Terracotta Jewelry – Baked clay to Beautiful Eco-friendly Jewelry from West Bengal and Karnataka

Terracotta has been one of the old and earlier mediums used by human beings nearly for every purpose of life. Terracotta is an Italian term meaning “baked earth”. Terracotta jewelry is has been around since the beginning of civilization and is not new to the world. Archaeologists discovered that people of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro civilization had colored and well-polished terracotta jewelry like earrings, ear studs, necklaces, pendants, bangles, and bracelets.
Terracotta has become mainstream in fashion and home decor. Terracotta jewelry is very alluring for its appearance in both traditional and fashionable casual wear. The designs of terracotta jewelry are of beautiful Indian motifs and patterns that are painted with a soothing combination of bright colors.
Terracotta Jewelry is made mainly in West Bengal and Karnataka.
Once the Artisan decides on the design, and they start pre-mixing the clay and modeling it to the desired shape with hands. Once the design is made, it is dried in sunlight for two days. This process of “Air Drying” shrinks the mold a bit.
The dried clay items are placed in a terracotta pot and baked in a cow dung pottery kiln to harden. The kiln is made of dried cow dung and grass, covered by terracotta roof tiles to maintain the temperature. They are baked up to 700 to 900 degrees Celsius for four to five hours that gives the reddish-brown signature terracotta color. Then the articles are removed from the kiln and left to cool for four to five hours.
The beautiful, intricate designs are drawn on the jewelry with vibrant acrylic paint colors. Glittering paints are also used in enhancing the ornaments.
Terracotta jewelry is the trending fashion statement that suits both ethnic and western wear. They come in both traditional and modern designs with vibrant colors.