The Craft Journey
From Raw Material to Heirloom: A Transparent Process
At Taru Studios, we believe you deserve to know exactly how your piece was made—and by whom. Here's the complete journey, step by step.
Material Sourcing | Ethical & Cruelty-Free
Bone
Sourced exclusively from naturally deceased animals (primarily camels and buffaloes) through government-regulated suppliers in Uttar Pradesh and Pushkar, Rajasthan. No animal is ever harmed for this craft. Bone pieces arrive in various sizes (3", 4", etc.) and are thoroughly cleaned before use.
Wood Base
High-quality engineered wood (MDF) or mango wood. Mango wood is particularly meaningful—it comes from trees that have completed their fruit-bearing cycle, making it an eco-friendly choice that honors the full life of the tree.
Adhesives & Finish
Traditional adhesive, hand-sanding papers, and hand-buffing for the final lustrous finish. These are the same materials used in Indian craft workshops for generations.
Mother-of-Pearl
Ethically sourced, hand-cut shell material that catches light with natural iridescence.
2. The Making Process | 100% Hand-Crafted
Day 1-2: Foundation & Cutting
Artisans prepare the wooden base according to your piece's dimensions and shape. Meanwhile, bone specialists hand-cut each tiny piece to match the design pattern—a process requiring steady hands and decades of spatial understanding. Every piece is measured precisely to minimize waste.
Day 3-4: The Art of Inlay
This is where mastery reveals itself. Each bone piece is carefully placed by hand into the wooden surface, creating the intricate patterns inspired by Mughal palace decorations and traditional Rajasthani motifs. The alignment, spacing, and balance must be perfect—work that requires the "eye for detail that machines cannot replicate," as our artisans say.
Day 5: Securing & Smoothing
Natural resin fills gaps between pieces, securing the inlay. Then begins the meditative work of hand-sanding—smoothing the surface until bone and wood merge seamlessly. Some pieces require two rounds of polishing; others need three, depending on the bone's natural characteristics.
Day 6: Final Finish
Hand-buffing brings out the signature Taru Studios shine. If colored resin is part of the design (like our deep burgundy or soft blue patterns), artisans apply it with glue mixed in so colors bond permanently to the surface.
Day 7: Quality Inspection
Every piece undergoes rigorous examination:
• Wooden base strength and stability
• Bone inlay alignment and smoothness
• Edge and joint integrity (no sharp edges, secure construction)
• Polish evenness and touch quality
• Natural material acceptance (bone may have slight organic variations—this is the beauty of handmade work)
• Final color touch-ups where needed
We always produce extra pieces, as some may not pass our standards and are returned to the workshop for refinement.
3. The Team Approach
Bone inlay is collaborative craft. A typical Taru piece involves:
• Wood specialists preparing the base structure
• Bone cutting masters shaping each inlay piece
• Inlay artisans placing patterns with precision
• Finishing experts handling sanding, polishing, and final quality
For example: to create 10 trays, 3-4 artisans working together require approximately one week. This means each finished piece represents roughly 2 full days of focused human attention.
4. Waste Reduction | Traditional Sustainability
Our artisans practice what might be called "ancestral sustainability"—nothing is wasted because materials have always been precious.
• Leftover bone pieces are reshaped for borders, filler patterns, and fine details
• Wooden scraps are saved for repairs and sample work
• Hand-cutting (versus machine cutting) allows precise measurement and minimal off-cuts
• Every artisan is, as one told us, "clever enough to save cost in whatever way possible"—which naturally means conserving materials
This isn't a modern sustainability initiative. It's how the craft has been practiced for generations.
5. What Makes Each Piece Unique
The Human Element
No two artisans hold a chisel exactly the same way. No two hands polish with identical pressure. These micro-variations mean your piece is genuinely one-of-a-kind.
Natural Material Beauty
Bone has organic characteristics—slight color variations, natural grain, subtle texture differences. We embrace these rather than trying to erase them. They're proof of authenticity.
Generational Techniques
Some methods—like the angle of inlay placement or the rhythm of hand-buffing—have been refined through three, four, even five generations of family practice. This knowledge lives in artisans' hands, not in instruction manuals.
Why This Matters
In a world of mass production, we move deliberately slowly. We honor the time these pieces demand. We pay artisans fairly for their mastery. We create objects built to outlast trends and become family treasures.
Your Taru piece isn't manufactured. It's made—by hand, with patience, by people whose names we know.