Bridal Jewellery Box

You cannot sum up India’s jewellery heritage without paying a special tribute to Andhra Pradesh.  Home to diamond mining, pearl harvesting and jewellery traditions, the state boasts of a glorious history with a virtual monopoly in the global jewellery industry till 1826 (until founding of the diamond mines in Rhodesia, Africa). What’s more! Eight of the 10 most valuable jewellery pieces on Earth today were found from the mines located here. With the ancient Golconda mine in its crown, the state is also the mother of the several legendary gems such as the Kohinoor and Hope Diamond. A grand salute! Another feather in its cap is Karimnagar’s silver filigree . But that does not mean, it lags behind in the gold jewellery game. Mainly comprising of Vaddaanam, Aravanke, Kashulahaaram , Buttalu and various other customary gold jewellery designs, it is a continuously evolving ancient tradition. However, brides from different communities have their own unique bridal jewellery ...

Close your eyes and think about Gujarat. Invariably we all picture this state as a vibrant place bustling with energetic folks. The flashiness of their clothes, the colourful home interiors and yes, the chunky jewellery – the montage of its lively culture starts playing in our head. As an off-shoot of this vivacious culture, its jewellery heritage too tells the tale of their extravagant lifestyle. Pulled by its scintillating charm, when I delved deeper into the art and culture of this place, I discovered different facets of Gujarat’s jewellery scene . You may already know but it's worth the mention - the first diamond cutting factory was set up in 1938 in Navsari, a neighbouring town of Surat, with all of 65 workers. As a principle city of the Mughal Empire, Surat’s topographical advantage made it exceptionally enticing for traders and merchants alike and today, it handles 90 percent of the world's rough diamond cutting and polishing. No wonder, Gujaratis are crazy...

Today, exchanging rings on the engagement day is a common sight in an Indian wedding. Not just in big cities, the trend has caught up even in small towns. But this ceremony is just a fashion in India. It does not have any  cultural relevance  here. With foreign invasions, global industrial revolution that increased our interaction with the western world and the influence of English movies, our marriages in  the Vedic period  and now, look extremely different. However, our Ayurvedic science seconds  the Greek theory  that the vein passing through the ring finger is directly connected to heart and thus, it is the right finger to associate with a life-long bond of the heart. Besides this, in  Egypt , rings are viewed as a symbol of eternity. No wonder, it has beautifully merged with our already elaborate wedding traditions. But that does not mean, we Indians never wore rings before  Britishers  arrived here. Our kings and queens sp...

Bangles have been an integral part of Indian culture since time unknown. Even the oldest civilisation that we are aware of had the existence of bangles . A copper figurine was discovered from the site of the Mohenjo Daro settlements, that dates 5000 years ago in 2600 BC, with a necklace and a set of bangles. During the excavation of some other historical sites across different regions of India, bangles were discovered. From copper, bronze, shell and terra cotta to silver, gold, lac and glass, they were made of different materials. For instance, the copper bangles were excavated from Mahurjhari, the ornate ones from Mauryan Empire and the gold bangles from Taxila. But still you never know, it may have existed even before that. All Hindu deities are seen wearing bangles and that this jewel has traditional significances too. Wearing bangles , especially lac, glass and shell are a must for married women here. While it is believed to ensure husband's safety and bring him good ...

The sunrise in Kanyakumari, the Meenakshi temple of Madurai and the Kanjeevaram silk sarees – what more can you ask for when in Tamil Nadu. But still without a glimpse of its jewellery heritage , you have not seen this place enough.  With that, I do not mean paying a visit to jewellery exhibitions and shows here. For an authentic Tamilian jewellery spectacle , make it to a Tamilian wedding. Here women of all ages will show up in their best jewels. While the bride will sweep you off your feet, oldies will enchant you at their traditional best.  The first thing that will strike you that just like in the north, even Tamilians consider gold to be auspicious and although they sport lot of gold jewellery, they do not wear it in their feet. Only gods and kings are allowed to wear gold jewellery in their feet here. FYI, it is also the birth place of the famous temple jewellery. Isn't our traditions so alike yet so unique?   Let's delve into the unique sid...

You thought jewellery is just an adornment? Sorry to burst your bubble. You don't seem to know your ornaments well. They have got more purposes to serve than just to make your look attractive. Let’s take a stock of those very purposes with which most of the ornaments came into being and find out what they stand for.     An eerie tale of earrings Today earrings have more varieties than you can think of. From jhumkas and chandliers to hoops and studs, it’s available in wide-ranging designs to go with different occasions. But legend has it, this pair of jewels was designed for a different purpose. It was believed that evil spirits could enter the body through its openings and ornaments were said to prevent that. So, besides their acupuncture benefits, earrings are believed to ward off evil spirits. A heart-touching ring story  The ring finger has a vein passing through it which runs directly to the heart and so, the wedding rings are worn on ...

My quest for traditional jewellery took me to the end of India – Kerala. People, to be specific tours and travel companies, call it the god’s own country and rightly so. You can’t help falling in love with the untouched beauty of this pristine land. The backwaters, the palms and the beaches, it feels they beckon you. But it is the cultural heritage of this place that brings you back again and again. The more you explore, the more you yearn to know. No wonder, I am still recovering from the mystic influence of its traditional beauty and figuring out, from where to begin talking about this enormous legacy. From head to toe, they have some stunning jewels to bedazzle you.  Within necklace alone, they boast of countless varieties. Inspired by nature, Palakka Mala is hot favourite amongst Keralite women. It has a leaf pattern made of green coloured glass stones in a golden frame. Apart from green, now-a-days various other colour stones like red, blue… too are used. ...

Karnataka is the tourism capital of India. From pristine beaches to rolling hills, from art forms to architectural structures and from silk sarees to sandalwood, people from India and overseas come here to soak into its distinct beauty. But what bowls them over is the gold jewellery of Karnataka . Blessed with Kolar mines, the state produces about 80 per cent of India’s gold and this has given way to a stupendous heritage. If you ever get a chance to attend a Kannadiga wedding, don’t miss it. It would be the true spectacle of Karnataka’s traditional designs.  The Goddess Lakshmi is the most favoured image engraved on the ornaments and so is the practice of setting in ruby and emerald stones.   A striking piece of jewellery worn by the brides here is a layered chain called  Entele Sara  which is strung with gold beads.  Sitting on the bride’s forehead, Netri Chutti is essentially a mangtikka that is further embellished with coloured stone...