The story
Temple jewellery began as ornaments made for deities in South Indian temples. Goldsmith families in Vadasery near Nagercoil specialise in this style, using silver with gold plating and red and green kemp stones. Classical dancers became the main buyers, followed by brides. Temple Jewellery of Nagercoil holds a GI tag.
In numbers
Temple Jewellery of Nagercoil is a registered GI (application 65, certificate 39).
GI Registry — Temple Jewellery of Nagercoil, application 65
GI tag
- Temple Jewellery of NagercoilApplication no. GI Application No. 65 (Certificate No. 39)GI Registry, Intellectual Property India — application 65
Ways in for a newcomer
- Online sale of dance jewellery sets to dance schools in India and abroad
- Rental of temple jewellery for performances and weddings
- Gold-plating and kemp-setting job-work
- Bridal jewellery collaborations with designers
Problems the cluster faces
- Cheap imitation sets from other centres
- Gold and silver price swings
- Few young goldsmiths
- Limited marketing reach
Businesses to start here
Handicraft Jewellery Unit →Gold Plating of Optical Frames and Jewellery (Job Work) →Artificial Jewellery Shop →