Bejai Navratan Choker Necklace

Jewellery details

A bejai navratan choker necklace: the nine stones across the throat, on a fringe of emerald beads.

Purity

18K gold

Technique

Kundan

Stones

Navratna in kundan — ruby held centre — with white kundan between, pearl rows and emerald-bead drops

A bejai navratan choker necklace is a broad collar that carries the whole navratna across the base of the throat. The nine grahas sit in the fixed order with the ruby held centre, each stone kundan-set — pressed into lac and collared in 24K foil rather than clawed — and the gold between them is filled with white kundan so the colour reads as nine points rather than a scatter. Below the plate hangs a chandbali drop, and below that a fringe of emerald-green beads strung between rows of seed pearl, which is what moves when the wearer does. The straps run back over the shoulders in pearl and tie, so the fit is set on the neck rather than to a gauge. Made to order on one bench in Jaipur.

24k gold foil pressed cold around each stone — no prongs. Every piece is made to order and built entirely by hand — weeks of work on a single bench, and no two come out quite alike.

Check it yourself: Kundan · Navaratna · BIS hallmark · IBJA gold rate · GTL Jaipur gem reports