Indian Jewelry

Mahatma Gandhi, M.N. Shyamalan, Gautama Buddha, Sushmita Sen. These are just few of the famous personalities who contributed to the stature and prominence of India as a country.

But aside from these people, India is also highly-regarded because of its famous arts which symbolize the country's rich and distinct cultural heritage and way of life. Taj Mahal, Thangka and Batik paintings, Buddha statues, Hindu deities' sculptures, and of course, jewels and ornaments are just uniquely ascribed to India.

India is specifically known for all kinds of jewelry and ornaments. Some say that the richness and wealth

of India really lies on its jewelry. It is likewise believed that colonizers are drawn to the country because

of its jewels and ornaments. Indian jewelry and ornaments can actually be traced back to Mohenjodaro

and Harappan era which were used as common adornment for deities and gods.

The culture of placing high regard to jewelry still lives up to this day. In Hindu communities, you can see gods, deities and humans adorned with jewels and ornaments from head to foot. Chokers, necklaces, pendants, earrings, headdresses, bangles, bracelets, anklets, toe rings, nose rings, brooches, etc. are vastly used by Hindus for religious, social, or just aesthetic reasons.

Since Hindus believe that gods, humans and animals co-exist with one another, it is amusing to note that jewels and ornaments also adorned their animals.

It is a given fact that Indian jewelry has enthralled the world because of its exquisite, elegant, delicate

and intricate designs. Coupled with unique styles and techniques, Indian jewelry is being sought by all people, especially women, from all walks of life all over the world. Indian jewelry is commonly made from silver and gold and accentuated with precious and semi-precious stones and tribal materials such as animal teeth and claws, shells, among others. As one can observe, Indian jewelry designs are inspired so much

by nature such as flowers, rice grains, animals, fruit seeds, leaves, birds, etc. These designs can also

only be delicately executed by hands who know the intricacies of the art of Indian jewelry.

Because jewelry plays a big part of India's ancient and unique culture, Hindus are well-entrenched in

all aspects of jewelry making, from A to Z, so to speak, from designing to molding to plating to gilding

to setting stones to inlay work, etc. Thus, it is easy to conclude that the real treasure of India is its goldsmiths or the jewelry maker. Indian goldsmiths are recognized worldwide for their artistry, diligence

and skills. Their techniques and precision in creating beautifully-crafted pieces of ornaments are impressive. So when we talk of Indian jewelry, you can be sure that we are talking here of quality jewelry since every piece is patiently done with so much passion and artistry by Indian goldsmiths.

Indeed, since the past and up to the present, India has lived up to its name as the "Jewel in the Crown" because of the high esteem that the people have in every piece of jewelry that comes from the country.