A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration (a city/town/few adjacent village and their adjoining areas) of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats. An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated (mostly in villages/townships) household units producing handicraft/handloom products. In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community, producing the long-established products for generations. Indeed, many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.

About Cuttack Cluster:-

Cuttack Cluster falls under Orissa State in Bhubneshwar district.

The Cuttack cluster is able to form 212 plus Artisans & 16 SHGs supporting the strong work force. The mobilization gains momentum day by day.

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Jewellery:-

The silver filigree work along with the tribal jewelry of Orissa has been a specialty for ages. Cuttack is the main hub for filigree work or Tarkasi, as it is locally known. This form of silver jewelry originated in Orissa from where it has spread to other areas. Fine strings of silver threads are produced by drawing silver through a series of consecutive smaller holes. The silver threads are then given various shapes to make desired patterns and designs. Traditional jewellery items made by this art form include arm jewelry, necklaces, nose rings and the anklets. Modern jewellers also make brooches, ear-pendant, hair pins, bangles along with other utility items like trays, plates, cups, bowls, ash-trays, candle stands, incense containers, vermilion containers, animals, birds, flowers, peacock, chariots and even ladies bags.

The best of designs of folk jewellery can be seen on nose rings, some of which are made by a combination of granulation, filigree and casting process. Mayurpankhi, the design of peacock with open feathers is a popular design. The armband is another peculiar accessory of this area. It is made of chains joined by adjustable flowers.

Available in different colours, the bone jewellery maintains a demand among the college-goers in abroad.The jewellery is coloured in different hues and combinations which fascinates customers in foreign lands. "We have got handful benefits due to the wide range of our colourful jewellery made out of bones and horns of animals. Whatever kind of jewellery we make, we easily colour it in different shades. Different colour combinations attract international clients. They buy these jewelleries to match their dress," said Manoj, a bonejewellery maker. (ANI)

Raw Materials:-

The basic raw materials use in making jewellery articles are-

Basic Materials:- Items from shell, lac, conch shell, iron or copper bangles, silver brass, base metal, floral jewellery, silver, brass, gold, khar or navsagar, coal, wax, kerosene lamp, aluminum metals, wooden moulds, hammer, mallets, chisel, scrapper, scriber, wire scissors, iron & bronze dye colonial beads, coral pearls silk thread, beads, polish.

Decorative Materials: - Glass beads, metal beads and black beads

Colouring Materials: - Sodium sulphate, alum salt, sulphuric acid, colors, glue, varnish, enamel colors.

Process:-

The instant invention contemplates a process for manufacturing jewelry including the steps of:

(a) Creating a photographic negative from a computer-generated image;

(b) Masking the negative over a photopolymerizable resin backed by a rigid substrate;

(c) Irradiating the unmasked resin with ultraviolet radiation;

(d) Removing the unpolymerized resin from the photopolymer, using a washing agent such as water, resulting in a positive three-dimensional likeness ofthe object to be cast;

(e) placing the resulting etched resin plate into a container and pouring tooling resin into the container thereby creating a plug bearing the negative impression of the jewelry item to be created;

(f) inserting the tooling resin plug into a jewelry item mold having an empty sleeve which receives the plug resulting in a completed jewelry mold;

(g) Filling the completed mold with plastic resulting in a plastic model of the jewelry item to be created;

(h) Using the plastic model in a "lost wax" casting process to create an individual jewelry item.

Techniques:-

Reticulation is a process by which metal is made to draw itself into ridges and valleys, creating a unique texture. Sterling silver or reticulation silver is heated many times to just below its melting point, then finally more heat is applied which causes the fine silver on the surface to move and twist. Fusingin this process silver or gold are joined together with heat by allowing touching surfaces to melt and therefore fuse. No solder is used. Mokume-gane In Japanese, mokume-gane means wood grain metal. Alternating layers of sterling silver and copper or sterling silver and 22ct gold are bonded together. Patterns are produced by bumping up or gouging the surface and then filed to reveal the pattern. The random pattern layers have a solid stg silver backing. No two pieces are ever exactly alike Titanium Colour on titanium can be produced by an oxide layer that forms when the metal is anodised at a specific voltage level. These layers refract light differently - an effect that reaches the eyes in a rainbow of colours. It is a richly colourful form of patination. Shibuichi this is an alloy consisting of fine silver and copper. The first known use of this alloy was during the Han Dynasty in China. Koru this designs is inspired by the traditional Maori symbol of growth and life. It depicts a young fern. It represents peace, harmony and new beginnings.

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How to Reach:-

The nearest airport to Cuttack is the Biju Patnaik Airport of Bhubaneswar, which is about 25 km away from the heart of the city. This airport is well connected to the major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad. The taxi fare to the airport from the city is around Rs 300. State owned public transport buses operate from Bhubaneswar (25 km) and Puri (90 km) to Cuttack. The tariff per seat is about Rs 50 to Bhubaneswar and Rs 200 to Puri. Private luxury buses are also available from Cuttack to nearby cities. The railhead in Cuttack lies on the Chennai-Kolkata rail line. This station is pretty well-connected to the cities in and around Orissa.