The first jewellery in India: Harappan civilisation and it's jewel craft
The First Jewels of India: Adornment in the Harappan Civilization
Have you ever wondered what is our fascination (read: obsession) with jewellery? Is there a legacy to our collective interest leaning on obsession with beautiful necklaces, chokers, earrings, bangles , bracelets, broaches, conical hair ornaments, etc. Long before we in modern India took on a fascination with everything that shimmers and shines and use it adorn ourselves, express ourselves, our ancestors, the people of the Indus Valley Civilization, more than 5,000 years ago had already an evolved, a sophisticated art of jewellery-making. What is admirable and astonishing is how jewellery was created from materials ranging from terracotta, beads like carnelian beads, gold and silver, semiprecious stones like lapis lazuli and more.
Jewellery was democratic even then, worn not by the elite only, common women and men patronised jewellery. It signified the wearer’s station in life, their economic standing and their proclivity towards the colours and designs they liked.
A Civilization That Wore Its Art
From the cities of Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Lothal, archaeologists have uncovered exquisite ornaments including beads, bangles, necklaces, earrings and a tonne of potteries. Each piece reveals a civilization that mastered beauty, but design, proportion, and craftsmanship.
Image courtesy: harappa.com
For Harappans jewellery was not just reserved for the elite; it was a part of daily life, worn by men and women alike. Terracotta, faience, shell, steatite, and semi-precious stones such as carnelian, agate, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and jasper were meticulously shaped, polished, and strung together to create earrings, bracelets, necklaces and many other ornaments.
Gold and silver were worked with astonishing refinement, hammering them into thin sheets hammered and moulded into elegant forms, suggesting both technical skill and aesthetic sophistication.
The Legacy of Beads
Among the most remarkable finds are beads, crafted with mathematical precision. Bead-makers of Lothal and Chanhudaro perfected drilling techniques that modern gem artisans still admire. The famous long carnelian beads, heat-treated to deepen their color, reflect both scientific understanding and artistic intention. These were traded widely from Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf, making Harappan jewellery one of the earliest symbols of India’s design and trade legacy.
Image courtesy: Harappa.com
Adornment as Identity
In Harappan culture, jewellery carried meaning beyond appearance. It indicated social identity, perhaps even spiritual belief. Women wore elaborate headdresses, filigree gold earrings, and layered necklaces. Men wore amulets, rings, and waist ornaments.
Each piece echoed the same sentiment we recognise even today: that jewellery is a language on how we identify ourselves, of how we identify ourselves, and how we communicate with each other in a language that is ethereal and as Harappa shows, timeless.
Image courtesy: Harappa.com
Echoes in Modern Craftsmanship
What is particularly striking is how much we can borrow from their design language, how contemporary their design sensibilities were. The aesthetics modern jewellery world identifies itself with, be it minimal forms, geometric precision, repetition in pattern, these aesthetics were present in the jewellery we have found there. Our ancestors were a master at their skill. They intuitively balanced precision, adornment, beauty and sophistication in work, creating jewellery pieces Indians can be very proud to call their legacy.
Surha.in and what we are creating
At Surha.in, we often reflect on this lineage. When we choose the pieces we bring to you, we deeply think about what our legacy is, at how artful and discerning your taste is. We fully trust in the deep, long etched instinct we have as humans and especially as women to adorn ourselves in jewellery, a simple earring or an ornate ring which is meaningful to us. To wear jewellery is to participate in a story that began in Harappa for us, and goes even futher but more about that later on.. At Surha.in we try and bring earrings, necklaces, chains, and other beautiful jewellery which reflect the shine of gold, the craftsmanship you can be confident of and the beauty that will last..
We try and live by our legacy from Harappans, a legacy drenched in craftsmanship is timeless. Techniques evolve, but intention to make something beautiful, enduring, and human, endures.