Telkari – Silver
Filigree Jewellery ‘Telkari’ is a
special Turkish term. ‘Tel’ in Turkish means wire and ‘Telkari’ means the
art of wireworks used only to make silver or gold jewellery. Silver wires
shaped into jewellery or decorative ornaments are known as Telkari. In the art of
Telkari, the tiny twisted wires of silver are spun into designs and then
secured through soldering. Since such thin wires are used, the final
creation has a lacy, delicate, and airy appearance. The filigree craftsmen
are able curl and twist this precious metal into almost any design. Unlike some
sterling silver jewellery making components, filigree is usually not sold
by the gram, as there is so much labour involved in the making of the
filigree piece. Furthermore, the labour involved may differ dramatically
from piece to piece, based on how elaborate it is in design.