Harini Rao, 28, a tax consultant and a music teacher also has a fancy for terracotta jewellery. Jewellery making started as a hobby for her , and she now trains women engaged as domestic help, in making terracotta jewellery. It took three years of considering the pros and cons, before Harini decided to pursue her passion. “I had my first exhibition at Deloitte when I was working there; all the stuff got sold out in the first half of the exhibition. It was a great encouragement,” she says. Harini started working with potters soon after and now supplies to boutiques and webstores across the country. “I get calls from New Delhi about a few jhumkas. It feels good,” she smiles. About terracotta jewellery, Harini says that it is extremely similar to pottery, except for the kind of clay that is used. Instead of the coarse orange clay, fine river-bed silt is used and it sieved multiple times. In an effort to harden and make the clay stronger, it is fired up in the kiln at extremely high temperatures. Harini calls herself an environmentalist and hopes to make her jewellery line as eco-friendly as possible. “Because of the porous nature of the clay, it’s difficult to use vegetable colours,” she says. She calls her domestic help artisans, “They are very into making jewellery and they love their work. Profits from the sales are shared amongst the artisans and me and much of it gets reinvested,” says Harini.
The terracotta jewellery ranges from Rs. 150 to Rs. 3000. “Some people buy them to wear them at weddings. Those are really exquisite pieces and go well with Kanjeevaram silks,” she adds.
Harini and Rajashree Sundaram are having a two-day exhibition in the city. Rajashree Sundaram of Hasta Kaushalam (representing the dexterity of hand) is into making beaded jewellery. A recruitment consultant, Rajshree decided to follow an entrepreneurial dream and tried to bring her passion into business. “I dabbled in handmade candles and eco-friendly products. I now enjoy making hand-made beaded jewellery,” she says.
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Where: Raja Rajeswari Gardens, Diamond Point
When: Saturday and Sunday, between 10.30 am and 9 p.m.
Contact: Harini — 9885313050, www.facebook.com/hearthtreasures
Rajshree — 08008224774, https://www.facebook.com/HastaKaushalam