topics: |  india | jewellery |

A history of Jewellery in India.  India has been one 
of the prime sources of jewellery for much of history.
For 3000 years, India was the only known source
of diamonds. 


An ancient poet says:
	It is the jewels that are bedecked by women
	Not women who are beautified by them:
	A woman unbejewelled will still enrapture,
	But who looks twice at any girl-less gem?
    		- from Sharangadhara-paddhati,
			tr. probably John Brough

[the text argues with the above poet, saying
that even when girl-less, gems hold considerable
interest. ]

Covers both the royal and also the plebeian ornaments.  A rare
glimpse into a world not much touched in today's discourse.

Other Jewelry

Harappan necklace, ca. 3000 BC, with a styling that remains amazingly
contemporary!  Steatite and gold beads with pendants of banded agate and jade.



Tin-maNiyA (three gems) pendant, Jaipur
The broad, flat pendant bears parrot and moon motifs. Fine filigree work.



Graeco-Indian necklace from Taxila, 1st cent. AD.
Turquoise and garnets.  The filigree work of Taxila and
the  granulation became justifiably famous.



anklet (paizeb) from rajasthan, 19th c.



Silver Hansuli, from the Lambadi tribe of Andhra Pradesh.  The hansuli is a
sign of marriage - the triangular danglers indicate that she has borne sons.

author bio

Asha Rani Mathur is a freelance writer and editor. She has edited and
produced many books on Indian life and culture.