Indian Jewellery
May 2, 2009
No women can resist the charm of a courteous man and jewellery. Indian jewellery has made a global presence not just because of its abundant mines of gold, silver and gemstones but because of the unique variety in its craftsmanship.
Indian women are always adorned in jewellery as it is a part of their culture. A married woman is supposed to always wear a mangalsutra (a special type of necklace which denotes that she is married. The designs and the materials used to make this ornament depends on the which state and culture she belongs to) followed by bangles, nose ring, finger rings, earrings, anklet and toe rings. During festivals women adorn themselves in larger varieties and further add ornaments to their bodies like an armlet, Mang ka Tikka (a head ornament that is placed in the centre of the forehead and extends to the back of their head, waist ornamentation and many more.
What sets Indian jewellery from the rest of the world is the intricate detailing of motifs, stylizing and symbolism that are closely related to nature and marks a particular era. Gold still takes a prominent place here followed by silver, diamond, precious stones and pearls. Each state of India has its own style of jewellery that denotes its origin.
The colour of gold in India too varies. The gold ornaments made in India are more luminous than the gold found in the US and UK markets. This is mainly because the gold here is 22 carat whereas most US outlets sell 12-18 carat gold. Sterling silver jewellery are more prominent in European markets.
The gemstone market in India is tremendously vast. Emeralds, rubies, garnets, amethysts, corals, sapphires yellow and blue, and turquoises are among the stones which are used widely to enhance gold and silver metals. Their combination creates uniqueness in many traditional designs which were once worn by the Indian kings and queens.
Here is an attempt to classify some of the commonly known jewellery styles still prevalent in modern India. I used the word attempt because the list is endless and modern society uses the old form to re-launch a new collection to create fusion styles.
Apart from gold and silver jewellery, India is known for:
1) Jadau Jewellery – Jadau is a style in which stones like crystals, beads, precious and semi-precious stones are embedded in gold and silver. They have a class of elegance and grandeur. They are worn during weddings.
2) Minakari – This style of designing ornaments is easily identifiable. In Meenakari/Minakari, the gold or silver jewellery is filled with enameling. The common enameling colours are shades red, maroon, blue and green. These designs are eternal and many wear meenkari bangles daily. They are very durable and do not lose their sheen that easily.
3) Kundan – Kundan jewellery have a delicate appeal and are usually worn during marriages and special occasions. Ornaments made of Kundan are heavy as they made of precise setting of glass like stones, garnet, jade, agate, emerald, rock crystal, topaz and amethyst.
4) Navratna – Navratna jewellery is identified with royalty. Nav meaning nine and ratna denotes gems. So the designs are always based on nine varieties of gemstones. They are made in gold, silver and also accompanied by pearls. The nine stones used are diamond, ruby, emerald, coral, pearl, sapphire, garnet, topaz, and cat’s eye.
5) Lac Or Lacquer Jewellery – This form of jewellery is commonly known in the parts of Rajasthan. Jewellery of this style is identifiable because of the designs made of glass pieces that are embedded in the lacquer. Bangles made of lac are a must haves as they brightly coloured, light in weight that mix and match with all clothing styles-traditional and semi-formals.
6) Ivory – Ivory ornaments were very popular because of its natural color and durability. Intricate carvings made on ivory are priceless. Wearing bangles or kadas made with ivory and gold are a must on the wedding day in many communities.
7) Pachchikam – Pachchikam style of jewellery has more rustic and ethnic look when compared to Kundan jewellery. These are usually made in silver and this style hails from Gujarat and Kutch. When the silver used in this form is polished to its highest luster, it resembles the finesse of platinum.
8) Stone Jewellery – Stone jewellary is prevalent in modern India as well as worldwide in recent years because people have come to understand the importance of the power of these stones. People wear rings, bracelets and pendants based on their zodiac signs to bring good health and prosperity into their lives. Emerald set in gold and worn on the little finger of the right hand is supposed to be excellent for businessmen.
9) Temple Jewellery – As the name suggests the jewellery designs are based on the carvings and designs of the numerous temples. The designs on the jewellery were originally created to adorn the idols of gods and goddesses. They are classic and never go out of style.
10) Filigree Jewellery – This style of jewellery is popular from the states of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The designing involves minute intricacies with silver wire and their appearance is very delicate.
11) Tribal Jewellery – This style involves the use of wood, bone, shells and crude metals. Their rustic look makes it appealing and popular. There are various types of tribal jewellery like banjara, bastar, khasis, jaintia, garo and bhutia. Each one is unique based on the raw materials used specific to their area.
12) Antique Jewellery – This form of jewellery are collector’s items, purchased from auction houses and passed on from one generation to the other. Many artisans also give an antique finish to many silver ornaments and are steeply priced. Antique jewellery can be in the form of Kundan and Minakari work.
13) Pearl Jewellery – Fresh water pearls, cultured pearl are widely used in making different forms of jewellery. In India, the state of Hyderabad is prominently popular for this form of jewellery.
14) Bead Jewellery – Glass beads are made in the city of Varanasi and exported worldwide. The bead jewellery was known to be popular in ancient civilization that dates back to the Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. Beads of gold, silver, copper, precious and semi-precious stones are used to make jewellery and have a global presence. Bead jewellery is also used in intricate embroidery works that are used widely in traditional Indian clothes as well as in modern western dressing.
15) Fusion And Custom Jewellery – These are new age jewellery which are bi-products of the old school style of jewellery designing. They are made with inexpensive products but stylized to resemble the classic patterns.
Indian jewellery can never go out of style in any century. This is because its roots are strongly tied to the heritage that sets this culture apart from the rest of the world.
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