A Guide to Jewelry from India

Jewelry styles in India are as varied as the regions, people and their culture. Jewelry-making is considered an art form, passed down through generations of artisans or karigars. These days, classical Indian styles are seeing a comeback with brand names houses and prominent designers heavily reviving and endorsing them.

Here is a look at some of the most famous regional styles of jewelry in India. There are probably many more exclusively regional styles, but these are well known all over India.

From Delhi

Mughal: This style of jewelry was brought to India by the Mughals and never went out of fashion. It is extremely ornate with a focus on elaborate designs heavily inspired by nature. Common motifs include flowers, leaves, vines, ambi (mango), birds, etc. Mughal style jewelry usually employs Jadau work, so these styles go hand in hand.

From Rajasthan

Kundan Jadau: This is a style of embossing or encrusting gemstones, usually kundan (a semi-opaque crystal) in the surrounding metal leaf. As mentioned above, this work is a part of the Mughal style of jewelry and is now a specialty of Jaipur artisans.

Meenakari: Another Rajasthani specialty, Meenakari is the art of enameling or fusing metal with different colored lacquers, usually red, blue or green.

Theva: This is a rare art, being revived by prominent Indian designers, in which gold is enameled onto glass. Red, blue or green foil below the glass highlights the gold for an exquisite look.

From Gujarat

Gheru: The Gheru style of Baroda is to give jewelry a beautiful dull red copper finish.

Pachchikam: A Gujarati specialty for generations, Pachchikam style involves holding together uncut semi-precious stones and glasswork by tiny metal claws (as opposed to the Kundan Jadau style of embedding or encrusting).

Polki: Gujarat jewelry made of uncut diamonds.

From Bengal

Filigree: A style in which patterns and designs are made with twisting thin silver wires. Also done in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Navrattan: Traditional Bengali style jewelry comprised of nine gemstones ruby, emerald, sapphire, cat s eye, coral, turquoise, pearl, opal and diamond.

From Tamil Nadu

Temple: Temple jewelry, a specialty of Nagercoil in South India, is elaborate chunky jewelry comprised of 22 karat gold and precious stones. This jewelry was traditionally made to adorn the idols of gods and goddesses in temples (hence, the name), and is now worn by Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancers. The designs and motifs are nature inspired.