Marriages in India are synonymous to jewellery. The traditional jewellery of India is what makes the Indian weddings so rich and unique in their own manner. There are exclusive designs and works which complete the traditional look of the jewellery. The traditional gold jewellery is passed on for generations and families hold jewellery made many decades ago. The different jewellery includes armlets, bracelets, bangles, necklaces, earrings, fingerings, toe rings, nose rings, anklets, pendants and waistbands.

Different regions and cultures follow their unique designs and works. The south is known for its extensive temple based large deigns, the north is known for its exclusive carved designs, the west is known for its mirrored and stoned works and the east is famous for its beaded work. Many trends are taken from the Middle East regions but the designing is unique.

Pair of toe rings is a symbol of a married girl. These toe rings are usually made of silver and can even be studded with a stone. There are different styles of nose rings worn by women of different cultures. In the north they were large nose rings, sometimes the nose rings are bigger than the bangles they wear. The larger nose ring denotes the wealth of the husband. In the west nose rings are called nath, they are made of pearls and stones. Necklaces of traditional temple designs or the eminent kolhapuri sajh designs are sought after. North Indians cherish the traditional panchangal, which is a five ring connected gold jewellery for all the fingers in a hand. The waistband also known as kamarband is made out of gold or silver and is studded with precious stones. Earrings come in varied designs and types; there is the traditional long jhukams, which are long and bulky with detailed designing. The anklet is of two types; moveable and immovable. The flexible ones are made by joining rings of the metal, usually silver and the immovable ones are made like bangles with a gap to fit into the leg. The traditional Indian jewellery dates long back and is still famed for its design. These popular works are one of the sought after designs worldwide.

Here are some traditional fabrics, particular to different regions in India.

Kantha

You can recognize a kantha pattern by the running stitch all through the fabric. Kantha is very often found on saris in light colours. The embroidery often takes the form of motifs, which vary from flowers to elephants and birds. A Kantha is a Bengali sari.

Patola

You can make out a Gujarati patola by its geometrical pattern and use of colour. The fabric can be reversible, as the pattern is identical on both sides.

Need splendid block-printed fabrics? Try Gujarati Ajrakh and Dhamadka. The overall pattern is often divided into geometrical shapes, the insides of which have shapes like dots, flowers and leaves. A total of painstaking 13 steps make Ajrakh come alive and stand out, unlike other surface printing methods.

Phulkari

As the name suggests, Phulkari is all about making your fabric bloom. The Phulkari like many other Indian crafts started as domestic art, and in Punjab, Phulkari is often worn at ceremonies. When a garment is heavily embroidered with Phulkari work all over, and when the cloth itself is barely visible, the fabric is called ‘Bagh’. On the other hand, Phulkari work shows the base cloth.

Madhubani

Madhubani is a work of art because it started as a painting tradition. The theme is usually mythological, and is interspersed with geometrical patterns and flowers. This rich style, born in Bihar, is now found not just on paintings but also on saris. Imagine a skirt with a Madubani painting all over it. Can you get more “designer” than that?

Kasuti

Karnataka is home to the single thread Kasuti art. Running stitch, cross stitch and back stitch are used to depict elephants, geometrical patterns, flowers, trees and temples. If you think color is life, Kasuti with its bright colors can be your style mantra.

Kashida

Kashida speaks of snow-capped mountains, gurgling rivers, chinar leaves and the beauty of Kashmir. This work, initially done only on shawls, can now be found on everything from jackets, coats to salwar-kurtas. Kashida is the name given to works like Zalakdozi (hook embroidery), vata chikan (button-hole stitch) and do-rukha (double side work). Although Kashida work is traditionally done on wool, it is now often found on cotton and synthetic fabrics too, so you don’t have the wait for the winter to wear a Kashida garment.