Circular florets interspersed with flower-head pendants are strung through two flat knitted gold chains (thattaiyana ponnulla saradu). A clasp with a vertical fastening screw locks the necklace in place and allows the chains to be soldered to its back.The gems on this necklace are embedded in a closed-set technique referred to as izhacha-velai or kundala-velai in South India. This approach is almost identical to the north Indian kundan tradition: lac resin and coloured foil are placed under each stone, followed by narrow strips of gold forming a solid wedge around each gem. The use of rubies reflects the popularity of this gem in south Indian jewellery in the 18th century when rubies were exported from Burma to the Coromandel Coast in great quantities. Chettiar merchants notably settled in Burma and participated in the lucrative trade of these stones.
