The Pink City has long had a history of arts and craftsmanship. From the times of the Maharajas of Jaipur —who played a vital role in fostering and preserving the city's crafts by providing support, encouragement, and opportunities for artisans to showcase their skills — to the modern day, when luxury brands come to source their raw material, the city has remained the art and crafts capital of the world.
Italian luxury brand Bvlgari has a long and strong connection with Jaipur. In a recent documentary by National Geographic CreativeWorks, Lucia Silvestri, Bvlgari's Jewellery Executive Creative Director, was seen sourcing gems in Jaipur for the brand’s high jewellery collections. Silvestri also spoke about how The Pink City’s rich heritage and culture were an inspiration for Bvlgari’s artistic creations.
But apart from gemstone setting, Jaipur is known for many other crafts. Here, we profile a selection of the best (and most luxurious) crafts the city has gifted the world.
Jewellery
While some of the world’s most dazzling jewels are found in the city’s ateliers, Jaipur is also renowned for several jewellery styles, including Kundan, Meenakari, and Polki work. These are styles unique to Rajasthan and feature intricate craftsmanship that the city excels in. Johari Bazaar, Jaipur's cherished jewel, is where you can find a wide array of jewellery and traditional crafts.
Textiles
When it comes to luxury textile design, Jaipur has a storied heritage that goes back centuries. The now-popular block-printing technique originally hails from towns like Sanganer and Bagru and several renowned international luxury brands, including Dior, Hermes, Valentino, and Gucci, have adopted these. Indian designers, too, have extensively embraced this handcrafted technique in their collections. Known for its unique, delicately crafted patterns and bold hues, bandhani (tie and dye) is another textile craft that finds its origins here. Whether it’s soft mulmul, luxurious silks, or contemporary reinterpretations of old motifs, Jaipur’s textiles are a blend of heritage and high fashion, sought after by both local designers and international luxury houses.
Pottery
If you’ve ever been to Jaipur, you couldn’t have missed the striking, distinctive blue pottery on display throughout the city. The craft was brought to the city by Persian artisans in the early 19th century. The then-ruler of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II, was spellbound by the craft and commissioned the artisans to teach it to the locals. Today, blue pottery has become a distinctive feature of Jaipur, and the eye-catching cobalt hue is used to create everything from floral motifs and animals to abstract designs. It has also been an inspiration for numerous luxury houses.
Marble Work
When it comes to pure, exquisite marble work, rarely any place can beat Jaipur. The region is known for its high-quality Makrana marble, which has been used for centuries in temples, palaces, and now luxury homes around the world. Fun fact: Both the Taj Mahal and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi were created using Makrana marble.
This year, the marble industry is valued at a jaw-dropping $137 million (INR 13.7 Crore) and is pushing out more than 164,000 global shipments for countries like China, the UAE, the USA, and the UK.
Jaipur’s unique and intricate jali work (latticed marble screens) and floral inlay using semi-precious stones are other crafts popular on a global stage today.
Furniture
From Pottery Barn to West Elm, they’ve all found inspiration in Jaipur’s traditional furniture pieces. Featuring detailed wood carving, hand-painted motifs, brass and bone inlay and sometimes even touches of gold leaf, these pieces combine modern artistry with age-old techniques. Whether it’s an antique-style chest, a hand-carved mirror frame, or a jharokha-inspired cabinet, Jaipur’s furniture has found its way to some of the world’s most celebrated homes, offering a rich, ornate and regal touch to countless interiors.
