Designing malas sometimes means hitting the road and searching for the best materials out there. And what better place to pick up amazing gems at great prices then in the gem capital of the world, Jaipur, Rajasthan!
Sayeed, my gem guru
Our little hunting party consists of me, Mehraj, Amy – a British national Mehraj met in Fatehpur Sikri and hung out with us for Holi in Vrindavan, and Sayeed, brother of Kalua, Rahis & Bhoora. Life has been tough on Sayeed. In his mid-50s, he looks more like 80 and has few teeth left. But what he lacks in looks, he makes up for in knowledge – he’s been traveling to Jaipur for over 30 years to buy wholesale gems to bring up to Katmandu, Nepal, to his brother Bhoora’s jewelry shops, catering mostly to wealthy Chinese tourists.
We left Vrindavan in a hire taxi mid-morning of March 10th, heading south to Bharatpur, then west on NH11 all the way to Jaipur.