ANTIQUE INDIAN JEWELRY

The jewelry items that are more than a 100 years old and have been evolving along with the human race are called antique. These might include the pieces originally owned by ancestors or even the ones that are being crafted with the earlier styles associated with those times. Antique jewelry is not cumpolsorily mean that it has to be worn out and outdated, it can be completely in a perfect condition and is loved by many. The antique ornaments are highly in demand these days because of their old looks, unique designs, the outstanding workmanship and the high quality gems that are used in it.

The wealthy families in the old times preferred wearing jewelry made up of gold, silver or platinum and on the other hand the less wealthy only stuck to copper, iron and other inexpensive metals. The reason behind this difference was that, at one glance at the jewelry that a person is wearing, it was possible to make out a lot of things about that person like where the person belongs from, marital status, etc. Special jewelry pieces were created for special occasions like wars, changing seasons, lunar eclipses, etc. In addition to the metals, the jewelry pieces were also studded with precious gemstones like rubies, emeralds, diamonds, etc. As a result of this, today we have a wide variety of antique jewelry to choose from which may suit the person's preference as per design and also as per the budget.

TYPES OF ANTIQUE JEWELRY

⦁ Thewa : The Thewa art of jewelry making has its roots in Rajasthan and Gujrat and is seen in the present time as well. This type includes 23 K gold with some beautiful beads and was made famous by Maharaja Sumant Singh in his real after he discovered it from Nathu Lal Sonewal.

⦁ Panchchikam : This jewelry form has its roots in the Kutch of Gujrat. The panchchikam jewelry is made using shimmery metals like platinum and silver and to add some extra shine, glass beads are used in making the jewelry pieces. Panchchikam jhumkis, pendants, anklets etc are very famous.

⦁ Meenakari : This antique jewelry style is very popularly heard of by the people today. It is the art of fusing brilliant colors together on a wide variety of metals like gold, silver, copper etc.It is used to beautifully express various themes and gives a lavish look.

⦁ Kundankari : Kundankari was originated in Gujrati and Rajasthani royal courts and is known to bring together the royalty of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other gemstones. Kundan jewels are popularly teamed up with meena and give a complete royal look to the wearer.

⦁ Jadau : Jadau form combines the brilliance of both, meenakari and kundan is give the Mughal feels to the wearer. Uncut diamonds, polkis and semi precious stones are used in this jewelry type. Sometimes even colorful gemstones are used in such pieces to make them special for the brides.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE PRECIOUS PIECES

These jewelry pieces have a lot of value and must be taken care of very well. It has to be made sure that they are not much exposed to the dust and dirt. even a lot of sunlight and rain can harm these jewels. Rough handling, scrubbing and washing away will also reduce the charm of these age old pieces.