Indian Bridal Jewelry

To even think of celebrating an Indian wedding without the all too important jewelry is sacrilege. The wedding is the most important day in anyone's life, especially so for the bride. Decking up a bride with ornate and auspicious jewelry has been a custom for many centuries. Weddings are sacred and hence great importance is given to the jewelry worn by the bride; jewelry is chosen to strengthen and signify the sanctity of the bond.

Wedding jewelry is chosen with much care as it must go well with the bridal dress. The latest trends as well as religious and cultural practices also play a major role in how the bride dresses up for the wedding. This is applicable not just for the clothes that she wears, but also the jewelry. 

Beautiful jewelry worn by the bride completes the bridal look. In a vast majority of Indian weddings you find brides wearing gold, which is the preferred metal. But that is not to say that other metals are ignored. Some brides also opt for silver, white gold, diamond or platinum. Precious stones like pearl, ruby and emerald are commonly used in jewelry to complement the dress worn by the bride.

Jewelry worn by Indian brides are largely similar, though there are a few regional and cultural differences. One such piece of jewelry is the Shringar patti or mangtikka - this is worn on the hair parting and may extend down the hairline to the ears. Necklaces and earrings are also common across all regions. Most brides wear heavily ornate necklaces and matching pieces of ear rings. This bridal jewelry is mostly worn as an accompaniment to the bridal dress and often complements its color - precious stones are used extensively in the necklace-earring sets.

Nose ring or nath as it is often called has a long chain attached to it, which is hooked into the hair of the bride above her ears. Nose piercing is now trendy and there are many takers for naths, for weddings or otherwise.

Bangles symbolize Indian culture - in spite of all regional and cultural differences, bangles are worn by every Indian women. Not to mention its importance in a wedding-this is worn mostly in gold, sometimes even glass bangles are used. Rings and bracelets are also used to adorn the arms of the bride.

Waist bands, toe rings and anklets are also common items of bridal jewelry. There are many styles and designs of toe rings and anklets. Toe rings are worn only by married women. They are usually worn in pairs on the toes of either feet.

The culture plays a very important part in Indian bridal jewelry hence one can see vast differences in the designs. Women in north prefer the carvings in their designs, the women of west opt for stones and mirrors styles. While those in the east prefer beads, women in the Southern parts of India like to wear elaborate temple jewelry.  Suvarna Shetty