of jewellery. What is the word he uses whichdescribes the male ruler of an Indian state?
　　He’s the rather extraordinary Maharaja Patialla and he wasa particularly extravagant 11 man – great great taste forshow and display. He loved medals he loved jewels he lovedcars he loved women – he had a great taste for all thatwas best in life. And its rather dazzling 12 when you look atthese photographs of these princes who were literallyshowered with diamonds.
　　Anna: The word he uses is Maharaja which means the maleruler of an Indian state. Alan describes him as anextravagant man – someone who’s extravagant spends moneyin a rather uncontrolled way. This maharaja loved luxuryand all the good things in life which included expensivejewellery – Alan says that it was rather “dazzling” –rather exciting – to see these old photographs of princeswho were showered or covered with diamond jewellery. That’
　　s all from this edition of London Life – goodbye.