Ethnic Jewelery of India

In India, the usage of ornaments and costume Jewelery is in practice since pre-historic times. Ancient Indian classics have innumerable references of earrings, necklaces, bangles, waist bands, hair bands, anklets, rings and nose rings etcetera. The use of precious stones and gems has been an old tradition of India.

Types of Jewelery

The most popular types of the Indian Jewelery are

Gold & Silver Jewelery: Traditionally in India gold is considered very auspicious. In every city of India, you may find at least two such exclusive markets, where all types gold, precious stones and silver ornaments are prepared on order and sold. The modern Indian jewelers today are also promoting white gold, platinum and other precious alloys to make unique but very costly items.

Antique Jewelery: You should be aware of the fact that almost 80 to 90% of the so called antique jewellery items sold anywhere in the world are not genuine. The jeweler copy various antique designs and give them the famous ages old dull and rough old world appearance.

Bead Jewelery: It’s a fact that the concept of bead jewelery in India originated during the Indus Valley Civilization. Its origin is considered almost 5000 years old. The modern artisans prepare beads of gold, silver, clay, wood, copper and ivory and assemble them into attractive forms.

Meenakari Jewelery: The concept of Meenakri, Kundan and Navaratna jewelery is also a part of Indian tradition. Intricate stone work in a gold ornament is the basis of meenakari jewelery. In the navratna jewelery nine different colored precious stones combine to form a single ornament. Since various stones used in this type of jewellery are considered representing different planets, it has some astrological significance as well.

Stone Jewelery: A number of precious, semi-precious and artificial stones make such ornaments.

Ivory & Horn Jewelery: With animal rights activists opposing the use of ivory, the ancient art of ivory ornaments in India is gradually re-emerging in a new avatar. Now the ivory carving experts have started making ornaments from marble, fiber glass and animal horns.

Other Forms of Jewelery: Enamel, Leather, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Pewter, Rubber, Ceramic, Terracotta, Bamboo & Grass, Rice, Crystal and Glass, Art-tech, Acrylic, Resin, Plastic, Shellac, Shell, Wooden, Quill, Bone, wire (wrap) and Costume Jewelery

You would be surprised to know about the history, traditions and the unique craftsmanship behind this great form of art. We will discuss it in the next blog post.