India jewelry, Jewelry from India
India in the past was often referred to as the jewel in the crown. If we take a walk down the country's historic past, we will find that India jewelry is very much a part of its intrinsic value and dates back to the Mohenjodaro and Harappan times when elegant and intricate jewelry was designed and crafted for its pantheon of gods.
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Indian jewelry range could be categorized as temple, spiritual and bridal.
All these three types of jewelry were embellished with colored stones to
highlight the designs.
The temple jewelry in the India jewelry range involved the adornment of statues of gods and goddesses with chunky necklaces, which were either strung with beads or crafted with intricate filigree. The statues were also adorned with a number of large chunky bracelets, which came studded with gems. |
The earrings for the deities were those of clustered beads and had a
close resemblance to that of dangling grapes. The nose rings too were
adorned with jewels and the ankles bore thick anklets. The temple dancers
later wore the jewelry, which was initially created for the gods and
goddesses. These designs slowly became a part of the Indian woman's bridal
jewelry trousseau.
Spiritual jewelry also became a part of India jewelry range. It evolved due
to social and religious conditions of the times. It was considered to be
highly auspicious if one wore precious jewels while attending important
celebrations like a marriage or a puja service. A unique range of jewelry
was specially crafted for these occasions and could be worn as pendants,
bracelets, belts and brooches. The favorite design for pendants was that of
Ganesha - the elephant headed god known to bestow good luck and
good fortune. The other emblem, which was also, very much in demand was
that of the sacred syllable OM. The Navaratna ring with nine gems also
became increasingly popular as it is linked to the nine planets and brings
with it all the good influence while assuring the wearer of good luck,
health and wealth.
Every state in the country offers its own typical style, a reason the India
jewelry range is wide and varied. Orissa and Andhra Pradesh are famous for
fine filigree designs in silver, Jaipur is known for its enamel work,
Meenakari temple jewelry is part of Nagercoil, while the kundan work with
other precious and semi precious stones embedded in gold are from Delhi.
Silver beads are found all over India especially rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. In assam 24 carat gold is fashioned into
necklaces and earrings which draw their inspiration from the local flora and
fauna e.g. orchid and the lokaparo which consists of two birds placed back
to back. Jewelry from Tamil Nadu and Kerala has also been inspired by
nature e.g. paisley motifs, cobra hood and rice grains.
India wedding jewelry is also part
of the India jewelry range. The bridal jewelry trousseau consists of
necklaces, chokers, bangles, bracelets, anklets, toe rings etc. However,
the sign of a married woman is the mangal sutra, a gold chain with black
beads with a pendant at the end. The styles vary from region to region.
Recommended resource :http://www.gjepc.org/ - official website of The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, India. It is a showcase of innovative designs and latest fashion from over 10,000 diamond and jewellery manufacturers and exporters of Indian gem and jewellery industry.
Author F. Peris. copyright data 2004 Indianchild.com