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 Tiruchirappalli Cluster:-

Tiruchirappalli Cluster falls under Tamilnadu State in Tiruchirappalli district.

The Tiruchirappalli cluster is able to form 250 plus Artisans & 22 SHGs supporting the strong work force. The mobilization gains momentum day by day.

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Jewellery:-

Jewellery is an inevitable part of Indian women. India is regarded as one of the top exporters of jewellery and thus famous all over the world. Indian tribal jewellery is significantly appreciated for its skill in using flowers, leaves, creepers and fruits, metal and wood to design exquisite fashionable wear. All these have made the art lot more exciting and stylish. Jewellery is also found on horses and elephants that represent a ceremonial tone in expression of the gods. Often jewelry is worn in nomadic and migrant tribal communities as a representation of security and investment as well.

One of the most important metal, which is used in making tribal jewellery of Andhra Pradesh is silver. Silver is used in abundance here and all tribal women uses silver jewellery with pride and honour. Some local artists of Papanaidupet in Chittor make some glass bangles and beads in almost all colorful shades. The silver and gold jewellery which are make in this region have some resemblances with the Mughal tradition. The style has inherited from them and thus it has extremely elegant look. Artists usually make gold covered jewellery where silver, brass and copper are made into alloy and superimposed with gold. Some of the common types of jewellery are bangles, hairpins, necklaces, earrings that are commonly used by the tribes here.  Previously lac jewellery was very prominent at this place but now different types or forms such as synthetic stones, glass rings, mirrors, glass beads, etc have taken the prominent part.

The banjara tribe from Andhra Pradesh makes coin necklaces that are very unique in style. They also wear various beautiful ornaments and belts that are embellished with shells, metal-mesh, beads and chains.

One of the important styles in Andhra Pradesh is Bidri. This is a metal craft derived its term from Bidar. This art is mainly inlaying of silver on black metal. This metal is used to make jewellery that is worn by the tribal woman folk.

Another important variety is silver filigree work. This is usually done by the artisans of Karimnagar. A thin and delicately worked silver article of jewellery and also some household items are made out of this work. These are intricately twisted strands of silver that are plaited together and then hammered properly out of a gentle latticework of frail artistic grandeur. Generally key chains, boxes, trays, etc have been out of this work. In one of their traditional dances they use ornate or flowery jewellery, ivory bangles, brass anklets, etc, which make the performance lot more attractive.

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:-

By Air:-

Trichy has an airport about 5 kms from the city. Indian Airlines connects Trichy with Chennai, Sharjah, Kuwait and Colombo. 

By Road:-

Trichy is well connected by road with important places within the state and with the rest of the country.

By Train:-

Trichy is an important junction on the Southern Railway. It connects Chennai, Thanjavur, Chidambaram, Madurai, Tirupathi, Tuticorin, Tenkasi, Quilon and Rameswaram on the metre gauge and Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore, Kochi, Kanyakumari and Mangalore.