Navaratna — literally nine gems in Sanskrit — is the Vedic astrological tradition of combining nine specific gemstones in a single piece of jewellery, with each stone associated with one of the nine principal celestial bodies (the Navagraha) of Hindu astrology. The combination consists of ruby (Sun), pearl (Moon), red coral (Mars), emerald (Mercury), yellow sapphire (Jupiter), diamond (Venus), blue sapphire (Saturn), hessonite garnet (Rahu, the ascending lunar node), and cat's-eye chrysoberyl (Ketu, the descending lunar node). The tradition predates the Mughal period by many centuries, with documented references in Sanskrit astrological texts reaching back to the early medieval period. Mughal jewellers adopted and elaborated the navaratna tradition during the imperial period, producing pieces that combine the Hindu astrological foundation with the distinctive Mughal court aesthetic.

The astrological foundation

The Hindu astrological tradition (Jyotisha) holds that each of the nine celestial bodies of the Navagraha has a specific influence on human affairs, and that wearing the corresponding gemstone can strengthen the positive influence of that body or mitigate negative influences. The complete navaratna combines all nine stones in a single piece, providing comprehensive astrological balance regardless of the specific concerns of the wearer. Individual stones may also be worn separately based on specific astrological recommendations from a Jyotish practitioner, with the pairing of stone to celestial body following the standard tradition.

The specific gemstone associations are well established in the Sanskrit astrological literature and have remained consistent across the long history of the tradition. Ruby for the Sun is the central principle, with the red colour and the energetic associations of the gem mirroring the solar significance. Pearl for the Moon reflects the lunar association with the white luminous pearl. The other associations follow similar logic, with the colour, symbolism, and traditional valences of each gem matching the corresponding celestial body.

The Mughal adaptation

The Mughal court was nominally Sunni Islamic, but the empire's broader cultural orientation was distinctively syncretic, with substantial engagement with Hindu and other Indian traditions across the imperial period. Mughal patronage of navaratna jewellery reflects this broader engagement, with imperial commissions documenting the integration of the Vedic tradition into the court aesthetic. The navaratna pieces from the Mughal period typically combine the nine specified stones in elaborate kundan or jadau settings, with the broader Mughal jewellery vocabulary applied to the structuring and decoration of the piece.

The adaptation involved some accommodation between the strict Vedic specification of the stones and the practical realities of the Mughal jewellery context. The traditional materials for the nine stones — particularly the requirement for hessonite garnet (Rahu) and cat's-eye chrysoberyl (Ketu) — would have been less familiar in the broader Persian-influenced Mughal jewellery tradition than the more central rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. Mughal navaratna pieces accordingly often show the central stones (ruby, emerald, diamond, sapphire) in more prominent positions, with the more specialised astrological stones in smaller or less central settings.

Forms and contexts

Mughal navaratna jewellery appears in several principal forms. Pendants are perhaps the most common, with the nine stones arranged in a circular or floral pattern around a central stone (typically the ruby for the Sun, in the central solar position). Rings with all nine stones in a single mount are documented but less common, presumably because the small scale of a ring restricts the elaboration possible in the design. Bracelets and armbands with multiple navaratna elements appear in some imperial commissions. The navaratna principle also appears in non-jewellery contexts, including ornaments for ceremonial vessels and architectural inlay work.

The use of navaratna in the Mughal context spanned both ceremonial and personal applications. Imperial commissions for major court figures sometimes included navaratna pieces designed for ceremonial wear; private commissions for court members and the broader aristocracy supported a substantial market for navaratna jewellery beyond the imperial commissions themselves. The tradition continued into the post-Mughal period, with Indian princely courts maintaining the navaratna tradition through the nineteenth and into the twentieth centuries, and continuing into the present day in contemporary Indian jewellery practice.

Documentation and surviving pieces

Documentation of specific Mughal-period navaratna pieces is limited in the published record, with the broader category of navaratna jewellery less systematically catalogued than the more central Mughal pieces (the carved emeralds, the large kundan-set pieces, the imperial turban ornaments). Surviving Mughal-period navaratna pieces are held in various museum collections and private collections, with attribution to specific Mughal periods or imperial figures often relying on stylistic analysis rather than documented provenance.

The continuing tradition through the post-Mughal Indian princely courts and into contemporary Indian jewellery makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish strictly Mughal-period navaratna pieces from later Indian production in the same tradition. The broader category of Indian navaratna jewellery — encompassing both Mughal-period and later production — is well represented in museum and private collections, with the technique and the underlying Vedic tradition continuing to inform contemporary Indian high jewellery.

The contemporary market

Navaratna jewellery remains a significant category in contemporary Indian jewellery practice, with the Vedic astrological tradition continuing to support demand for both complete navaratna pieces and individual astrologically-recommended stones. The contemporary Indian high jewellery houses — including the Gem Palace, Munnu, and others — produce navaratna pieces in styles ranging from explicitly traditional to contemporary interpretations of the tradition. International appreciation of Indian navaratna jewellery has grown through major museum exhibitions and the broader engagement with Indian high jewellery traditions in the global luxury market.

In the trade

For Skyjems and the broader trade, navaratna pieces from the Mughal period are encountered as a recognised but secondary category within the broader Mughal jewellery market. Identification and attribution require attention to both the construction details (the kundan or jadau setting techniques, the meenakari enamel work, the specific gold construction) and the inclusion of the correct nine stones in the appropriate astrological positions. Contemporary navaratna pieces are widely available through the Indian trade, with quality and price ranging across a substantial spectrum reflecting the materials used and the quality of execution.

Further reading

• Victoria and Albert Museum — Treasures of the Mughals
• GIA Gems & Gemology — Indian gemstone traditions
• International Gem Society — historic gemstone traditions