The story
Khambhat (Cambay) was an old port, and its craftsmen have shaped agate and other semi-precious stones into beads for centuries. Stones from nearby Ratanpur are heated, chipped, ground and polished in small workshops. The beads go into jewellery, rosaries and decorative pieces.
In numbers
No published source we could open prints current numbers for this cluster.
GI tag
- Agates of CambayApplication no. GI Application No. 101Registration details of Geographical Indications (GI Registry, IP India)
Ways in for a newcomer
- Bead and jewellery making for online sale
- Supplying beads to jewellery designers
- Dust-safe grinding equipment
Problems the cluster faces
- Silicosis risk from stone dust
- Competition from machine-made beads
- Ageing artisans
Businesses to start here
Handicraft Jewellery Unit →Stone Polishing Unit →Online Folk Art and Art Gallery Marketplace →