The jhumka, sometimes spelled jhumki, is a bell-shaped pendant earring central to the South Indian and Deccan jewellery tradition, with parallel forms in the broader Indian subcontinent and a continuous lineage from at least the medieval period to contemporary bridal practice. The form consists of a stud or hook at the ear, suspending a domed bell-shaped body that hangs free below the lobe, often with a fringe of small pendant beads, pearls, or smaller bells around its lower rim. The piece is worn as part of a complete ornament set in classical and bridal contexts and singly or in pairs in everyday and contemporary fashion contexts.

Historical Origins

The earliest dateable forms of the jhumka are found among the temple jewellery offerings of the Chola period in the ninth through thirteenth centuries CE, and continuing through the Vijayanagara period in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. The form was made principally in 22-karat or higher gold, with the body cast or chased and decorated by repoussé, granulation, and filigree, and set with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and natural pearls in the kundan-style closed-back setting characteristic of the period. The bell shape itself echoes the form of the temple bell, the kalasha vessel, and the lotus bud, all carrying religious and aesthetic meaning in the South Indian tradition.

Later development in the Mughal-influenced Deccani court jewellery of the seventeenth century introduced enamel decoration on the reverse of the bell, with polychrome meenakari work in the workshops of Hyderabad and Bidar producing pieces in which the front face was set with stones and the reverse, visible only when the wearer moved, displayed elaborate floral enamel.

Construction

The classical jhumka is constructed in two main parts, sometimes with intermediate components. The upper section is the stud or fitting that attaches to the ear, often accompanied by a chain or jhumka-trail extending up from the stud and over the upper helix to anchor the weight. The lower section is the bell body itself, suspended from the stud by a short rod or chain, free-hanging so that the bell sways with the wearer's movement. Many versions add a fringe of small pendant beads, pearls, or smaller bells around the lower rim of the main bell, producing a layered movement when worn.

Construction methods vary from die-formed and chased gold sheet at the lower end of the price range, through cast and hand-finished pieces in the middle range, to fully hand-fabricated pieces with granulation, filigree, kundan, and meenakari at the high end. Stone settings are typically rubies, emeralds, and pearls in classical pieces; modern bridal jhumka also incorporate diamonds, often in pavé or in the South Indian setting style known as nakshi.

Regional Variations

South Indian jhumka, the principal type, are generally heavy, large, and worn at the major life events including marriage and the first temple-deity offering ceremony. They are often supplied as part of a matched set including the chain headpiece (mathaa-patti), the upper-arm ornament (vanki), the necklace (haaram), and the waist belt (oddiyanam). North Indian and Mughal-influenced jhumka, found in Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Jaipur, are typically lighter, more elaborately enamelled on the reverse, and somewhat smaller.

Bengali jhumka introduce additional pendant chains and a distinctive use of cast filigree. Punjabi jhumka favour heavier kundan setting and are part of the bridal set known as the rani haar arrangement. Gujarati and Rajasthani forms favour the use of polki diamonds and uncut emeralds. Tamil and Kerala temple-jewellery jhumka, manufactured principally in Madurai, Thanjavur, and Trichur, remain closest to the medieval ritual form, with strict iconographic conventions in the use of motif, stone, and pendant element.

Contemporary Use

The jhumka remains a central element of South Indian, Bengali, and broader Indian bridal practice today. Modern bridal sets are commissioned in 22-karat gold with diamond, ruby, emerald, and pearl setting, often referencing classical temple-jewellery patterns. Contemporary fashion-jewellery jhumka are produced in silver, brass, and lower-karat gold for everyday wear, with prices ranging from a few hundred to many tens of thousands of rupees. The form has been the subject of film and popular-music reference in South Indian and Bollywood production, embedding the term in popular culture beyond the jewellery context.

Internationally, the jhumka has expanded beyond the South Asian diaspora through the global interest in non-Western jewellery traditions, and is now made by South Asian designers working in Western fine-jewellery markets including Sevan Bıçakçı, Amrapali Jewels, and Sanjay Kasliwal of the Gem Palace, Jaipur. The form's combination of historical depth, religious resonance, and cultural specificity has kept it firmly anchored in the bridal market while supporting a wider stylistic export.