Indian Jewellery



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. 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.