Brass and copperware in India
Buying gemstones can be something of a minefield; scams abound, and you would be most unwise to even consider buying gems for resale or as an investment without a basic knowledge of the trade. . Jaipur is a major centre for gems (and con tricks), while Hyderabad specializes in sorting pearls, which can therefore be picked up at low prices.
In the north, particularly in Rajasthan, enamel inlays (meenakari) are common. Bidri work, named I after Bidar (Karnataka), where it originated, is : a method of inlaying a gunmetal alloy with ! fine designs in brass or silver, then blackening the gunmetal with sal-ammoniac, to leave the inlay work shining. Bidri jewellery boxes, dishes and hookah pipes, among I other things, are widely sold, especially in I Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; while the Orissan filigree tarakashi is worth looking out : for. Stainless steel is less decorative and more workaday: thali sets and spice tins are I among the possible buys, available throughout the country. Among precious metals, silver is generally a better buy than gold but is difficult to distinguish from cheap white metal often I palmed off in curio shops as silver. Gold is j usually 22 carat and very yellow, but relative¬ly expensive due to taxes (smuggling from j the Gulf to evade them is rife) and to its popularity as a form of investment - women traditionally keep their wealth in this form, and a j bride’s jewellery is an important part of her dowry.