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Rajasthan Gems & Jewelry

Feminine Jewelery

Feminine jewellery is more complex than masculine jewellery. Jewellery in India is worn as a complete ensemble and not as an accessory. It is thus quite acceptable to wear more than one necklace around the neck, also in the ears, on the toes and fingers, ornaments on the forehead, in the hair, and so on, any number to be worn at the same time. So it is not surprising that the royal ladies of Rajasthani were bedecked from head to toe in jewels so much so that it sometimes was mystery as to how they could carry the weight of all the jewellery worn.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE HEAD
The ladies of the royal family of Rajasthani wore at least half a dozen kinds of hair jewellery at one time, each with its own name and specific function. The most common head jewel is the bindi, which has a central pendant hanging from a string of fine pearls and is worn down the parting of the hair with the pendant resting in the middle of the forehead. A variant of this is called the borla in which the central pendant is semi-spherical and set with precious stones and a fringe of fine peals. Chains of gold, shaped like the lotus and other flowers ate worn across the length of the plait. There are flower-shaped hair pins and hair combs beautifully enameled and set with stones.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE NOSE
The nath is a nose ornament which, when worn us considered to bring good fortune. It is often a ring of fine gold with a pearl threads between two rubies in its central part. There are many other kinds of nose rings as well.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE EARS
The kinds of earrings worn are too many to enumerate, but the main styles are the Karanphool Jhumka is a bell shaped flower, toti is the image of a parrot, lathan is the image of a grape, pipal patti is shaped like a pipal leaf. A special type of earring is one which runs along ear with an ear top and jhomka attached to the lower half. Sometimes strings of fine pearls run from the earning into the hair, and pearls are also threaded through th hair.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE FOOT
The foot ornaments are of two types the toe rings and the anklets. The toe rings and the for the big toe are called anvat. The rings for the other toes are modeled in the shapes of fish, flowers or just circles of granules on the surface. There are also double toe rings, which cover the entire toe. There is a great exuberance in the designs of the anklets. Most of them have little bells that tinkle as the lady walks. And are often referred to as jhanjhar. An unusal combination is that of an anklet with tow rings, where five radiating chains connect the toe rings to the anklet.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE WAIST
The women also wear girdles and belts around their waists. These are usually made of gold and set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Belts are usually broad bands of flattened, twisted metal in silver or gold, encrusted with gems, and embossed with exquisite designs. They are usually finished off with clusters of beads at the rims. The Kardhani is made of various chains, each a little longer than the previous one and all held together with meral bands.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE ARM
There is an enormous range in armlets and the most common ones are gold bands with precious stones. The wearing of ornaments on the wrists and forearm follows a special pattern. The smallest bangle to fit the wrist is the kada, which is a thick rounded bangle with various decorations on it. The two ends are usually carved with replicas of the heads of animals and birds like elephants, lions or parrots. Then come bangles, any number of them in various shapes and designs. There may be the chuda, which is sometimes made of ivory inlaid with gold. The last item is the patli, which is a plain bangle that highlights the ostentation of therest of the ornaments that go before it. The hathphool is a bangle with rings connected to it by chains that lie over the back of the hand. There is a central flower which connects it all together. The rings are of a great variety. A quaint & charming ring is the arsi, with a tiny mirror and worn on the ring finger.

ORNAMENTATION FOR THE NECK
Jewelry for the neck is one of the most important items of jewelry and there is a bewildering range of strings, sometimes with rubies and emeralds strung with them of with gem studded pendants, are worn in double and triple strings. There is the chandan haar ( a necklace of gold sequins), the mohanmala ( a necklace of beads resembling melon seeds), champakali ( a string of flowers stylised in the shape of the champa ), the mohrun, the jugnu, the hansli ( a gold collar or ring, thick in the middle and tapering towards the ends).






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