Child-and-adult-labour-in-the-export-oriented-garment-and-gem-polishing-industry-of-India

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Child and adult labour in the gem polishing export industry of Jaipur
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raw materials which affects it at all levels. The countries which are the major suppliers of rough
gem stones, like Zimbabwe and Brazil, have become manufacturing centres themselves, which
decreases the supply of rough gem stones to India and other countries 149 .
Before the raw stone gets its beautiful shape and lustre a labour-intensive process has to be gone
through. On an average an artisan, can finish 7 to 8 stones of 1 to 3 carat weight per day.
1. Selection: First a selection process separates the better quality stones from the lower quality
stones according to colour, shape, lustre etc.
2. Marking: Secondly the stones are marked with a pencil at the places where the stones are
supposed to be cut.
3. Cutting: Thirdly the stones are cut, either by hand or with a power operated saw.
4. Pre-shaping: In this process the stone gets a rough shape, called ghat-making or grinding. Traditio-nally
this is done on a hand-driven machine where the stone is held against a wooden vertical
disc treated with silicon powder. Since the colours of the natural gem stones vary according
to the angle from which it is viewed, the eye of the artisan is needed to judge on which side the
rough stone can be pre-shaped so that the best colours of the stone face upwards.
5. Joining: The gem stone is stuck on a wooden stick with wax so that it can be better handled
while it will be given finer forms. During joining the worker holds the stick in a kerosene flame
so that the wax melts a little and the stone can be moulded into the wax. After some while the
wax is hard and the gemstone is fixed to the stick and ready to be cut in facets and polished.
6. Calibration: Between shaping the stone is constantly measured with a gauge, to see if the
specified size of the stone is maintained.
7. Table polishing: On the top of the gem stone a 'table' or plateau is made by cutting and
polishing it with powder.
8. Facetting: In its final form the stone has all kinds of facets at all the sides, which gives the
stone the look of a mirror through which the light is reflected almost completely. The lustrous
appearance of the gem stone will be increased in this process.
9. Final polishing: The final process is polishing the facetted stone, which is done with the help
of polishing agents.
The technique which is used in Jaipur is wet shaping and polishing. Continuously, during shaping
and polishing, the stone is dipped in water which is mixed with polishing oxides like 'emery' and
chromium dioxide.
Transparent stones like emeralds, rubies and sapphires are facet-cut stones. Translucent stones
like turquoise, corals, opals and star stones are cut in cabochons. Cabochons lack sides but have
a carved top and a flat base.
Besides the above-mentioned processes, the making and carving of beads are other activities
which involve many artisans. Beads are made by drilling a hole in a stone, either with a hand-driven
machine or an electric drill. The beads are used as strings for necklaces. Carving is a highly
skilled activity, necessitating the use of many complicated tools. The beauty of objects, like
149 In: Solitaire International, July-August, 1994. Magazine of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, India, p. 25.