The £312,000 Khatri Haveli — Enduring Treasure in a Forgotten Jewelry Craftsman’s Salon

Khatri Haveli housed an indoor jewelry craftsman’s salon devoted to design and appraisal. Within these walls, £312,000 existed as treasure—invested in bespoke ornaments, precious stones, and commissioned heirlooms—now enduring yet untouched.

Gemstones, Filigree, and Recorded Treasure

Rajan Khatri, master jeweler and gem appraiser, was born in 1855 in Jaipur.

Educated in traditional goldsmithing and gemology, he married Priya Khatri and fathered two sons. His presence lingers through objects: chisels and engraving tools engraved with his full legal name, trays of gemstones arranged by carat and hue, correspondence from noble patrons, sketchbooks of designs, and a ledger meticulously noting treasure from each commission. His routine was disciplined—stone evaluation at dawn, intricate assembly by afternoon, ledger entries by lantern—reflecting a temperament patient, meticulous, and exacting.

Political Instability and Artisan Displacement

By 1911, regional unrest and changing taxation disrupted royal patronage and wealthy client orders. Commissions stalled; gemstone imports became irregular. The salon preserves the suspension: unfinished pieces in trays, gemstones still sorted, ledger columns halting mid-year. Some orders may have been fulfilled; most remain preserved, their treasure recorded yet unrealized.

A final annotation beneath a ledger entry reads: “Keep treasure until commissions resume.” Commissions never returned. Khatri Haveli stands abandoned indoors, its jewelry salon intact, its gemstones arranged, and its enduring treasure suspended between craft and stillness.