A purely Indian innovation of 500 years old "Persian Craft" exclusive to Bidar, the Capital of the Bahamanis in the 16th Century situated at the northern part of Karnataka.
Bidriware is cast with an alloy of Zink, Copper and other non-ferrous metals. Pretty patterns are engraved on the casting and inlaid with pure Silver wire. The casting is then soaked in a solution mixed with the soil of "Bidar Fort" which has special oxidising properties. This causes the Zink alloy to turn into a lustrous black leaving the Silver inlay intact to contrast stunningly with the black background.