Golden reflections

While, this is not a well documented fact, Neesha asserts that there is one thing that reigns supreme in Indian hearts: Gold. Both men and women alike treat this precious metal as sacred and India is still, as has been for decades, the largest domestic consumer of gold. And a lot of jewellery, if not most, is still made by hand.

Neesha Pandya ferrets out more information and puts together an introduction to the Jewellery of India:

Punjab amp; North India:

The Punjabis and people from North India, in general, believe that big is beautiful. They like large, chunky and eye-catching jewellery, but don8217;t want to take on too much weight. Hence, filigree is a common feature of jewellery from northern India. Heavily influenced by the North West Frontier provinces, women wear long hars necklaces, big balis earrings, kadas bangles and bindis. The bali is more often than not worn with an intricately-designed thick chain, which is tucked in the hair to share the weight. The Punjabis prefer a very yellow polish. They also love pearls. One can see pearls complementing most ear rings and chains. Jadav is also very popular among the north Indians. A jadav with pearls and red, green and turquoise stones set in it is typical of Punjabi turquoise jewellery. The use of turquoise, in India, can probably be seen only in North Indian jewellery. This is because the stone was brought down to the north western state, from Persia by India8217;s many invaders. Besides the peacock, which is a popular motif, the Punjabis and Muslims also use the half-moon motif.

Gujarat amp; Rajasthan:Rajput history has had an overpowering influence on the jewellery of both Rajasthan and Gujarat. The beauty of the many exotic mahals is reflected in the jewellery of these states. There8217;s no emphasis here on the size of the piece but on the crafting. The choker and jhumkas with big flowers are basic to a Gujarati woman8217;s trousseau. The commonly used Rava gold dots and beni twisted wire give the jewellery a delicate touch.

Rajasthan, formerly a complex of independent Indian principalities, is a place where conservative traditions in ornaments have been protected against outside influences. Perhaps the most significant characteristic of traditional Jaipur jewellery is its use of the unseen reverse side for elaborate enamelling of intricate design. Kundan is very popular with the Gujaratis and Rajasthanis, as well. There are two types of kundan: red, green and white stones enclosed in sockets; and vilandi, which has real diamond chips with chips of rubies and emeralds.

The kadas that are favoured are generally not very thick and have two elephants facing each other, to complete the circle. Antique Rajasthani gold jewellery tends to have a black polish but the gheru or orangish polish is also very common.

Maharashtra:

People from this state have not gone too far from the traditional jewellery patterns of the Marathas and Peshwas. Jewellery from here has an array of har and malas: mohanmal, bormal, chaplahar, Kolhapuri saaz, pohehar, putlihar to name a few. The peculiar shapes of these necklaces give them their names. Thushi, a choker with closely boundtiny gold beads, is very popular among the Maharashtrians.

Patlya two broad bangles, bangdya four simple bangles and tode two finely carved thick bangles is the typical jewellery on the hands of women from this western state. The Maharashtrians too are fond of pearls. Chinchpeti choker, tanmani short necklace and nath nose ring are a combination of pearls and red and white stones. The bajuband the amulet is also a favourite. Flower-shaped earrings are a clear preference with the people here.

West Bengal amp; East India:

Jewellery from this part of India is largely enamelled. Thin bangles of single enamel or broad bangles of a combination of enamels is common among the people here. As far as the necklaces and earrings are concerned, people here use both heavy makes and filigree. Peacocks and parrots are common motifs. The karigars from Bengal are known to be blessed with the most skilled hands for the art of making intricate and delicate jewellery.

South India:

Simple and classy, is the only way to describe South Indian jewellery. The necklaces here are largely in the form of delicate chains. What is striking is that the gold used has a distinct reddish tinge. It just means that the alloy mixed with the gold is copper, and in no way does it lessen the value of the ornament. In fact, South Indian jewellery is famous for its quality and purity.In sharp contrast to the delicate lines favoured by and large, the Gaurishankar motif is large and elaborate. Famous for its antique value, it is the traditional pattern for the necklaces of South India. It reflects the temple architecture and goes to show the extent to which dance is a part and parcel of this region. Red and white stone jewellery is also a must-wear, especially during a Bharatnatyam performance. The jewellery of India may revel in its diversity, but there are certain codes when it comes to wearing these ornaments. Gold is generally not used in the jewellery worn below the waist. Payals anklets and toerings are therefore, more often than not, made of silver. Gold is considered to be a sacred metal and wearing gold anklets would be a mark of disrespect. But, such is the glitter of gold that there is no part of the Indian body that has not consistently been used to support ornaments.