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The History and Origin of the Indian Jewelry
The history of Indian Jewelry is as old as the history of the India itself. Its use has been uninterrupted throughout the life cycle of the nation from the Stone Age until now. It is another thing that in those times there was no gold but stone only. It is the wish of every woman in India to embellish her with jewelry. In fact, this has been a truth for each and every woman worldwide. Indian Jewelryhas a history spanning across 5000 years. Its demand for the domestic market has never dropped, principally because of the fact that it is an important part of the women’s life. Due to its elegance, expertise and its variety, there are many followers of IndiaIndian Jewelry. Indian Jewelry has become a trademark for much other jewelry. It has always been a source of inspiration for Indian Jewelry all over the world.
It is not just the women who are fascinated by the Indian Jewelry. For a long time, men also have adorned it and used it. It is true that men’s jewelry differ from the jewelry of the women. Indian Jewelry has satisfied both of them. It possesses that kind of variety that can fulfill every body’s desires. The principal reason for the widespread use of the Indian jewelry is the Indian tradition. In Indian tradition, jewelry is not just considered to be an ornament; rather it has its aesthetic and divinity values as well. Indian jewelry is an Integral part of the Hinduism.
Unlike other jewelry, Indian Jewelry has a well-established origin. Indian jewelry has had its own style and look. This is not a new phenomenon. This has been going on since the primitive ages. The building stone has been set at that time itself. Those people took their inspiration from their surroundings. Their inspirations were leaves, seeds, feathers, berries, flowers and animal bones. They used everything around them to make the Indian Jewelry. They were used to beautify various things. Slowly, it developed in the form of an art. Those were outdated soon, but today they are again being revived. Their demands are increasing in the market. These are not false assessment. These facts were proved during the excavations of the Mohenjo-Daro.
Today Indian Jewelry specializes in almost every kind of metal. It uses gold, brass, copper, silver, ivory and many precious as well as semi precious stones. These metals are not found in India, but they are imported. After that, they are transformed into various different kinds of Indian Jewelry pieces. These items are either sold in the local market and they are also exported into the foreign market. Reference of goldsmiths can be found in the Manusmiriti as well. Today, India is one of the biggest exporters in the market of stones, gems and other jewelry items.
Historians differ on the question of its evolution and its prominence in the Indian society. Some say that it was the religion while other believes that it was the tradition, which made it possible. In those times, gold used to be a very precious item. Hence the kings used to store their jewelry. Also in the Hindu tradition, jewelry is a very important item during the wedding. It used to be given to the bride by her mother and also by the parents of the groom. According to the tradition, these were meant to be kept in possession rather than selling it off. It used to be said that it keeps the family happy and united.
In the older times, India used to be compared with the golden bird. The main reason behind it was the Indian Jewelry. India used to have a large reserve of the gems, stones and gold. Due to its availability, silver was always given preference to gold. People believe that the Indian jewelry is elegant and beautiful because of its use of silver. It has been used principally in many places like temples and many other places like in rudraksh. Indian jewelry also got its hold in the market due to the belief that gold never depreciates. It is one and the only thing whose value will never degrade.
Indian Jewelry produces different kinds of ornaments. The practice of making jewelry and its various designs has been going on from generation to generations. One generation passes the information to the next one while keeping the whole process intact. They do not change the design. With the passage of the time, many new improvements have been brought into the market of the Indian Jewelry. The design and the class are simply unparallel in the any other kind of jewelry. People just love it and they adore the Indian jewelry.
Many different societies within India have their own methods of making the jewelry. Hence with the time, a number of different kinds of jewelries have flourished in India. They have been unique. The biggest advantage brought by them is that they could be easily blended and an altogether new ornament can be produced.
Indian Jewelry produces almost all kind of ornaments. These ornaments are so many that you could use it to adorn almost every part of your body. Its various ornaments are: Nose pin, Earrings, Necklaces, Pendants, Armlets, Bangles, Bracelets, Toe rings and Anklets. Women all over the world love to adorn these ornaments. The weeding ceremonies and various other auspicious occasions further boosts their requirements.
The variety of jewelry in India is great. Almost every state and locality has its own kind of tradition of the jewelry. It has varieties and it differs in every corner of India. From north side of the country to the southern part of India, you will not find two exactly same kind of jewelry. Despite these differences, they have their own grace and quality. In spite of the variation in the tradition, its use is same and it holds the same place in every house. Hence we can clearly see that Indian Tradition of jewelry is a very long tradition.
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