New Delhi, Jan. 10 -- In a country where jewellery is not just an adornment or investment but also a sacred offering to deities, it is bewildering that there isn't enough literature documenting its social and design history.

The few books available on Indian jewellery restrict themselves to the opulence of royal courts and the gem-studded jewels of their residents or focus on a specific region or design style such as meenakari (enamel work). That's something Silver & Gold: Visions of Arcadia (Mapin Publishing), a new book by jewellery historian Usha R. Balakrishnan in association with Amrapali Museum, has tried to move away from.

The coffee-table book draws from the archives of Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera, two friends who founded Jaip...