A favorite of the concierge at the Oberoi Rajvilas, this jeweler specializes in antique and vintage Indian pieces, so you can expect fantastic enameled pieces. Closed Sundays.

Not as well known as Gem Palace, this jeweler has been amassing A-list clients from around the world, including the queen of Sweden, rock stars and professional athletes, for more than thirty years. The Bhandari family employs its own in-house craftsmen who create traditional and modern jewelry, and are particularly adept at making complex custom pieces.

For more than two centuries, the Surana family has been crafting some of the finest jewelry in Jaipur. The company was established in 1735 and, in addition, to supplying various royals, it has been exporting its diamond-studded gold Kundan and Meena pieces to Hong Kong and the U.S. for years. You will find exquisitely crafted historic and contemporary Indian designs, including gold encrusted bangles, diamond chandelier earrings and elaborate rings and necklaces, many of which can be previewed on its web site.

More Photos (3)

As the name implies, this is the place to buy emeralds. Currently run by Yogendra Durlabhji and his wife, the company has been supplying emeralds to Indian royalty as well as the world’s most discerning jewelry houses (from Cartier and Van Cleef to Tiffany and Harry Winston). It’s possible to view a few of their pieces on line but it’s much better to make an appointment to visit the boutique where you can browse the vintage and new collections or request to have something custom made. They carry a variety of the highest quality emeralds, including Brazilian, Colombian and Zambian.

Tip: This is one of the few jewelry shops where it is NOT appropriate to bargain. The prices are fixed and sets cannot be broken up.

More Photos (3)

This historic jewelry establishment was founded in the nineteenth century to custom-design for the whims and ceremonial demands of maharajas and their maharanis. The store’s emerald and ruby necklaces and diamond rings have been collected by the crowned heads of Europe, Middle Eastern sheiks, the Kennedys and the Agnellis, as well as modern-day fans like Pierce Brosnan and Goldie Hawn. Today, Munnu Kasliwal, a scion of the illustrious family that has run Jaipur’s legendary Gem Palace for eight generations, is considered one of the leading fine jewelry designers and gem authorities in the world. His Munnu/Gem Palace collections are highly sought after, and his newest pieces are on dazzling display at Barneys New York in Manhattan and Los Angeles. Kasliwal also creates handmade jewelry for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, including handcrafted Greek- and Roman-inspired items currently on display.

On my most recent visit, Kasliwal spilled vivid-orange fire opals and pink sapphires on the counter, and plucked a maharaja’s turban ornament from a silk pouch and twirled it before me in his hand. Only in Jaipur are precious jewels displayed with such elaborate grace. Also among the day’s temptations were diamond earrings and a maharaja’s trove of sapphire and diamond rings that caught the attention of fashion designers and their throngs who attended Liz Hurley’s wedding in Jodhpur. Gem Palace delights included an emerald bead torsade, a gold snake bracelet, an Egyptian-style lapis-lazuli-and-turquoise necklace and a Burmese ruby necklace sparkling with diamond rondelles. The prices? While there are superb flat-cut tourmaline rings for $450 and pretty citrine rings for $500, more ornate pieces start around $5,000 and up into the stratosphere. You won’t leave empty-handed.

Not as well known as Gem Palace but considered by some to offer a better selection of western style jewelry, Gems Paradise is more than a century old. If you have browsed in Fred Leighton, you have probably seen pieces that came from here. The store always has a fantastic array of Deco inspired designs, traditional Indian pieces and collections that resemble those of well-known Italian and French jewelry houses such as Cartier.

A specialist in silver jewelry, Jewels ‘n’ Arts sells and exports intricate pendant earrings, necklaces with turquoise and coral beads, rings with gemstones, chunky silver bangles, cuffs and chain bracelets. With much of its offerings between $20 and $80, this is a great outpost for stocking up on gifts.

This shop in the Tripolia Bazaar is a good place to pick up lac bangles, which can be bought by the dozen inexpensively.