Partash is an ancient decorative craft practised in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is a unique technique of inlaying a piece of sculpted gold to create intricate patterns. This craft is believed to have originated in the royal courts of Mughal kings around 500 years ago.

An inheritance from Mughal courtly art, Partash was eventually perfected by artists of Rajasthan. Karigars first carve elaborate designs on gold. Then, they fill the sockets with lac, set natural gemstones and diamonds and fix kundan around them. Finally, they erect solid walls of gold around.

With the rise of the British East India Company, Partash slowly declined in popularity, unlike other traditional Rajasthani techniques. These include jadau (the art of setting gold around polki, glass or other colourless stone) and meenakari (enamelling metallic surfaces with vivid colours, patterns, and designs).

In her book, The Ring of Truth and Other Myths of Sex and Jewellery, American historian and mythologist Wendy Doinger studies stories of jewellery. The fascinating book explores secrets of Indian jewellery leading to a lot of references to Jaipur.

Any information on this page is anecdotal and based on publicly available details. If you're interested in learning more, click here.