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Why did Indian jewelers often create richly colored, multicolored jewelry?
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jewelry
Stomacher brooch with emeralds and enamel flowers on gold, from the treasure of the Virgin of Pilar, mid-17th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Indian jewelers often created richly colored, multicolored jewelry—a style known as polychromy—due to a combination of abundant natural resources and deep-seated cultural traditions.
The prevalence of this style was supported by:
- Natural Abundance: India and its neighboring regions possessed a wealth of precious and semiprecious stones, as well as a long-standing practice of pearl diving, which provided jewelers with a diverse palette of materials to work with.1
- Aesthetic Preference: There was a distinct cultural preference for a many-hued, rich effect in jewelry design. This was often achieved by combining gems, pearls, filigree, and coral into intricate floral compositions that featured contrasting colors.1
- Symbolic Significance: Beyond the availability of materials, the use of polychromy was closely linked to the religious symbolism associated with specific gems and their deliberate arrangement within a piece.1
This tradition of vibrant, multicolored ornamentation remained a hallmark of Indian craftsmanship, evolving through various historical periods, including the Mughal Empire, where such jewelry was used extensively to adorn the body.1