History of Indian jewellery is as old as the history
of the country itself. Around 5000 years ago, the desire to adorn
themselves aroused in people, leading to the origin of jewellery. Since
then, Indian women and jewellery have gone hand in hand. There cannot be
a woman in India, who does not adore herself with minimum jewellery. In
fact, jewellery is considered as security and prestige of women in the
country. The attraction for jewellery has been great in India that it is
no more a craft than an art.
Indian jewellery is unique in its design and workmanship. In all kinds
of traditional dance forms, jewellery has been a significant part. Be it
Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi or Kathak, all have given importance to
jewellery in presenting the artist. The sheer number of items forming
the jewelry of an Indian woman is numerous, ranging from earrings and
necklaces to pieces for adorning the hair, hip, feet, and feet. Jewelry
made with emeralds, diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and other
precious and semi-precious stones have been in practice for long.
The range of jewelry in India varies from religious to purely aesthetic
types. It is crafted not only for humans, but also for the Gods,
ceremonial elephants and horses. Royal class people have given patronage
to the art of jewellery since ancient times, when rajas and maharajas
vied with each other to possess the most exquisite and magnificent
pieces. Regional differences can be observed in the making of jewellery,
depending on the differences in geography, people, culture, and their
lifestyle.
While the designs in solid gold jewellery of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are
inspired by nature, the Meenakari and Kundan styles of jewelry making
have been influenced by the Mughal dynasty. Then there is a huge range
of silver beads found all over India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Their availability lead to the
development of the bead jewelry, popular till date.
While Assamese jewellery is influenced by local flora and fauna,
Manipuri jewelry-makers make use of items like shells, animal claws,
teeth and precious and semi-precious stones. These huge varieties of
ornaments bear testimony to the excellent skill of the jewelers and
craftspeople of the country. Indian jewelry in Gold, diamonds, silver,
sterling silver, precious stones and semi-precious stones is a rage all
over the world.
