In India ornaments are made for practically every part of the body. Such a variety of ornaments bear testimony to the excellent skill of the jewelers and crafts people of India. Jewellery in Gold, diamonds, silver, sterling silver, precious stones and semi-precious stones is a rage all over the world. Nose rings, ear rings, bracelets, crowns, rings, anklets, amulets and necklaces, in any metal and styles can be found in India.
The Meenakari and Kundan styles of Jewellery making which have been influenced by the Mughal dynasty are usually used in combination to make Jewellery pieces that can be worn as chokers and necklaces. The temple Jewellery of Nagercoil consists of traditional gold ornaments studded with red and green semi-precious stones. These were typically used as offerings to the Gods and hence the name.
Today, some of these designs are being made in silver and then washed with gold. In Assam, soft 24 carat gold is fashioned into earrings and necklaces modeled on the local flora and fauna-earrings like the hona, which replicate the orchid and the lokaparo, which consists of two birds placed back to back.
In Nagaland, gold is used to craft imitations of the human head and long funnel shaped beads which are used in combination with shells, animal claws and teeth and precious and semi-precious stones. The designs in solid gold jewellery of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are inspired by nature. The paisley motif or the ambi, rice grains, the cobra's hood, melon and cucumber seeds are some of the common motifs.
The range of Jewellery in India varies from religious to purely aesthetic types. Jewellery is crafted not only for humans but also for the Gods, ceremonial elephants and horses.
The craft of Jewellery has been given royal patronage since ancient times when rajas and maharajas vied with each other to possess the most exquisite and magnificent pieces of Jewellery.
In fact, even today temple complexes bear testimony to this heritage as they reflect myriad styles of Jewellery-scented sandalwood bead necklaces, the prayer bead or the rudraksh (berry of the elaocarpus canitrus) necklace, multicolored silk and gold thread necklaces.