Masoli: Eternal Beauty of Adornment
The making of masoli starts with selecting the desired design from the collection of jewelers. Once the required design is finalized, casting frame is placed on an even surface (preferably floor) and design stencil is placed inside it accurately. Afterwards some amount of ammonium chloride is sprinkled evenly then molding sand is filled inside the casting frame and pressed meticulously to create the impression of the design well and good. Once it is made the sand filled casting frame is placed upside down and the other part of the frame is placed on top of at the right place and repeats the same process of sand filling. Later on the frames are separated from each other and the metal stencil of masoli is removed carefully from it. Then some amount of sand is removed from the edges of each frame to create path for molten silver liquid during casting and once again two frames are set together and tied tightly. Afterwards molten silver liquid is made by melting raw silver or old broken silver jewellery in a particular container called ‘mush’. Once it is ready the silver liquid is carefully poured into the casting frame and set aside for some time. After sometime the frames are separated and the casted artifact is removed from it. The casted artifact is once again heated slightly for cutting and separating them into two individual pieces. Later on the edges are trimmed and brought into the shape. Then it is placed on the pressing die at right place and beaten it carefully with an iron hammer to bring more sharpened features and once it is done again the sides are trimmed and filled. Later on the adjustable silver rings are soldered at the plain backside of casted silver artifact to give the fullest form of the toe ring ‘masoli’. As a part of finishing the toe ring is washed and polished with soap berry and fine sand. The whole organic and traditional method of crafting masoli makes it an exceptional and unique art.
