THE GLITTER AND GLOSS OF INDIA’S PRECIOUS METALS AND GEMSTONES

A traveller’s pan-India guide to explore this incredible legacy

From the diamonds from the Golconda to the gold from Kolar mines…from the pearls of Hyderabad to the ruby mines of Chhattisgarh, India has long been a magnet for its fabled wealth of gems and precious metals. Back in the day, the bazaars of Hampi and Goa not only catered to the locals, the mounds of gems, pearls, gold and precious metals in the shops opened up the eyes of even the itinerant travellers to see such wealth on open display. For example, streets such as the Rua Direita in Goa were lined with shops selling diamonds, rubies and a wide range of precious stones to avid merchants. 

Dating to 77CE, Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia speaks of the astonishing range of precious stones and metals around the world, a majority of which was of Indian origin— amongst these he mentions Indian adamas (diamond), smaragdus (emerald), beryl, opal, etc. The great traveller Marco Polo, from the 13^th century, has left reports about the lively diamond trade through the ports of the Guntur district in Andhra. Back in the 17th century, Lantegree, in Maharashtra used to be a big centre of coral polishing.  Kishangarh in Rajasthan had extensive mines of garnet. Diamond-washing was traditionally carried out by the Savara tribals of Sambalpur in Odisha.

Watching the Sound and Light Show at the Golconda Fort near Hyderabad brings back memories of how once Golconda was the centre for trade in diamonds, sending off caravans of thousands of camels and oxen laden with glittering stones across Asia. Though today, the Golconda mining region is practically defunct, we are never exhausted learning about the legendary diamonds which made global headlines…be it the 105-carat Kohinoor, its twin the Noor-i-Darya or— the 45-carat blue Hope Diamond, beset with all manner of bad omens; it’s now safely sequestered in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Were you aware that as estimated Indian mines produced at least 12 million carats over more than 2,000 years?

Precious stones form a very important part of Indian jewellery traditions. For example, the auspicious and protective attributes of the combination of the navratana, or nine gems are linked to the celestial bodies; Sun (ruby), Moon (pearl), Mercury (emerald), Mars (coral), Jupiter (yellow sapphire or topaz), Venus (diamond) and Saturn (blue sapphire)—and the rising (zircon or hessonite) and descending (cat’s-eye) nodes of the moon. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, it is said, was obsessed with it. The navratana pendant has been extensively incorporated into talismanic jewellery.

In the city of Jaipur make time to learn about the delicate art of gemstone cutting and polishing. Today Jaipur is the world’s epicentre for emerald cutting. On a shopping tour in the city, you’ll find even a local jeweller can guide you on the most auspicious gemstones that align with good fortune and health.

If you are on a tour of Khajuraho and Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, it might interest you to learn that Panna was also famous for its diamond mines. Today there are still a few legal mines in operation at Panna. These are managed under the government-backed Diamond Mining Project of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC Ltd). You can go on a tour to witness the ores being crushed, screened, and diamonds being handpicked out of this mass. You can enjoy a picnic at the nearby Brihaspati Kund.

Pearl fishing dates back in India to over 2000 years.  Originally the Nizams would import their pearls from Basra, in the Persian Gulf but later on the local artisans were trained in pearl drilling and processing.  Chandampet, a village close to Hyderabad is the centre for the craft. The rest they say is history. Travellers passing through Hyderabad should not miss an opportunity to choose a memento of this ancient tradition from a variety of options on display in traditional places such as Pathergatti near Madina Market and the ever-popular Laad Bazaar, as well as the Pot Market. You can pick up natural pearls from any of the upmarket stores in town.

In Tamil Nadu, you can also buy pearls at the port town or Tuticorin or Thoothukudi known as “Pearl City’. As a major maritime hub, it saw the advent of the Portuguese in 1532 CE, and in later times, the Dutch in 1658 CE. It was wrested from them by the East India Company in 1782. The port city is also popular for its beautiful beaches.

India’s obsession with gold has long been a legend. She just cannot have enough of it! Mentions of gold extraction go back to the Rig Veda, the ancient Hindu treatise. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are the main gold mining hotspots today.

In Chennai do try and catch an Indian classical Indian dance performance of Bharatnatyam. Dripping in jewellery the Bharatanatyam dancer on the modern stage is a custodian of a century’s old tradition of ornamentation of the devdasis, the temple dancers who saw themselves as the consorts of the temple deities. A tangle of necklaces and chains (the mangala malai/ magari malai/kasi malai/ hasoli) adorn the neck and chest and the kamardhani the ornamental girdle covers the waist. The bangles on the wrist and the tinkling anklets balanced the tika on the forehead. The braid was embellished with kunjalam tapering off in a pretty bejewelled tassel. South India has a head start when it comes to designing jewellery in pure gold. married women wear variations of the Tali (pendant) necklace started around the 11^th century. Hot favourites for jewellery buffs are the stunning mangalmalai (mango) necklace, the kasumalai (necklace of coins), nagapatnam (string of cobras) and the paddakam pendant. In Kerala Thrissur, now revered as the ‘Gold Capital’ of India, is famous for its superb gold jewellery. There are over 6,000 jewellery shops in Kerala, most of which are to be found in Thrissur.

West Bengal, famous for its superb gold smiting traditions, offers opportunities to marvel over the renditions of the goldsmith’s art, including sheet gold work, granulation, repousse, filigree, gems in bezel fittings, which go back to the Shunga period (187-75BC). Check out the offerings of traditional gold jewellers in Kolkata.

Silver jewellery, the mainstay of ornamentation particularly among the tribal regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat, beautifully showcased by the womenfolk during the many fairs and festivals. You can pick up chunky bracelets, hasthalis and silver bangles from shops in the big market towns that cater to the rural folk. The purity of the silver used (usually mixed with some alloys) is very important. In the state of Gujarat, its purity has to be at least 70 %, while in Rajasthan it has to be 85%.

It’s interesting to note that precious metals and gemstones are not just for jewellery design. If you are in Tanjore (now Thanjavur) do look in on the fantastic gem-encrusted, hand-painted religious Tanjore paintings. This classical South Indian painting tradition which began in the 17^th century in Tanjore in Tamil Nadu, involves the use of 24-carat gold foils overlaid on delicate but extensive gesso work and inlay of glass beads or rare precious and semi-precious gemstones.

Zardozi work, which requires painstaking work with gold thread is truly a regal legacy of India’s ancient textile and embroidery traditions. Varanasi, Agra, Lucknow and other traditional centres produce the most exquisite sarees, stoles and bridal wear in brocades and rich silks. If you have the money, you might be tempted to invest in a superb heirloom for the family, the paithani saree from Maharashtra; all handwoven with pure gold threads, it can take anything from nine months to a year to produce a single piece of six yards in length with about 500 grams of silk threads and 250 grams of zari threads. Check out the offerings of some of the top boutiques in Mumbai. The tradition dates back to the 2nd century BC during the rule of Satvahanas. Every Indian bride’s dream is to own a handwoven Kanchipuram saree produced with pure mulberry silk and stunning zari work. The Kanchipuram Saree weave goes back 400 years when it took birth in the little town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.

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