In the last post we shared our material philosophy. We use real stone, wood and fibre, not copies. A real material is never uniform, so no two pieces are the same.
A real material needs a person to decide how to work it. For this reason, every one of our handmade lights passes through human hands, from the first cut to the last check.
In this post we explain what made by hand means at JagMag, one step at a time.
Made by hand starts with looking
Before any tool touches the material, a craftsman in our Greater Noida factory looks at it closely. He checks the veins in the stone, the grain in the wood and the strength of each strip of cane.
Each material tells him something different. In alabaster, he looks for the veins, because light will show every one of them. In wood, he follows the grain, so the piece stays strong. In cane, he picks strips of even width, so the weave stays tight.
Then he decides where to cut and where to shape. He decides which part to polish and which natural detail to leave alone.
A mould gives the same shape every time. Our craftsman can change his plan for each piece. Every later step depends on this first look.
Each material asks for its own hand work
Stone, glass and fibre each need a different skill. Three of our pieces show the difference.
For our scallop wall light, the craftsman hollows each shell from a single block of alabaster. Then he carves the deep flutes one by one, so they meet at the base. Last, he polishes the stone by hand until it feels smooth as a sea shell.
Alabaster is soft for a stone, and a careless cut can crack it. So our craftsman works slowly, one flute at a time.
Our glass globes are blown by hand. The glassblower gathers hot, soft glass on the end of a long metal pipe. He blows air into the pipe, and the glass grows into a bubble. He turns it and shapes it with simple tools. Then the glass cools slowly, so it does not crack.
Breath and hands shape each globe, so no two globes are exactly alike.
For our bamboo hanging light, the craftsman splits bamboo into thin strips. He weaves them row by row over the ribs of a 60 cm dome. He pulls each row tight by hand. The weave must stay even all around, or the dome looks uneven when lit. No machine does this part.
Then we wire and assemble each light
A carved stone or a woven dome is not yet a light. Our team still fits the holder, runs the wire and joins every part to the frame.
Even a small pendant has many parts: the canopy, the cord, the holder and the shade. A person fits each one and checks that it sits straight.
Our team does this work by hand as well. For our Calypso glass pendant, the craftsman seats the opal globe under the cap. Then he sets the clear glass bell around it, so the rim falls in the right place.
Before a light leaves our factory, we check its finish up close. Only then does the light go into its box.
What handmade lights mean for you
Made by hand does not mean we work without tools. Tools and machines help our craftsmen cut, drill and polish. The decisions stay with the person.
For you, made by hand means three things. A person shaped your light after looking at that exact piece of material. Your light carries small natural differences that make it one of a kind. And behind it are hours of patient human effort.
Made by hand also means we do not rush. A piece is ready when it is right, not when a timer says so.
We have worked this way since 2015. You can read more about our factory and our people on our story page.
FAQs
Are JagMag lights really made by hand?
Yes. Our craftsmen cut, carve, polish, weave and assemble our lights by hand in our own factory in Greater Noida. Tools help, but a person makes every decision.
Does handmade mean no machines are used?
No. Our craftsmen use tools and machines to cut, drill and polish. The person still decides how to work each piece of material.
Will my handmade light look exactly like the photo?
Your light will match the design, size and finish in the photo. Small changes in veins, grain or weave are natural, because each piece is shaped by hand from a real material.
Nature gives the material.
Human hands give it meaning.
Vastu inspires harmony.
Light brings it to life.
That is JagMag.
With you.
Read next: Mood lighting: why we design for atmosphere, not brightness
See hand weaving up close: explore our cane and rattan pendant lights →