Indian rulers showcased their statement of prestige, prosperity, and power through their ornaments and embedded gemstones. Women considered it as economical and social security as its value never depreciated.
Few perspectives on the valuable stones remain unchanged till today. Being a land of history and aesthetics, India is always known for its gems and jewelry. The most interesting fact about these gems is the myths and mysteries behind them.
Though some have survived from different phases of time and have a vast literature behind them with enough evidence, some have contradicting beliefs.
India is the supplier of gemstones like Golconda diamonds, Kashmir sapphires, and Gulf of Mannar pearls.
Indus Valley Civilisation
Five thousand years ago, India was the largest exporter and manufacturer of beads in the world. The necklaces dating back to this period were seen to be made of agate, turquoise, steatite, feldspar, faience, and carnelian by setting along with gold.
India takes pride in inventing the diamond drill, which they later taught to the Romans. The pieces of jewelry evacuated from the Indus Valley Civilization seemed heavily sophisticated and intricately crafted.
Mughal Period
Mughal rule was a phase when Indian jewelry was further established in terms of elegance and extravagance. Mughals were people who loved studded necklaces that were spectacular. The enameling of jewelry reached heights, and more innovative techniques were created in making jewelry.
During this period, artisans embedded Kundan stones in pure gold with floral, nature-inspired, and geometrical designs. Incrustation of jade stone with gold leaves and stem is a well-known technique that led to numerous methods.
The ornaments that belong to this period of Indian history were repeated in green, white, and red as rubies, diamonds, and emeralds.
Types of Indian Gems in Ornaments
Temple Jewellery
Temple jewelry is popularly sourced from Central India that is intricately designed with excellent craftsmanship. It is used to adorn idols and is considered as devotional pieces of ornament.
The imitations of these patterns are worn by dancers of Bharatanatyam and are embedded by emeralds, pearls, and rubies.
The designs are large and chunky, portraying temple towers and various gold figurines. Temple jewelry is back in trend amongst the South Indians now; visit site to view the latest designs.
Navaratna Stones
Navaratna stones, as its name suggests, comprise nine precious stones which symbolize nine gods in Hinduism. Any website for buying gemstone necklace online will have a navaratna necklace due to religious belief.
Taj Mahal Emerald
The Taj Mahal Emerald is a hexagonal emerald stone carved with flowers to resemble the decors of the Taj Mahal monument. The technique to carve them is called the Jadau technique that was brought to India by the Mughals.
Furthermore, the ornaments were made exquisite by artisans of Gujarat and Rajasthan by involving meenakari work. The most famous Karanphooljhumka was created during this period of history with unique embellishments adorned to them depending on the region’s preference.
However, the basic flower-shaped ear ornament remained the same throughout.
Hyderabad Gems
Hyderabad gems were Nizam’sfavorite and widely used in head decorations called the sarpech. Sarpech is turban ornaments and contains a lot of gemstones.
The other remarkable pieces of the Hyderabad ornament collection are the satlada which has seven strands of spherical and silvery-white pearls. Paizeb is anklets worn by royal women which are made of gold and studded with valuable gemstones.
The famous necklace that the Nizam gifted to Queen Elizabeth II was made of Rockefeller blue sapphire, which had 62.02 carats. Finally, the world-famous and enormous Jacob Diamond used by Mir Osman Ali Khan belonged to this period.