Indian Accessories

A woman, draped in a lovely printed sari looks too elegant and graceful. Printing on textile fabrics is a process by which decorative designs or patterns are made on them using dyes, pigments or other related materials.

Even though the fabrics get a kind of decorative pattern during spinning printing offers an added look and appeal to the fabric. Saris made of different fabrics also are decorated with various designs and colors by sari printing or painting to make them more attractive and eye catching. Usually various types of Indian apparels have different styles of printing on them; some have abstract designs while others contain block printing.
Let us have a look at some of the important types of sari prints:
Golden Print Saris: These types of saris are very popular now and are available in various colors, designs and fabrics with golden prints on them. These golden prints enhance the beauty of the sari and make it more appealing and graceful.
Flower Print Saris: Flowers are beautiful, it is a universal truth. When floral prints in bright colors appear on saris there is naturally a mad rush among women to own one. These patterns of flowers make the attire look vivid. Very bright and fluorescent colors are used in the floral print saris to print a lot of big and small flowers.
Abstract Prints: No doubt, both the sari and the wearer get a stylish look by the abstract prints on saris. You find these saris in different colors, fabrics and designs and can wear on any time.
Bandhej Print Saris: Usually Bandhej designs are printed on traditional Indian saris. These saris, available in various fabrics and multicolor are extremely popular among Indian women.
Block Prints: In this traditional method of printing color blocks of different designs are used. These block designs give the sari a different and endearing look and these multicolor saris look very attractive.
Lehariya Printed Saris: This is the most sought after sari and has been in the top place among all types of printed saris for several years. Lehariya saris have all kinds of stripes vertical, horizontal or diagonal printed on them. Saris or blouse with printed stripes are considered as evergreen attire loved by working class women. Young ladies and women draped in striped printed saris is a frequent sight. These saris give an exceptionally classy and elegant look to the wearer.
Kalamkari Print Saris: Saris with kalamkari prints have an entirely unique and different look and have been a favorite of Indian women for decades. This print looks fascinating in all colors and fabrics.
Geometric Prints: Wearing a geometric print sari, available in all fashion fabrics like crepe, georgette, chiffon, laser etc is today’s craze. The saris look spectacular in different color combinations of the patterns.
Printed saris are affordable and the cost depends on the types of fabric and the prints used. Modern fashion designers use high-tech machines to print patterns fast and effectively.

A South Indian woman’s passion with silk saris cannot be described in mere words. In this modern world where drastic changes have taken place in every walk of life, a South Indian bride still sticks to wear a traditional silk sari on her wedding day.

With the passage of each year, you can see definite changes in the sari designs as well. There exists literally a war among the South Indian retailers in bringing out innovations in silk saris to attract women. It is very interesting to know about the latest silk saris with remarkable innovations introduced quite recently.
The sari-shirt combo is one of the latest varieties of silk sari recently launched in Tamil Nadu, South India. This sari-shirt combination, known as Jodi Pattu, has a designed sari and a matching shirt piece intended for the lady’s husband. The sari and the shirt are woven in pure handloom silk. The pallu has a beautiful embroidery work that is found on the shirt piece too.
The concept of the color changing sari is that when the lady wearing the sari comes out of her house you can see a change in the color of the sari. This color change happens when the sari is exposed to sunlight. The retailer of such saris claims that it is the first time that color changing saris have been developed in the world,
Another innovation, known as The Durbar Krishna sari, carries a famous picture of Lord Krishna in the pallu embellished with swarowski crystals. This picture of Lord Krishna is believed to shower good luck to the wearer.
A marvelous innovative concept is the zip-n-wear sari, a sari designed with four different matching pallus. All the pallus have attached zips with which the wearer can detach one pallu very easily and attach another one within seconds. Never heard or seen before. This reversible sari with four attractive pallus and two different body colors could be worn in four different ways. No doubt, this creative and stylish design must have attracted every one.
The latest innovations include a silk sari with a pocket that can hold a mobile phone or other small articles just like a pant pocket.
A new type of sari recently introduced called the Landscape Sari is made up of pure silk and the pallu has the design of a beautiful landscape from a rural area woven into it. The Denim sari, woven in pure silk has the look of denim, but retains the soft feel the unique quality of silk. Vastrakala pattu, a new variety, contains North Indian art works done in the traditional South Indian Kanjeevaram silk saris.
Look, there is no limit for man’s creative powers; he has created wonders even in a simple 5 meter stretch of silk cloth using his innovative skills.

Recent years have seen certain changes in the traditional concept of Indian wedding jewelry. Still there is no Indian wedding without any jewelry. Women are very passionate about their jewelry, especially at her wedding time.

With the passage of time and the changes in the social and economical status the Indian woman has made definite changes in the choice of her jewelry, the changes in the type of material used or design. Today’s ornaments have more diamonds or other precious gemstones and the modern woman prefers jewelry to be worn as fashion statements every day. Indian women have more exposure as more and more are taking up a career today and they enjoy economical freedom. Moreover intercaste marriages are becoming very common. All these factors might have contributed to the shift in the concept of wedding jewelry.
These days in addition to the tali traditional wedding jewelry package includes six pieces of bangles, two rings and a diamond earring. Gold continues to be the most in demand despite its spiraling prices. At the same time many people have a choice with the white gold too. It is possible now to make a wedding package using around 15-20 grams of 22 carat gold. The modern bride finds fancy with the sparkling bracelets with decorative gemstones in the place of traditional bangles. As far as Tali is concerned most women prefer it to be in the traditional type
According to jewelry designers as long as people can afford they will go only for gold. At present people are too much fascinated by the different hues of gold, such as white gold, pink gold and no need to mention the familiar yellow gold. Today’s fashion conscious women like to go with the latest trends. So they have no hesitation in experimenting with new trends like combination jewelry consisting of two different shades of gold having gemstones studded in them. Such fashion statements become instant hit with the modern ladies. This enables the wearer to mix and match it with various kinds of dresses. The popularity of the gem diamond is also on the ascent and white gold bangles adorned with diamonds have become every one’s favorite. You can discern rising popularity even in the costly platinum jewelry.
But when it comes to designs majority of the people prefer the traditional designs, no matter if it is antique, temple or Kerala, with slight modifications here and there. Especially for Indians residing in other countries this offers them an opportunity to preserve and present their cultural heritage. Any how Indian bride’s option for her wedding jewelry makes definite deviations from the traditional jewelry. The latest trend indicates that the women go for contemporary designs that have an international appeal rather than buying heavy and chunky jewelry that will lie in the locker safely most of the time. Instead they want their jewelry to be more accessorized with their wardrobe.

The land of Kerala State, placed in the southernmost region in India, is blessed with picturesque greenish landscapes, unique backwaters/lagoons, perennial rivers and highly educated, cultured and politically aware people.

It is one of the major tourist attractions in India, but very little is known about its beautiful traditional jewelry. Kerala women have a very strong passion for the yellow metal gold and so you can see several spacious attractive jewelry showrooms, better known as Gold Houses all through this small state.
Kerala jewelry has its origin from the age old customs and beliefs and the designs that vary in size and shape are really a feast for the eyes. These include the elaborate and exquisite ones as well as simple and functional. The Nagapadam or Serpent-hood pendent worn by the women from the Nayar community, Namboothiri ladies’ favorite Cheruthali necklace and the Mekka Mothiram, a kind of finger ring are typical examples of traditional Kerala jewelry. The women of all communities wear jewelry articles of different patterns for the neck, arm, nose and the ankle. The oldest form of the ornament used by the Nayar women was a neck-chain with a pendant in the shape of the serpent’s hood. The other important neckwears were nalupanti, addiyal, puthali, aval mala and patakkam. The nose rings were known as mukkuthi and nattu. The native Namboothiri women are mostly seen only with Kasumala for the neck and the waist band Oddiyanam, otherwise they do not wear expensive ornaments.
Even today Kerala women continue to wear the ornaments with undiminished enthusiasm and passion. The traditional and religious significance of rings for fingers, nose, ears and toes has never lost its credibility. It appears as bright new designs with an emphasis on style and class. Amulet, a type of ring used as a charm against evil forces, is also available in the stores. Rings for the ten fingers and Aranjanam, a piece worn round the waist are also part of the ring ornaments.
Earrings, in various forms and sizes, are embellished with enamel, stones, pearls and miniature chains and pendants shaped as small leaves, balls or bells and the traditional jimkhas in various designs and decorations are still very popular. Some are so heavy that they need the support of a cord or chain. Unsupported earrings are worn from a hole in the lobe which results in a permanent stretching of the hole to a high degree.
Bangles, locally known as Vala or Kapu are created in vivid charming designs and shapes. Women continue to wear the traditional necklaces in modern designs and with motifs in the shape of mango fruit, rice grains, the cobra’s hood, melon and cucumber seeds. Minnu, shaped like a cobra’s hood, symbolizes the marital status of Christian women. The present noserings Mukkuthi and Nattu are sold in small round shaped balls to studded diamonds and flat discs having ornamental surfaces.
The latest craze one gram gold jewelry is very popular among women as they get all types of sparkling trinkets at very affordable rates. In short, Kerala is a treasure of GOLD JEWELRY, rich in design and quality enhancing the feminine beauty and its rich tradition and culture.

Mahsrashtra state in the western and Arunachal Pradesh in the northeastern regions of India are very famous for their fine and precious tribal jewelry. In Maharashtra the chief metal used to make ornaments is gold. The tribes mostly developed the art of making jewelry during the periods of Maratha and Peshawar dynasties.

In Kolhapur, a place in Maharashtra, is known for its unique necklace, Kolhapur Saaj worn by lots of women. This important necklace is available in various types such as Har, Malas, Mohammel, boral etc. Halba, an important tribe adorn themselves with a beautiful lock of braid called ‘Khosa’. They wear a jewel piece ‘Khinwa on ear tops and ‘a hanging ring Phuli’ made of gold for the nose. Their jewelry include a heavy necklace, ‘Chapsari’, Garland of Karipot or black pearl and garland of coins called Muhar mala. They use metals like gold, silver, brass, aluminum, clay, lead and wood to produce bangles such as Chude, Chudiya etc.

Most tribal women wear Gathla and Putalimala, traditional style of necklaces made of gold coins and a bracelet called Toda. Sari, a tight fitting neck wear, is a real art made by twisting two wires together having a spiral design at each end. Another form of neckwear, Chandraharas, has circular rings joined together. The magnificent necklace Mahammal is made by stringing molded beads together. The Maharashtra tribes, it can be said, are fond of colorful jewelry.

The tribes of Arunachal Pradesh make exquisite jewelry from primary materials and adorn these ornaments with other materials like colorful beads, wild seeds, feathers of birds, green wings of beetles, brass, bones, ivory, silver and gold. Tribal women think that ornaments enhance their womanhood and so they create jewelry pieces like necklaces, headbands, bracelets, belts etc and embellish themselves with these charming trinkets. For the tribal women their jewelry is a sign of prestige. The jewelry of these tribes are famous not only in India but in other global countries as well.
These tribes make beautiful necklaces out of colored glass beads that form an important material in their jewelry. There are various types of tribes in this region and jewelry form a special differentiating mark of each tribe. The Sancho tribe makes earrings out of materials like bamboo, cane, glass beads, seeds, and reeds while the Karka Gsllong tribe wear necklaces embellished with heavy iron rings coiled several times. But the tribal folks of Apatani group use iron bracelets crafted by blacksmiths. Another tribe Nishi wears a peculiar headdress on the forehead by rolling a big knot of hair into a bun decorated with feathers of Arunachal Pradesh’s signature bird the great ‘Hornbill’.
Thus for the people of Arunachal Pradesh, only long standing tradition and simplicity are required to live a complete life. They use only the available natural resources to make their jewelry and will continue to stick to it in the years to come.

Though ancient Indians from the Indus Valley Civilization used to adorn themselves with various kinds of ornaments, Indian jewelry designs using precious stones and pearls along with gold and silver saw its blossoming only during the Mughal period in the 16th to 19th centuries. Indian arts, especially miniature paintings depicting exquisite pieces of richly carved jewelry with beautiful embellishments hold testimony to the enormous wealth and resources of the Indian royal families. The jewelry designers got their models from the various facets of nature including mango fruit, cobra hood, rice gram, cucumber seeds etc, The famous paisley motif, an example, found in the traditional Indian jewelry design, is a pure representation of the mango fruit, Many Indian kings of the late 19th century brought out exceptionally unique ornaments with the help of famous European designers, Van Clef and Carter, using colorful gems for an added rich look.
Indian art and culture show traces of various rulers and religions, over the past many years, selecting the best from them, at the same time retaining its uniqueness. You can find a variety of Indian jewelry design, each representing a particular region. The popular fine filigree work, typical of the Indian states Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, needs a lot of patience and time to complete since the designs are very complex. This design is done with entwined silver or gold threads. The metal threads are plaited very carefully and slowly and fixed to the underlying metal groundwork by soldering.
Temple Jewelry, also known as Kemp set, is mainly worn by Indian classical dancers especially Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers from South India. These traditional jewelry pieces are made of pure silver, dipped in gold and embellished with gem stones. Certain professional craftsmen take one month to a year depending upon the design to complete the whole set of jewelry for ears, feet, waist, nose, hands, fingers, legs and neck. In olden times this temple jewelry, made of pure gold with a combination of rubies, emeralds, diamonds, pearls and sapphires, was worn by temple dancers called Devadasis. This traditional jewelry is also worn by South Indian brides and in important functions and parties.
Minakari or enameling jewelry, born out of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s great vision, is a unique combination of gems, enameling pigments and precious stones. Each special design is arranged in a peculiar way that the gems and stones also sparkle along with the enameling light of the ornaments. These are usually expensive and available as necklaces, rings, earrings and a whole set.

Antique Jewelry articles, one of the several types of Indian jewelry, are classic adornment worn by ancient Indians. As their age increases their value also increases correspondingly. These antique ornaments never lose their charm and fashion, instead retaining their unique attractiveness, elegance and outstanding value and worth with the passage of every year. Most of these jewelry articles are handmade and each piece exhibits unique features and characteristics. The extraordinary skills of ancient jewelry designers are seen in the exquisite and impressive designs, styles and structures of the antique pieces. People are quickly mesmerized to these features and the traders have no hesitation in laying down a selling or trading price for each antique article.
Previously these antique ornaments were considered as jewelry pieces worn mostly by old women. But with the changed trends and perceptions this antique jewelry has become a favorite among most of the age groups and is worn as a fashionable ornament by almost all sections of societies.
Usually antique jewelry is not available in the ordinary jewelry shops. Original pieces of antique jewelry are mostly found in some trustworthy places like niche showrooms, historical auction centers and stores of antique dealers.
Another easy method to locate antique dealers is by searching online. You can find a number of websites that offer various antique jewelry pieces at very cheap rates. But be careful while dealing with them because there might be fraud sellers who do not supply the original pieces. It has been found that most of the jewelry articles sold through these websites are not the real ones. They may send you a very low cost antique ornament and collect a huge amount from you. So gather all the information about the products and the website companies that deal with the antique pieces. This way you can find the original antique jewelry article you want to buy,
It is commonly found in Indian families that the antique ornaments pass from one generation to the next generation and they are treated as a part of the family properties. You may get original antique jewelry articles by making a visit to such old families.
But in the recent years antique jewelry goes through oxidizing and similar other processes to make it modern fancy jewelry by giving it a dull look.

India’s true culture and heritage rest with its tribal community because the tribal people have preserved the ancient arts and crafts in their proper form while the rest of India had been continuously influenced by globalization. Ethnic tribal jewelry could be surely included in the preserved craft. India has several types of tribal folks, each differing from one another in many ways and the jewelry created by each is also unique in its own style. They use materials available in the local area to make jewelry that is charming in its rustic and earthy way. They craft their jewelry using primitive tools and its appeal lies in its chunky, unrefined looks. The raw materials like bone, wood, clay, shells, crude metals etc are generally used to make tribal jewelry and the shapes are basic.
The Rajasthan tribes, Banjara, create colorful heavy jewelry and belts that are decorated with shells, metal-mesh, coins, beads and chains. Their very famous silver jewelry, a vast collection of earrings, bracelets, bangles, armlets, anklets, hairpins and necklaces, have a unique oxidized appearance and are usually embellished with tiny silver bells and color stones.
The tribes of Bastar in Madhya Pradesh State produce jewelry of grass, beads and cane and popular traditional ornaments out of silver, wood, glass, peacock feathers, copper and wild flowers. Their women wear chains of one rupee coins.
Meghalaya’s tribes Khasi and Jaintia make a unique type of necklace with thick red coral bead and Garo tribe makes the same with thin fluted stems of glass strung by fine thread.
The tribe of Sikkim called Bhutia has jewelry of gold, silver, coral, turquoise and zee stone.
The picturesque North East Indian state’s tribal jewelry of cane and bamboo is very famous. They also use brass, bone, ivory, silver and gold to make their jewelry that are decorated with colorful beads, blue feathers of birds, green wings of beetles. The tribe called Wanchos creates earrings of glass beads, wild seeds, cane, bamboo and reed while the Karka Gallong tribal women wear heavy iron earrings that are coiled several times, metal coin necklaces and waistbands of leather embedded with stones.
Here special mention should be made about the silver bangles of the Gonda tribe. Some bangles are solid while others are hollow. The jeweler makes the bangle in such a way that once it is worn cannot be removed forever. Bangles for special occasion are removable with a hinge mechanism.

Though accepted as a universal jewel, the rings made in India have distinct features and fine qualities. Go inside a popular jewel show room and have a glance at the innumerable rings displayed in the glass cases. These rings are exceptionally beautiful and glamorous in fabulous designs and sizes, embellished with colorful stones or beads. In India even a new born baby’s fingers will be decorated with very tiny golden rings.
Rings are usually worn on finger or thumb, but this small ornamental hoop could be attached to the ear or the nose. All the leading retailer of fine jewelry offer a huge selection of engagement rings, anniversary rings, wedding rings, gemstone and diamond rings, rings in gold, silver and platinum etc.
Diamond rings with Gemstones will make any occasion a long lasting memorable day. Whether the bride loves three stone diamond ring or a platinum diamond ring with gemstones, you are shown a wide range of exquisitely designed rings from which you can select one to please “the would be diamond” in your life. The diamond gemstone rings, in vibrant attractive designs, exemplify splendor and charm. There is also a vast collection of fancy and colorful casual diamond rings to be worn on any occasion.
In India way back during 2500-1500 BC finger rings made of bronze, gold, and silver have been found in the Indus valley whereas in Egypt rings from 1600 B.C. were considered as a symbol of status and were exchanged as a pledge or seal of faith.
Wedding Bands: For Europeans wearing a ring is a symbol of commitment and love and this culture has spread all over the world. Now wedding bands have become a tradition for marrying couple every where. Diamond, gold and titanium rings have all their own meaning. Both traditional and new designs of plain wedding bands are available and the selection of bands includes ornate designs cast in yellow or white gold.
Today rings are available in numerous designs and in any material like plastic, brass, iron, aluminum, stainless steel etc. Young people prefer rings made out of such materials and they are decorated with bright motifs, stones and funky designs making the rings a bold fashion statement. You also get rings with inlaid stones that provide an extra sparkle to this small jewelry. You find rings with very small thin pendants hanging loosely. This tiny piece of jewelry, though simple, looks very elegant on the wearer.

Gone are the days of glittering elegant wedding saris. It is the lehenga that a city bride prefers today and the bolder it is the better. A lehenga is an integral part of a bride’s trousseau. While the traditional flowing ghaghras continue to hold sway with the blushing bride, the ever-adventurous city girl is favoring bold designs and slim fits teemed with corsets and even bikini tops. The modern designers have experimented with the slimmer fits, even the known retail shops are offering exquisite pieces of bridal lehenga to the bride get her dream look. These eye-catching lehengas are rich in every aspect, including the price. It is very interesting to have a look at some of the gorgeous latest wedding lehengas preferred by the city girl.

Bridal lehengas, with a traditional touch and mostly in conventional cut, could be customized in fish cuts too for a slimmer fit. The color range is diverse from the usual red and fuchsia to orange, green and lilac. Customization can also be done for a higher price range. Multi-colored lehengas having striped border and art work with sequins, stones and gota patti are also available. Prices start from $1250 and can go up to a $2500 and above.

A shimmering and shining bridal lehenga, available in net, georgette, silk and satin is embellished with stones of various colors, like pink, orange, white etc. The cost ranges between $250 and $5000.

A bit traditional lehenga with Swarovski, crystal embellishments, numerous layers of lush satin lining, Benarasi brocade borders and anarkalis with delicate lace arms can make just an ordinary bride elegant and attractive. A bride wearing a lehenga in gold lame with shades of red and white Swarovski with antique gold works will look exceptionally enchanting. The dupatta is in net and the red velvet choli/jacket has Swarovski pearls, beads and crystals. The price is very high starting at $7500.

The modern bride can get adventurous with lehengas in various appealing colors ranging from light pista green to interesting shades like champagne. A saffron-colored georgette lehenga with a halter-neck top in silk or georgette having cut stones in white and red is an ideal choice for a new-age bride. Price starts at $500 and goes up to $6250

Another latest bridal lehenga, a mixture of tradition and glamour, is available in a range of colors from warm hues to ice tones. The gold woven fabrics are textured by way of dobby and jacquard techniques in a unique fashion. Shimmering satins are distinctly embroidered with materials like gold zari and crystals. A bride looks exceptionally charming in a red or orange chiffon layered lehenga with embellished belt and border. The price is around $2125.

The modern designers are prepared to satisfy the ever-changing tastes and trends of today’s bride by bringing out new varieties of bridal lehengas to make the bride-s most special day, a memorable one.