Indian Temple Jewelry

The style of jewelry called “temple jewelry” this is a unique style of jewelry making that is native to Southern India.Classical and traditional in its appearance, temple jewellery is commonly associated with dancers practicing the dance form of Bharatanatyam or Kuchipudi. Many of the designs are inspired from the stone carvings in various temples all around southern India. Jewelry in this style has adorned the deities in the temples of Tamil Nadu, for over hundreds of years.Initially the jewelry was created as offerings to the gods and godesses.Later the temple dancers ,devdasis, wore the jewelry.

Temple Jewelry is made with uncut rubies (pucchakallu), emeralds, uncut diamonds (param), pearls, sapphire and other precious stones with the foundation in gold.

From earrings to necklaces to pieces for adorning the hair, feet, hip and even the plait,Temple Jewelry comprises of the following:

• Thalaisaamaan -Matha Patti.Thalaisaamaan is a three sided ornament worn on the hair. One central side is worn on the parting of the hair and other two sides are tied along the hairline on the forehead.
• Nethi-chutti:Maang Tikka 
• Surya and Chandran are two broach like ornaments that symbolize sun and moon and are worn to the left and right of the parting of the hair to invoke the blessings of the dieties -sun for good health,brilliance and power and moon for romance and peace.
• Rakkodi:Circular adornment for the back of the head/(JuraPin Round)
• Billai:Ornament for braid decoration/choti
• Attigai:Short Choker necklace
• Magari Maalai:Long pearl necklace with Padakkam/pendant designed with red,green stones and pearls with peacock or floral motifs and set in half moon shape.
• Arum:Long Gold Necklace
• Jimiki:Detachable bell-shaped ear jewel with pearls
• Mattal:Ear chain/kaan chain
• Thodu:Nakshatra design seven stone stud earrings
• Mookuthi, Nathu and Bullaku:Nose jewelry
• Odiyanam: Waist Belt
• Kunjalam:Plait ends/Paranda.Kunjalam is worn at the end of the braid and it adds character to the it.Usually Kunjalam has long strands at the end with gold plated, cone shaped cover at the top.
• Salangai:Dancing Bells/Ghungroo
• Kada:Bangles
• Vanki:Armlet/bajubandh
• Veni:Semicircle garland of flowers round the bun or plait of hair/Gajara

Temple jewellery is characterized by some of the finest handwork, painfully crafted by skilled craftsmen and jewelers. Due to the finesse required in crafting it, the time required to deliver the jewellery may sometimes even go up to a year, depending on the number of pieces required. But one sight at the final product and most of customers will forget the agony of their wait.

The temple jewellery that is custom-made, according to the measurements of the customer, is surely an enviable possession.The price range could be anywhere between Rs. 80,000 for a pair of jhumkas (earrings) to several lakhs for necklaces and other specialized items. A set for a dancer, meeting all her requirements for the perfect adornment could be between Rs. 8,00,000 to Rs. 15,00,000.The reason for the expensive nature of temple jewellery is obviously the making charge, which itself is almost one-third of the total cost.Even today, the original temple jewellery is made only by certain craftsmen, who have to follow stringent requirements during the course of making it, like maintaining a cool temperature (as heat could damage the delicate gold threading), total concentration on each set due to the intricacy involved (which means taking up only one order at a time), and so on.

Temple jewelry is mostly made by goldsmiths located at Malaypore and Nagercoil in Tamilnadu.

Indian Lac Jewellery

Lac jewellery comes from the princely city of Bikaner in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Lac is collected from forest and very commonly used for costume jewellery. Low quality lac is used for cores and the better quality lac is used for decoration. Lac jewellery are worn by tribal communities in Rajasthan.

The lac jewellery have an inner-core which is covered by a relatively thin layer of better quality coloured lac. Core lac is strengthened by a material like white clay. The dry ingredients are heated, mixed together, kneaded and pounded with a hammer, a process repeated until the mass has formed similar type of dough like consistency.Shapes are done by pressing the lac into brass mould/die with grooves on each sides.The lac is forced into the groove with the instrument to take on the shape of the groove.The mold is then heated and lac takes the form of the mold.Though it looks delicate it is strong enough to be used as jewellery.

The basic enamel colour is painted on the whole lac shell. It is then fired in a tiny cylindered kiln for the enamel to set permanently.These enamel colours are mostly bright ones like white, golden, pink, blue parrot green, red, bottle green, turquoise, orange and black.Silver/Gold Foils,Glass seed beads,rhinestones,decorative wire are then used as embellishments.Many small pieces are sometimes joined together to get one complete earring/necklace/pendent.

Meenakari Jewellery

Peacock Head Terminal Meenakari Kada

Peacock Head Terminal Meenakari Kara

Peacock Pattern Meenakari Earring

Minakari or Enamelling is the art of painting, colouring and ornamenting the surface of metals by fusing over brilliant colours that are decorated in an intricate design.

The period of the Mogul era had a great impact on jewelry designs & art of jewelry making in India. The Mogul emperor Shah Jahan invited the Persian artisans who made world famous enameled silver articles to train their master-craftsmen in the art of enameling. For the first time in the history, this famous Persian enameling art was employed into making jewelry artifacts and it marked the beginning of a glorious era of enameled 18kt to 22kt Mogul jewelry pieces. The artisans of the Mogul era combined the sophisticated designs & techniques of the Persian art with Indian motifs & colors to produce some of the finest examples of enameling anywhere in the world. These jewelry pieces had brilliant colored enamel on one side and magnificent hand-cut rose diamonds, rubies, emeralds & sapphires on the other side. Sometimes the exquisite enamel on the reverse rivaled even the beauty of precious diamonds & gems in the front.

Gold has been used traditionally for minakari jewellery as it holds the enamel better, lasts longer and its lustre brings out the colours of the enamels.Silver, a later introduction, is used for artefacts like boxes, bowls, spoons, and art pieces while Copper is used for handicraft items.Choice of colors, in case of silver, has to be green, yellow or blue, as these are the colors which stick with it. As for gold, all the colors can be applied to it and this is also the reason why the metal is preferred for Meenakari jewellery.

The technique of Meenakari requires a high degree of skill and application. The piece of metal on which meenakari is to be done is fixed on a lac stick. Delicate designs of flowers, birds, fish,elephant, lion or peacock head terminals, etc are etched or engraved on it. This leads to the creation of walls or grooves, to hold color. Enamel dust of required color is then poured into the grooves and each color is fired individually. The heat of the furnace melts the color and the coloured liquid gets spread equally into the groove. This process is repeated with each colour.

As each color is individually fired, colors, which are most heat resistant, are applied first, as they are re-fired with each additional color. As a rule, white is the first color applied, and red the last.

After the last color has been fired, the object is cooled and burnished or polished with agate. The depth of the grooves filled with different colors determines the play of light.

The meenakar often works with a team of craftsmen. As meenakari is generally done on the reverse side of kundan jewellery, the meenakar has to work with the goldsmith, the engraver or ghaaria, the designer or chitteria and jadiya who applies the gems on the kundan or gold. The finished produced is a marvel of the expertise of these different craftsmen and their techniques.

Gulabi mina (pink enamel) is derived from gulab (rose) which has been popularly associated with the Varanasi enameling style. Pictures below show a very rare 22kt gold pink enamel elephant Moghul bangle. The two elephants face each other holding the "cup of nectar", the large diamond symbolising the nectar, the "drink of the Gods", believed to sustain life forever. As you can see, the bangle has very intricate carvings on the inside and the outer side which is studded with diamonds.



It is people in North India that sort after Minakari the most.Nathdwara, Bikaner,Jaipur and Udaipur are the famous centres for silver Meenakari. Pratapgarh is known for glass enamelling. Delhi,Lucknow and Varanasi are also important centers for exclusive Meenakari designs.

Indian Fine Jewellery

Indian Fashion Jewellery

Indian Fashion Jewelry- The Latest Fad

Fashion Jewelry is the best way to spice up an outfit. Get a celebrity look by sporting the latest fashion jewerly styles. Try the hottest Bollywood trends, experiment with looks straight off of the runway or add pizzazz with Fashion jewelry. Paired with any outfit for any occasion, fashion accessories are the easiest way to take your look from drab to fab.

So many weddings to attend and you don’t want to spend too much on jewelry, neither repeat your stuff. Well, Fashion jewelry is the easy solution.

Have a bright outfit and you don’t want to wear that gold chain again….well match it up with Fashion jewelry in the same shade.

Don’t want to move around wearing millions around your neck… Fashion jewelry again provides a safer option.

Fashion jewelry has gained tremendous popularity recently owing to its versatility and variety, myriad hues and affordability. It offers a cost effective yet glamorous option for those with a penchant for ornaments. It helps in keeping up with the latest trends without burning a whole in your pocket as well as providing a safer option. Real jewelry can be a sound investment in uncertain times. But for most of us, the new reality calls for faux — small indulgences that can make an old frock seem new.

Also known as imitation jewelry, fashion jewelry and costume jewelry, it comes in various shapes, sizes and texture and is made of materials as diverse as metal, glass, stones, crystals and even plastic. The variety Fashion jewelry can offer is unparalleled. You can find something to beautify each part of your body. From necklaces, earrings and hair ornaments to nose rings, toe rings, anklets, maang tikka, armlets and bangles… name it and you have it!

Fashion Jewellery is largely made of brass, cast iron, nickel, plastic beads and stones, instead of precious metals and gems.Costume Jewelry is cheaper as it can be made on machines and produce it in large quantities. Though Fashion Jewelry does not have much resale value, it is attractive and affordable jewellery in line with current fashion trends.

Some of the most popular types of fashion jewelry are:

Cubic Zircon Jewelry

Designer Kundan Jewelry
Lacquer Jewelry
Wooden Jewelry
Faux Gold Tone Jewelry
Faux Silver Tone Jewelry
Faux Pearl Jewelry
Victorian Jewelry
Rhinestone Studded Jewelry

Indian Bridal Wedding Jewellery

Indian Bridal Jewellery

Indian marriages are always celebrated in a grand way and Indian Bridal Jewelry forms a very important part of the overall attire of an bride.Beautification of the bride with sixteen adornments is known as the Sola Sringar and is one essential major ritual of Indian Hindu wedding. In this ritual, the bride is adorned from head to toe with traditional Indian Jewelry. According to Hindu custom and rituals, Sola Sringar is a mandatory practice and the bride’s friends, aunt’s and other female relatives actively participate to adorn the bride.

On her wedding day, an Indian bride comes across as a picture of beauty and grace. To imagine an Indian wedding without jewelries is completely impossible.In fact, the bridal look is believed to be incomplete unless the bride wears each and every piece of the jewelry meant for her.

In majority of the Indian weddings, you will find the bride wearing 22K yellow gold jewelry without any stones. However, depending on the budget, some people might opt for silver, platinum, white gold or diamond jewelry as well. Precious stones, such as ruby, jade, garnet, emerald, amethyst and pearl, are also widely used in Indian bridal jewelry. While you might see some variation in the bridal jewelry, depending on the particular region of the country where it is taking place, the basic items remain the same.

Elements Of Indian Bridal Jewelry


Mangal Sutra (Necklace with Black Beads)

The most important part of the bridal jewelry is mangal sutra. However, it is not worn by the bride before the marriage. Rather, it is tied by her husband around her neck during the wedding rituals, as symbol of their union. It comprises of a string of black beads, with a gold or diamond pendant.

Chooda (Indian Bridal Bangles)

Indian Bridal bangles are known as Choora/Chura/Chooda and are the special types of set of bangles, which are worn by a bride at the time of her marriage. Originally these bangles are made out of elephant's tusk.Before marriage the bride's maternal uncle put Chura in the arms of bride. Usually these bangles are in red, white, ivory and maroon colors.

Shringar Patti/Matha Patti (Indian Bridal Tiara)

Shringar patti can be described as a kind of tiara, usually in gold, which adorns the forehead of the bride. It is placed along her hairline and has a circular plaque in the middle, which hangs below the hair line (on the forehead).

Maang Tikka(Forehead jewelry)

Maang Tikka can be said to be a shortened version of the shringaar patti. It comprises of a string, with a center piece attached to one end and a hook to the other. It is worn by the bride in center parting of the hair.

Jhoomer or Pasa (Indian Hair Jewelry)

While teeka is worn in the center parting, Jhoomar or Pasa is a headpiece that is worn on the side.Jhoomer is a fan shape hair ornament worn on the left side of the head.It is a popular accessory for Indian Bride. Jhoomar and Maang Tikka are never worn together as it gives an all decked up look.

Pachlada or Satlada (Indian Bridal Necklaces) 

The outfit of a bride is incomplete without the bridal necklace.Pachlada is a five string necklace, while Satlada is a seven string necklace. The strings of necklaces are usually made by with gold,pearls or kundan with pendant hanging in the center.

Nath (Nose Ring with Chain)

Nath forms yet another important part of the bridal jewelry. It comprises of a studded nose ring, which has a long chain attached to it. The chain is hooked up in the hair of the bride, above the ear.


Hathphool/Panja (Slave Bracelet with Rings)

Hathphool is a beautiful piece of jewelry that adorns the wrist as well as the fingers of the bride. It comprises of a bracelet, with one of the more strings attached to it, having rings(s) at the other end.

Anguthi (Finger Rings)

On the right thumb of the bride there is a "Arsi Angoothi(Ring)" which is a big round ring with a mirror mounted in place of a stone and surrounded by gemstones or pearls.Brides use this mirror to get a glimpse of their to-be husband during the wedding ceremony. This ring may be worn alone or as a part of Hathphool.

Bridal Arsi Ring with a Mirror

Bichhua (Toe Ring)

An essential part of the bridal jewelry, in many states of India, bichhua comprises of a toe ring, usually in silver. It is also regarded as one of the signs of a married woman and is worn in pairs only.

Payal (Anklet)

Along with the toe ring, a bride is always required to wear payal, also known as pajeb, as a part of her wedding jewelry. It adorns the ankle of a bride, is made of silver (mostly) and has meenakari, kundan or beads as decorations.

Kamarband (Waist Band)

In the earlier times, the bride used to wear the kamarband around her waist. A heavy piece of jewelry, it was meant to support the wedding dress and keep in place. These days, it might or might not be worn by the bride.

Baaju Band (Arm Bands)

Baju band used to be a necessary part of the bridal jewelry, at one point of time in the past. However, these days, wearing it is optional. Some brides might wear one in each of the arms, while other may go for a single piece only.

Choori Churi Chudiyan (Colored Indian Metal Bangles )

No Indian wedding is complete without brightly colored Indian Metal Bangles known as Churi or Chudiyan.These may be made of glass or metal. A few days before the wedding, there is a bangle-ceremony where the family of the bridegroom goes over to the bride's home with bangles for the bride.A brides sister or friend helps her put these bangles at the time of the pre-wedding ceremonies.According to Hindu culture, there are five signs of marital status of women. They are mangalsutra, Toe rings, Kumkum, bangles and a nose ring. Colored Indian Metal Bangles are the most important among them.When a woman's husband dies she has to break these bangles and never wear them again.

Kada or Kangan (Indian Wedding Bracelets)

These are thick bracelets, and are typically ornamented with kundan, meenakari, diamonds, or crystals instead of plain regular gold bangles. They may be made in motifs like peacock, elephant etc.

Choti (Indian Braid Jewelry)

Choti is a traditional Indian Bridal Hair accessory or ornament for braid decoration.Choti is a long jewel worn on the length of a braid.Gorgeous choti is worn from the top where your braid would start and usually covers the entire braid depending on the length of your hair.

Jhumka (Indian Dangle Chandelier Earrings)

Indian jewellery trousseau is incomplete without exquisite jhumkas. Jhumkas or Jhumkis are striking and exotic very large size chandelier earrings in circular or conical dome/bell shape

Indian Kundan Jewellery

Kundan - Jewellery fit for a Queen!

Kundan in Sanskrit means Gold. One of the oldest forms of jewellery made and worn in India is the 24 carat pure gold Kundan jewellery. Kundan work is a method of gem setting, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and it's mount. Kundan jewellery received great patronage during the Mughal era and the most beautiful pieces were created in those times.

Kundan Making Process

The jewellery piece is first shaped by specialized craftsmen (and soldered together if the shape is complicated). Holes are cut for the precious stones like diamond, emeralds or rubies, any engraving or chasing is carried out, and the pieces are enamelled. When the stones are to be set, lac is inserted in the back, and is then visible in the front through the holes. Highly refined gold, the kundan, is then used to cover the lac and the stone is pushed into the kundan. More kundan is applied around the edges to strengthen the setting and give it a neat appearance. This was the only form of setting for stones in gold until claw settings were introduced under the influence of western jewellery in the nineteenth century.

Often Kundan work is combined with enameling, Meenakari, so that a piece of jewelry has two equally beautiful surfaces, enamel at the back end and Kundan set gems in the front. Meenakari involves the fusion of colored minerals, such as cobalt oxide for blue, copper oxide for green. This, on the surface of the metal, gives the effect of precious stone inlay work. The particular mode employed is known as Champleve where the metal is engraved or chased in such a way as to provide depressions within which the colors can be embedded. The colors are applied in order of the hardness those requiring more heat first and those requiring less heat later.

Craftsmen associated in making Kundan:

Kundankari is carried by a group of craftsmen, each carrying out a specific task. The chiterias make the basic design, the ghaarias are responsible for engraving and making holes, meenakari or enameling is done by the enameller and the goldsmith is takes care of the Kundan or gold. The jadiyas or stone setters, set stones such as jade, rock crystal, agate, garnet, emerald, topaz, amethyst, and spinel into kundan.

The Enamellings Process itself needs an entire team of specialist to all pool in their various skills. First, the designer selects a design as per the client's requirements and passes it to the goldsmith. The Goldsmith creates the gold stencil and gives it back to the designer who outlines the pattern on the gold surface and burnishes it, to make it stand out.

Now the engraver comes into the picture. His is the job which requires maximum skill and precision. Champleve - is a technique used by the engraver to lower those areas of the metal that will take the enamel by carving them out. These lowered surfaces are hatched with fine parallel lines to enable thorough fusion between colour and metal, to add to the visual delight as the hatchings enchance the play of light over the transparent colours.

The Meenakar or enameller is the next in line. He fills in the enamel colours in the lowered surfaces, thereby evening the surface and fusing it to the gold with repeated firings. Since the enamels are of varying hardness and thus require different temperatures for fusing, they must be fired separately - that from hardest highest temperature to softest lowest temperature. Cooling is as important as heating: a flow at this stage could crack the enamel or render it undesirably opaque.

The usual colour sequence begins with white and runs through blue, green, black and yellow before reaching red, rich ruby the signature colour of Jaipur enamelling. It achieves an unmatched brilliance and clarity. "The purer the gold, the richer the colour," goes an old saying, and the red Meena of Jaipur is applied only to a high karat gold.

Once the enamelling has been completed the surfaces must be polished. The kundan setter then asks the Patua or stringer, to thread the pieces with strings and make them a ready-to-wear stunning piece of art!

 Benefits:

• As compared to the Western-style bezel or claw setting, Kundan gives the craftsman the freedom to use irregular shapes and sizes. Thus the time and labour needed to create each setting separately to the size of the stone is saved.
• A stone thus needs to be only minimally sized and can retain its original look.
• Additionally, Kundan enables work to be carried out without soldering or applying heat. The Gold or Silver in which the Kundan is embedded is soft enough that the stones can be encased simply by pressing them.

Tips for Buying Original Kundan Jewelry

•  Old, solid gold ornaments are sometimes filled with shellac. It is important to determine this in order to not be overcharged.
• In trying to differentiate between an old and a new minakari piece, remember that the older the piece, the more intricate the design and more brilliant the colour.
• To identify imperfections in a diamond, look for tiny, rents or fissures and specks. If the diamond has any of these, it is flawed. Note also that a real diamond can never have scratches on its surface, if it does, it is not a diamond.
• Genuine kundan-set crystal has a mellow, opaque appearance. Artificial kundan-set crystal is transparent and it glitters. This is due to the fact that glass has been used instead of crystal and colored tinfoil under the stones to create the illusion of color.
• New cord in an old piece should not make the buyer suspicious. It could have been replaced to hold the ornament together.

Kundan care

Here are some tips on how to take good care of your Kundan Jewellery.

• When replacing the jewellery after use, wipe it with a suede cloth to restore its shine.
• If space is an issue, place the jewellery in between layers of cotton wool and seal it in a good plastic bag.
• Do not clean the jewellery with soap and water.
• Keep a pouch of desiccant with the piece to protect it from tarnishing due to excessive humidity. Dampness causes the silver in the setting to tarnish and the enamel to crack.
• Handle the silk chord used to adjust the length of the necklace with care. Never wet the chord as it causes the zari in it to discolour.

Kundan Inspiration

Lately designers have started using uncut diamonds/ colored glass or crystals as embellishments in sarees, lehengas and accessories like handbags and shoes. This is called “Kundan Work” as it involves embroidery with stones set in metal surround and looks similar to Kundan jewellery.

There is a lot of costume kundan jewellery available which is made with simulated ruby/emerald or with rhinestones. Having kundan jewelry replicated and sold at lower prices is a welcome alternative for those who could not afford to buy the original antique pieces. The original kundan antique pieces had commonly used uncut gems such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires. There are now a lot of kundan jewelry available in the market is often just a replica of the original one made in the eighteenth or seventeenth or nineteenth centuries. The original pieces could sell for as much as $200,000 or more per set.


Kundan Making Centres:

Today the finest Kundan jewellery is made in Bikaner & Jaipur, in Rajasthan. Jaipur is the main center of kundan work. The famous Johri Bazaar is the nerve center of this craft. Nathdwara is known for its silver kundan work. Bikaner is also known for its kundan work.

The Historical significance associated with this jewellery, that it was once worn by only Kings and Queens, is what makes it so attractive. As those who have it will tell you, Kundan jewellery, like wine only gets better with time.

Despite the trend for fusion and IndoWestern jewellery in our culture, on occasions like Wedding and Festivals, Indian women prefer the traditional and the Royal Ethnic look - Kundan it is!

Bindi

Bindi -Indian Forehead Decoration

Bindi also known as Kumkum, Tika, Pottu, Sindoor,Tilak, Tilakam, Bindiya etc. is one of the most recognizable items in Hinduism.Bindi is a dot worn on women's foreheads. It is a form of the tilak, a symbolic mark worn by many Hindu men and women, but has less religious connotations than other tilaks.

Alternative names of bindi are:

* Tikli in Marathi
* Pottu in Tamil and Malayalam
* Tilak in Hindi
* Chandlo in Gujarati
* Bottu or Tilakam (in Telugu)
* Bottu or Tilaka (in Kannada)
* Teep (meaning "a pressing") (in Bengali)

Traditionally, the bindi is worn on the forehead of married Hindu women. It symbolizes female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands. Bindis are traditionally a simple mark made with the paste of colored sandalwood, sindoor or turmeric. The bindi is most commonly a red dot made with vermilion.

In addition, the bindi is a way of accentuating the third eye, the area between the eyebrows where attention is focused during meditation. Men and women often apply a tilak after a puja ritual or on other religious occasions as a way of invoking religious feelings, concentration and focus. Sometimes a woman's bindi represents sectarian affiliation, like the men's tilak, but this is less common.

More recently, the bindi has become primarily a decorative accessory and is worn by unmarried girls and non-Hindu women. It is also no longer restricted in color or shape, and self-adhesive bindis made from felt in various designs and colors are common fashion statement. Bindi styles often vary by the area of India in which they are worn.