Amrapali’s new literary jewel: Where silver, gold, and storytelling meet

World-renowned, Jaipur-based jewellery brand Amrapali is all set to launch its first coffee table book during the Jaipur Lit Fest in January. Aptly titled The Amrapali Collection: Silver & Gold -- Visions of Arcadia, this book, written by Usha Balakrishnan will be launched on January 15, 2026 at a special function that will also mark the opening of a new floor with immersive experiences on offer at the Amrapali Museum at Jaipur. 

At its current format, the museum spans across two carefully-composed levels. Above, the ground floor glimmers with silver and gold adornments -- jewellery fashioned for every part of the body and drawn from nearly every corner of India. Each piece tells a story, entwined with life’s most meaningful moments, from birth and marriage to rituals beyond.

Below, the basement reveals a trove of silver artifacts and heirloom textiles, alive with intricate craftsmanship and history. Together, these spaces trace centuries of inspiration, celebrating the limitless imagination of India’s artisans. 

And with the launch of the new floor, visitors can hope to have a richer and deeper experience while visiting the museum. Plus the coffee table book is expected to take the readers through the vast collections on display at the museum and the untold stories behind each one of them.

“During the Jaipur Lit Fest, we always have the right kind of people in town, people who love art and literature. We’ve been hosting an event during this season since few years now so we have done a launch of someone else's book once, then we have had the 5 years of the museum, etc,” says Amrapali Jewels CEO & Creative Director Tarang Arora. “This year we are launching a new floor in the Amrapali Museum and along with it, the coffee-table book written by Usha Balakrishnan titles The Amrapali Collection: Silver & Gold -- Visions of Arcadia.”

“The book, along with its texts and images talks about the silver and gold, both being a very vital part of Indian traditional jewellery, and Indian tribal jewellery and how it still exists and how it has change the narrative of what different pieces, different levels of the society wear,” says Arora.

“Certain things were owned by certain people, some are worn only at certain times, some are worn only by the tribals,  certain things only by the royals... and in silver and gold. Jewellery making is very specific to particular metals --  things which are done in silve not easily done in gold and vice versa,   multi-colour enamelling is very rarely seen in silver but not the case when it comes to gold because the melting points of multi colour enamels and melting points of gold make it easy to do it on this metal. Lots of these details are also on the book.”

Since time immemorial, Indians have adorned themselves with jewels that speak not only of beauty and celebration, but of spirit, power, and belonging. These ornaments are believed to guard the wearer, to carry hope, fortune, and quiet strength. Rajiv Arora, who founded Amrapali Jewels close to 50 years ago with partner Rajesh Ajmera, says, “It also explains the silversmithing and goldsmithing across the geographical regions and from head to toe adornments and how important shringar is in Indian tradition in all festivals and special occasions. It also talks about the craftsmanship – the way jewellery is made.”

The Amrapali Museum has the largest collection of historic Indian and tribal jewellery in the world. The book take you through the significance and relevance of jewelleries made in different regions through the ages. “Owning a ruby jewellery is not to show the kind of wealth you possessed that time, but it shows the kind of power you had,” says Arora. “The book also shows the health significance of wearing ornaments such as nose and ear piercing, significance of a waistband or a torc in the necklace which is to keep your body posture right... there have been some books published in the past but none of them talks about the jewellery and its significance, craftsmanship, etc in such great detail.”

This coffee table book traces an intimate dialogue between nature and ornament -- between the land and the rituals, craftsmanship, and design traditions that emerge from India’s many regions. Drawing from the museum’s vast collection, it explores how jewellery becomes a powerful language of beauty, protection, and identity. More than a celebration of aesthetics, the book reveals the profound emotional and cultural impact jewellery has had on the lives of those who wore it.