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Importance of Indian Jewelry in Contemporary World
Even the historian cannot determine the age of Indian jewelry. Its history dates back to Indus valley. In those period men and women usually like to wear different pieces of jewelry. Their jewelry was of different kinds. They used to wear earrings, waistband, anklets and bangles. They used to use a variety of other things. They used clay, beads, seeds and shells for their decoration and ornamentation. But the most glorious period of the Indian jewelry was the Mughal Period. It is because in this period itself the Indian jewelry flourished and blossomed. The period of Mughal Empire was from sixteenth century to the Nineteenth century. In those days, artists used precious stones and many other art materials to produce jewelry, which was not only exquisite but also timeless. You will find a number of such ornaments of Indian History. These include native as well as the carved jewelry.
This jewelry was not only used for adorning purpose but they also made their inroads in the Indian art. For example, you could easily see its use in the contemporary Indian paintings. These paintings are not only a source of inspiration but also they signify the condition of the India at that time. It signifies the glorious history as well as the wealth and prosperity of the country. These could not be easily sidelined. They show that India was truly a ‘Golden Bird’. They are a mark of the Indian royalty and its tradition.
You could see it everywhere. For example, you could see it in the paisley motif. Paisley motif is a hallmark. The government to trademark the ancient and traditional Indian jewelry uses it. It is nothing but a symbolic representation of the mango. Mango is a fruit. It was an inspiration taken from the nature. Mango is not alone; many other natural inspirations are also included in it. These include rice grains, cobra hood and cucumber seeds. Indian jewelry was not isolated.
History shows that many Indian kings got European artists to make ornaments, which should be unique as well as unparalleled. Many European designers took part in it. They included names like Cartier and Van Clef. This set a new trend of the Indo-European jewelry. Hence it is enough to show the deep bonding between India and Europe. This trend also influenced much new kind of art craft and they also lured many European Explorer to venture into India and get as much as they could get. In the process many different kind of jewelry was also produced.
There are a number of branches in the Indian jewelry. All of them have their own uniqueness and essentiality. They are not only pure but they are also symbol of the current situation of the region. These designs are as follow:
Indian jewelry produces all kind of ornaments using each and every possible metal. These metals include silver, gold and diamonds. These are not alone. In the modern art, the demands are also rising for the costume jewelry as well as the artificial jewelry. But due to its tradition and its religion, Indians are obsessed with the yellow metal. Gold is always in the high demand. Even the current production cannot satisfy this hunger. This has many implications for the Indian economy. Today India is not only a biggest consumer of gold but it is also biggest exporter of ornaments of gold as well. A large chunk of gold produced is imported by India and then it is again exported to all over the world.
Indian art and Indian culture also trace their history into it. They too have been influenced by it. The luckiest factor for the growth of Indian jewelry has been the history of India. Indian history is one of the best and it spans across five centuries. It has seen many rulers and many religions. India has been divided for a number of times. In short, India has seen a number of up’s and down’s that Indian art got enough for each of these. It is the story of the Indian jewelry. It has taken the best from the each era. It has absorbed everything from them. Hence it has got such a large variety. Sometimes it has bent under other’s rule and sometimes it created new trends itself.
There are a number of designs available in the Indian jewelry. One of such work is Fine Filigree. In this design, silver or gold threads are entwined. This produces very exquisite look. It is not an easy job. It requires utmost patience. Plaiting of the metal threads does it. After the plaiting, they are then soldered to the metal, which is underlying. This process is very complex and it requires a lot of time. These designs are basically found in the Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Another such jewelry design is the Temple jewelry. These can be traced to the dances like the Bharat Natyam. Dancers wear adorn it at those time. Many women also adorn it during their wedding and many other festivals. This jewelry was originated from the Nagercoil. These are the traditional gold jewelry. This gold jewelry is then embedded with the green and red semi precious stones. In earlier times these used to be gifted to the Temple deity and hence it is known as the Temple jewelry. Many different kind of jewelry is produced in the jewelry trend. It includes necklace, headpiece and earrings. These also include jewelry for ankles, nose, fingers, hands and waists.
The next design is the Minakari design. These are simply enamel work done on the gold. This jewelry is produced from the pink city, Jaipur. This jewelry is unique in its own way. In this jewelry, a combination of pigments and precious stones are produced. This is done so that it starts glowing when light falls on it. No two designs are same. Each design has its own feature. All the jewelry produced in this category is quite expensive. Hence we could see the vibrancy of Indian jewelry.
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