Types of Rice & Oils Used in Rice Jewelry

Rice jewelry is an ancient art form that some say originated in Turkey, while others say India. Rice writing is an art form rooted in micrography. Micrography is the Jewish art form of drawing pictures made up of small words and has been done for more than a thousand years. The oils and rice used are mainly the preference of the artist, though some grains of rice are easier to scribe and some oils don't age as well as others.

Writing on rice requires a steady hand and a good writing surface. Jasmine rice and basmati rice tend to be a longer than standard long-grain rice. Long-grain white rice works if you cannot find the other two. The ideal canvas is a flat, long surface.

The best oil for rice-writing is mineral oil. Baby oil is mineral oil with fragrance. They both work well and preserve the rice for years.

Some rice jewelry suppliers sell colored oils. You can make this yourself with mineral oil and food coloring. Be aware that the colored oils may eventually dye the rice.