The History of Jewellery in India and Its Origin
For years, the beauty of Indian women and the charm of jewellery have been complimenting each other. Every Indian woman loves to adorn herself with stunning pieces of jewellery to complement and enhance her natural beauty.
Jewellery has been a significant part of both men’s and women’s adornments for ages. India is privileged to have an ancient history and heritage of culture that holds a special place for jewellery. Today’s Indian jewellery is a blend of inspiration taken from different sources and cultures. The origin of jewellery in India dates back to more than 5000 years ago. You can find traces of Indian jewellery in the country’s history itself.
If we recall the history of jewellery in India, we were once the sole supplier of gemstones to the world. And for the Royals, jewels represented prosperity and prestige. There are also excavations of jewellery pieces from Mohenjodaro and the Indus valley. These were extremely sophisticated and finely curated with intricate designs and engineering.
Let us understand more about the history of Indian jewellery, its designs, techniques of making, and where do they come from.
History of Jewellery Designs in India and Techniques of Making
The era of Mughal rule introduced us to embellished jewellery that was a mix of Indian and central Asian styles. They also designed jewellery with intricate enamel work. Mughals did inspire some of the techniques of jewellery creation that are used today.
The Indian designers back then, modified it further to include different elements in jewellery designs such as floral, geometrical, nature-inspired, etc. And, inspired by the same, most of us are familiar with various designs on different jewellery pieces that we see today. Let us learn more about these Indian jewellery pieces.
Jadau and Kundan Jewellery
Here’s a famous traditional jewellery type that originates from Mughal expert craftsmanship. It is a skill that a designer needs to place precious gemstones on a sheet of gold. Here, gold is fused at room temperature to be used for making jewellery pieces.
Kundan and Jadau jewellery work are indeed timeless and artisans developed this type of jewellery with a lot of patience and thinking. With modern times, we see these designs being tweaked but they remain similar to the traditional ones. There are also Polki jewellery designs that use raw and uncut diamonds for a bohemian feel.
Temple Jewellery
Initially, this type of jewellery was used to adorn gods and Goddesses. The Royal families later started making similar jewellery for themselves. With time, the common masses also accommodated the designs in their ornaments and jewellery. The temples of South India, Bengal, Odisha, and Central India are made with unique patterns, architecture, and designs.
Today, you will see Temple jewellery that includes chunky designs with temple structures, figures of various gods and goddesses. We, at Reliance Jewels, offer such temple jewellery designs carved on gold necklaces. The extravagant look and feel are fit for traditional outfits like sarees, suits, and lehengas.
Meenakari Jewellery Also Known as Enamelling
The Meenakari technique is used to add colours to jewellery made with metals like gold and silver. This was introduced in Varanasi by the Persians during the Mughal Era. Originally this technique was used in Polki jewellery to add colour on the back. But, now it is a unique design on its own.
At Reliance Jewels, our Kaasyam collection brings to you the design of Gulabi Meenakari. This collection is inspired by the Holy city of Varanasi. It has a range of gold jewellery that includes exquisite designs of the Gulabi Meenakari art.
Pearl Jewellery
Pearl can be suitable for any style, outfit, or occasion, and so, they can never disappoint you. Traditionally, pearl jewellery was precious for the Nawabs in Hyderabad. The city then became a hub for selling pearls across the country. It is said that pearls represent purity and the moon. Any pearl jewellery today will hold a special place in your collection.
Along with the different influences coming from around the world, Indian jewellery is also heavily inspired by different states and their culture. Let us understand how the diversity of culture and locations play a role in Indian jewellery designs.
Origin of Indian Jewellery Inspired by the Different Indian States
We see a wide range of jewellery designs and it is mainly because these designs originate from different regions of India. Indian jewellery is inspired by diverse cultures and lifestyles. For example, many gold jewellery designs are inspired by nature and you will witness them on the jewellery of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
And as we mentioned above, our favourite Kundan and Meenakari styles were inspired by the Mughals at Varanasi. Not just gold, but you shall also witness a variety of silver jewellery worn traditionally by the women of Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
With time, traditional jewellery designs were transformed into the modern and contemporary designs for the new generation. But, the traditional styles and jewellery designs will remain ageless and can never be separated from Indian jewellery. Today, Indian jewellery is available in both gold and silver metals designed with precious stones that attract all your attention. There are variants such as rose gold and white gold that are perfect for everyday wear lightweight jewellery pieces.
We, at Reliance Jewels strive to bring you the best of contemporary, modern, and traditional jewellery crafted and designed by our in-house designers. Choose from the latest and trendiest gold and silver jewellery offered under our exclusive collections which take inspirations from different regional cultures such as Mahalaya (Maharastra), Rannkaar (Gujarat), Kaasyam (Varanasi), Utkala (Odisha), and more.
External Image References:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2_Attributed_to_Nihal_Chand.Savant_Singh_and_Bani_Thani_as_Krishna_and_Radha(detail),_Kishangarh,_ca._1760._Madison_Avenue_gallery.jpg”>Nihal Chand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons