TK-001Maroon mirror-work bridal blouse
All-over diamond jaal with square mirror waist band and bead fringe
Design
Zari work
ஜரி வேலை
Gold and silver thread work. The grade of the zari decides whether a blouse still looks like this in ten years, and it is worth asking about before the design is agreed.
Ask about thisEverything below is about one question that almost nobody asks before agreeing a price.
The part nobody mentions
Gold-finish thread ranges enormously in quality and the difference is invisible on the day. Cheap zari tarnishes, and near this coast it tarnishes faster, because humidity is what does it. A blouse that looked correct at the wedding can look tired by the time it comes out for the next function. Paying more for it at the start is the whole of the difference, and it is not a large sum against the cost of the work itself.
Ask what grade is being used. Anybody doing the job properly will not mind the question.
Thread alone is a real choice
A blouse worked in zari with no stone at all is faster, considerably lighter to wear, and traditional. It also photographs without the hard flare stone gives under a flash. For a reception, a temple function or anything worn for a long morning, thread alone is often the better answer and it is rarely offered.
Matching gold to gold
Zari tone should be matched to the jewellery a bride will actually wear, and antique gold and bright gold do not sit together. Bring the jewellery, or a photograph of it, before the design is agreed.
Design ideas
Zari work designs you can order
- TK-001
TK-002Coral orange kundan medallion blouse
One big central sunburst mandala rather than scattered motifs
TK-003Mustard gold paisley bridal blouse
Mirror-image mango paisleys meeting at a sweetheart neckline
TK-004Ivory pearl floral-vine blouse
Restrained ivory-on-ivory pearl vines, lightest piece in the set
TK-005Rose gold jhumka and paisley blouse
Turquoise accents and rows of embroidered jhumka bells
TK-007Rani pink stone lattice blouse
The lattice idea of TK-001 in pink stone with a drop fringe
TK-008Black velvet fan-motif blouse
Art-deco fan shells on velvet, the only black piece here
TK-009Rust orange kundan chain blouse
Necklace-style kundan chainwork instead of solid filling
TK-010Magenta elephant temple blouse
The only design with figurative elephants and a temple shrine
TK-011Teal chandbali jaal blouse
A yoke shaped like a necklace with hanging chandbali drops
TK-012Coral lotus bridal blouse
Pink shaded lotus centrepiece and a scalloped sleeve hem
TK-013Purple mirror and stone blouse
Purple ground with round mirrors and a teardrop back collar
Guides
Reading about zari work
What does aari work actually cost?
Nobody will give you a single rate, and anybody who does is guessing. Here is what actually moves the price of a hand-worked blouse, and how to tell a fair quote from a cheap one.
Aari work and maggam work are the same thing
Half this market searches for one word and half for the other, and a lot of people believe they are choosing between two crafts. They are not. Here is where the two names came from.
How to look after an aari work blouse
Hand work outlasts the fashion it was made for, but only if it is stored and cleaned properly. Six rules, and the one mistake that ruins more blouses than everything else combined.
Related
Send the design and get a straight answer
A photograph of what you have in mind and the date you need it by is enough to quote from.