July 14, 2016 Customer Care

Indian Jewellery Traditions - Artistic and Opulent Mughal Jewellery

Mughal Jewellery constitutes one of the major forms of the Indian Jewellery tradition. Originating in the 16th century , it reached its zenith in 18th century under emperors like Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. The opulence of Mughal jewellery has to be seen to be believed. The level of sophistication in jewellery-making techniques achieved in this period was unparallelled.

As historian William Dalrymple writes " The Mughals perhaps more than any other Islamic Dynasty, made their love of the arts, their aesthetic principles, a central part of their identity as rulers". As with all other aspects of Mughal culture, their jewellery style was a hybrid of Indian and Persian influences. The native jewellery techniques of Rajasthan contributed a great deal to the formation of this style.

Most mughal jewellery was crafted using the delicate art of enamelling and gem encrustation or kundan. Color and motifs were the focal point of their jewellery. Geometric designs were repeated and motifs of creepers, flowers, birds and foliage were used abundantly . Large floral motifs with gem centers were common.The techniques used demanded great attention to detail.