Traditional jewellery-makers in Assam demand GI tag to protect their craft 

Raising the ‘fake’ alert, they say duplicates are flooding the market ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and the Government should crack down on them 

Nagaon: Amidst the poll drama ahead of the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Assam, more than half of the Ranthali village in Nagaon constituency, mostly populated by traditional Assamese jewellery-makers, have raised concerns over duplicates flooding the market. As reported by ANI, they have demanded that the Government crack down on fakes and safeguard their interests by bestowing Geographical Indication (GI) status on traditional Assamese jewellery.

Villagers of Ranthali are majorly into crafting traditional jewellery. A local involved in this craft said, “Almost the entire village is involved in this profession. Ours is the only village in the entire country where pure Assamese jewellery is crafted, and it is native to Ranthali. The jewellery reflects our traditional craftsmanship. The base material for our ornaments is silver, on which we layer a range of stones. A layer of 24-carat gold is used on the jewellery pieces. Our ornaments also have historic value.”

He pointed out that fakes made in other States have taken over the markets, which is alarming, as they are quite similar to the original pieces. He also added that the duplicates were manufactured and pushed in from China.

“Our jewellery pieces don’t come with the GI tag. We have been asking for the GI tag since 2013. Fake pieces that are flooding the markets are made in neighbouring States, as well as in China. They are a major cause of worry for the goldsmiths here. Apart from safeguarding our interests, the new Government at the Centre should work towards developing Ranthali as a tourist destination. We need more development in this region and Assamese jewellery should be given the same importance as the traditional jewellery of Rajasthan,” he told ANI. 

Traditional Assamese jewellery is a very prestigious part of Assamese culture. Some of the popular traditional Assamese ornaments or Asomiya Gohona include earrings called Lokaparo, Keru, Thuriya, Jangphai, Long Keru, Sona or Makori; an array of necklaces including Golpata, Satsori, Joon biri, Bena, Gejera, Dhol biri, Doog doogi, Biri Moni, Mukuta Moni, Poalmoni, Silikha Moni and Magardana, and rings including Senpata, Horinsakua, Jethinejia, Bakharpata and others. 

The jewellery is typically hand-made, and the designs mostly depict flora and fauna treasures of the region. Traditional designs of Assamese jewellery are simple but decorated with vibrant red gemstones, ruby or mina work in black, red and green on gold-plated silver.  

Retail Jeweller India News