The category

Indian jewellery, in the broad sense, refers to the jewellery traditions of the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with the principal traditions dominated by India. The traditions are unusually deep and continuous: the gemstone and metalwork practices documented in the early Common Era texts, particularly the Ratnapariksha literature, parallel and sometimes precede the Greek and Roman traditions. The continuity from antiquity to the present, with notable modifications under the Mughal and British colonial periods, gives Indian jewellery one of the most extended living traditions in the world.

Materials

The principal materials are: gold, predominantly 22 karat for traditional pieces and 18 karat for modern pieces; silver, used principally in tribal and rural jewellery and in southern Indian temple jewellery contexts; uncut and minimally faceted diamond, in the polki and kundan settings; ruby, both Burmese and locally sourced from Indian deposits; emerald, both Colombian (imported through historical Mughal supply chains) and locally sourced from Rajasthan; sapphire, principally Sri Lankan; pearl, both saltwater Persian Gulf and freshwater Indian; coral, principally Mediterranean red; and various gemstones held in particular astrological contexts including yellow sapphire, hessonite garnet and cat's eye chrysoberyl.

The principal forms

The Indian jewellery vocabulary is unusually elaborate, with named forms for each body part and ceremonial context. The principal forms include: the maang tikka, a forehead ornament suspended from a centre-parting hair clip; the matha patti, a more elaborate forehead piece with multiple chains; the nath, a nose ring or stud; the kundalas, ear ornaments; the necklace categories including the rani haar (long matched chain), the choker (short fitted necklace), the satlada (seven-strand long necklace) and various pendant forms; the bajuband or armlet, worn on the upper arm; the kangan (rigid bangle) and chudi (lighter bangle); the haath phool (hand flower), a back-of-hand ornament with rings linked to a wristlet; the mangalsutra (wedding necklace symbolising marital status); the kamarbandh (waist belt); the payal (anklet); and the bichuwa (toe ring).

Each form has regional and ceremonial variations. The bridal ensemble, in particular, comprises a coordinated set of these forms in matching designs and gemstone material. A traditional north Indian bridal ensemble might include the maang tikka, choker, rani haar, jhumka earrings, bajuband, kangan and chudi, mangalsutra, haath phool, kamarbandh and payal, all in matched kundan or polki diamond and gemstone setting in 22 karat gold.

The kundan and polki traditions

The kundan technique, in which uncut or partially-faceted diamonds and coloured stones are set in 24 karat gold foil-backed mountings, is one of the signature Indian setting techniques. The work involves applying thin gold foil between the stone and the mounting, then closing the gold around the stone using high-purity gold's malleability. The result is a flat, unified surface that emphasises the stone's colour rather than its faceted brilliance. The technique developed in the Mughal court and continues in workshops principally in Jaipur, Delhi and Hyderabad.

Polki refers to the uncut or minimally-faceted diamond pieces used in kundan setting. Polki is not a cut in the geometric sense but a category of natural-form or roughly-shaped material. The aesthetic emphasises the stone's natural form and the foil-backed luminosity, distinct from the brilliance-focused aesthetic of European faceted-stone traditions.

The meenakari tradition

The meenakari technique, in which enamelled designs are applied to gold (typically on the reverse of kundan-set pieces, with the enamel only visible when the piece is removed or turned), is one of the distinctive features of north Indian jewellery. The technique developed under Persian influence in the Mughal court and reached its peak in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Modern meenakari work continues in Jaipur and several other centres, applied principally to traditional bridal pieces.

The temple jewellery tradition

Southern Indian temple jewellery, particularly from the traditions of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, comprises pieces produced for temple deity adornment and for ceremonial wear by classical dancers, particularly Bharatanatyam dancers. The forms are heavier and more elaborate than the corresponding personal-wear items, with high-purity 22 karat gold, ruby and emerald setting, and characteristic motifs including peacocks, lotus, deity figures and architectural elements drawn from temple iconography.

The temple jewellery tradition is currently sustained both for actual temple use (the major Indian temples maintain extensive jewellery collections for ritual purposes) and for ceremonial wear by classical performers. The tradition's craft skill, particularly the chasing and granulation work, is among the highest in contemporary Indian production.

The contemporary market

The contemporary Indian jewellery market, addressed in greater detail in the India Jewellery Market article, is the world's second-largest by retail value. The market integrates traditional and modern elements: kundan and polki for traditional bridal occasions, modern diamond design for engagement rings and contemporary wear, gold investment pieces, and a growing modern designer segment that draws on traditional vocabularies while applying contemporary forms.

Major Indian jewellery houses with international recognition include Sunita Shekhawat, Hazoorilal, Tanishq, Kalyan, Malabar, P. C. Jeweller, Joyalukkas, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri (TBZ), Renu Oberoi, Amrapali, Pinkcity, and Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas. International houses including Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari, Tiffany, Boucheron, Mauboussin and Graff have developed Indian-market offerings that incorporate traditional vocabularies while maintaining their own design languages.

Place in global jewellery

Indian jewellery, as a tradition, is one of the deepest and most continuous globally. The tradition's particular emphasis on the stone-as-colour rather than the stone-as-brilliance, on the gold-as-substance rather than gold-as-frame, and on the multiplied elaborate set rather than the single statement piece, distinguishes it from European traditions. The continuing influence of Indian vocabularies on European design, dating from the Mughal exchanges of the seventeenth century through the Cartier collaborations of the 1920s and into contemporary design, has shaped the broader global jewellery vocabulary far beyond what most consumers recognise.