Editing Jewellery (section)

=== Asia ===
In Asia, the [[Indian subcontinent]] has the longest continuous legacy of jewellery making anywhere, Asia was the first place where these jewellery were made in large numbers for the royals<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/86147/history-indian-jewellery-jewels-traditions/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |title=Maharajas, Myths and Mysteries: The Fascinating History of India's Jewels and Jewellery |first=Sanchari |last=Pal |date=9 February 2017 |archive-date=2023-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119180252/https://www.thebetterindia.com/86147/history-indian-jewellery-jewels-traditions/ |url-status=live}}</ref> with a history of over 5,000 years.<ref name="Untracht 1997">Untracht, Oppi. ''Traditional Jewellery of India''. New York: Abrams, 1997 {{ISBN|0810938863}}. p. 15.</ref> One of the first to start jewellery making were the peoples of the [[Indus Valley civilization]], in what is now predominately modern-day Pakistan and part of northern and western India. Early jewellery making in [[China]] started around the same period, but it became widespread with the spread of [[Buddhism]] around 2,000 years ago.

==== China ====
The Chinese used [[silver]] in their jewellery more than gold. Blue [[kingfisher]] [[feather]]s were tied onto early Chinese jewellery and later, blue gems and glass were incorporated into designs. However, [[jade]] was preferred over any other stone. The Chinese revered jade because of the human-like qualities they assigned to it, such as its hardness, durability, and beauty.<ref name="Holland 1999" /> The first jade pieces were very simple, but as time progressed, more complex designs evolved. Jade rings from between the 4th and 7th centuries BC show evidence of having been worked with a compound [[milling machine]], hundreds of years before the first mention of such equipment in the west.<ref>Lu, Peter J., "Early Precision Compound Machine from Ancient China." ''Science,'' 6/11/2004, Vol. 304, Issue 5677</ref>

In China, the most uncommon piece of jewellery is the earring, which was worn neither by men nor women.<ref>{{Cite news |title=No Earrings, Tattoos or Cleavage: Inside China's War on Fun |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/business/china-war-on-fun-earrings-tattoos.html |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=The New York Times |date=27 March 2019 |language=en-US |last1=Yuan |first1=Li |archive-date=2022-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521085027/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/business/china-war-on-fun-earrings-tattoos.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In modern times, earrings are still considered culturally taboo for men in China—in fact, in 2019, the Chinese video streaming service [[iQiyi]] began blurring the ears of male actors wearing earrings. [[Amulet]]s were common, often with a Chinese symbol or [[dragon]]. Dragons, Chinese symbols, and [[Fenghuang|phoenixes]] were frequently depicted on jewellery designs.

The Chinese often placed their jewellery in their graves. Most Chinese graves found by [[archaeologist]]s contain decorative jewellery.<ref name="Reader 1983">Reader's Digest Association. 1983. Vanished Civilisations. ''Reader's Digest''.</ref>

<gallery widths="170" heights="170">
Clevelandart 1985.75.jpg|Fluted ring with a dragon head (huan); circa 475 BC; jade ([[nephrite]]); overall: {{convert|9.1|cm}}; [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] ([[Cleveland]])
Jade ornament with grape design.jpg|Ornament with flowers and grapes design; 1115–1234; jade; [[Shanghai Museum]] (China)
Chinese Xin Shape Jewelry from Ming Dynasty Tombs.jpg|Xin 心 shaped {{not a typo|jewellery}}; 1368–1644; gold, ruby, pearl and other gemstones; about the size of an adult human's palm; [[Dingling (Ming)|Dingling]] ([[Beijing]], China)
MET 15 95 181j O1.jpg|Hat ornament; 18th–19th century; gold, gilded metal, kingfisher feathers, glass and semiprecious stones; various dimensions; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)
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==== Indian subcontinent ====
{{anchor | India | Indian }}
[[File:Necklace with Shiva's Family LACMA M.85.140.jpg|thumb|upright|Necklace with Shiva's family; late 19th century; gold inlaid with rubies, a diamond [[Rudraksha]] beads (elaeo carpus seeds) and silver back plate on clasp; overall: {{convert|38.1|cm}}; [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] ([[Los Angeles]], US)]]
The [[Indian subcontinent]] has a long jewellery history, which has gone through various changes via cultural influence and politics for more than 5,000–8,000 years.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} Because India had an abundant supply of precious metals and gems, it prospered financially through export and exchange with other countries. While European traditions were heavily influenced by waxing and waning empires, India enjoyed a continuous development of art forms for some 5,000 years.<ref name="Untracht 1997" /> One of the first to start jewellery making were the peoples of the [[Indus Valley civilization]]. By 1500 BC, the peoples of the Indus Valley were creating gold earrings and necklaces, bead necklaces, and metallic [[bangle]]s.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} Before 2100 BC, prior to the period when metals were widely used, the largest jewellery trade in the Indus Valley region was the [[bead]] trade. Beads in the Indus Valley were made using simple techniques. First, a bead maker would need a rough stone, which would be bought from an eastern stone trader. The stone would then be placed into a hot oven where it would be heated until it turned deep red, a colour highly prized by people of the Indus Valley. The red stone would then be chipped to the right size and a hole bored through it with primitive drills. The beads were then polished. Some beads were also painted with designs. This art form was often passed down through the family. Children of bead makers often learned how to work beads from a young age. Each stone had its own characteristics related to Hinduism.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Jewellery in the [[Indus Valley Civilization]] was worn predominantly by females, who wore numerous clay or shell bracelets on their wrists. They were often shaped like doughnuts and painted black. Over time, clay bangles were discarded for more durable ones. In present-day [[India]], bangles are made out of [[metal]] or glass.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tamilnadu.com/fashion/bangles.html |title=Bangles |publisher=Tamilnadu.com |date=4 March 2013 |access-date=14 March 2013 |archive-date=18 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018071805/http://tamilnadu.com/fashion/bangles.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other pieces that women frequently wore were thin bands of gold that would be worn on the forehead, earrings, primitive brooches, [[choker]]s, and gold rings. Although women wore jewellery the most, some men in the Indus Valley wore beads. Small beads were often crafted to be placed in men and women's hair. The beads were about one millimetre long.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

A female skeleton (presently on display at the National Museum, New Delhi, India) wears a carlinean bangle (bracelet) on her left hand. ''Kada'' is a special kind of bracelet and is widely popular in Indian culture. They symbolize animals such as peacock, elephant, etc.<ref>{{cite news |title=When showstopper Juhi walked down the ramp |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614073606/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-08/bollywood/39833107_1_gehna-jewellers-sunil-datwani-ramp |url-status=live |archive-date=14 June 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=16 June 2013}}</ref>

According to Hindu belief, gold and silver are considered as sacred metals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Benjamin |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume II M-Z |publisher=Routledge |year=1968 |isbn=9780367149321 |publication-date=2019 |pages=65–67 |language=en}}</ref> Gold is symbolic of the warm sun, while silver suggests the cool moon. Both are the quintessential metals of Indian jewellery. Pure gold does not oxidise or corrode with time, which is why Hindu tradition associates gold with immortality.  Gold imagery occurs frequently in ancient Indian literature. In the Vedic Hindu belief of cosmological creation, the source of physical and spiritual human life originated in and evolved from a golden womb (hiranyagarbha) or egg (hiranyanda), a metaphor of the sun, whose light rises from the primordial waters.<ref>{{cite book |last=Untracht |first=Oppi |title=Traditional Jewelry of India |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-8109-3886-1 |pages=278 |publisher=Harry N. Abrams}}</ref>

Jewellery had great status with India's royalty; it was so powerful that they established laws, limiting wearing of jewellery to royalty. Only royalty and a few others to whom they granted permission could wear gold ornaments on their feet. This would normally be considered breaking the appreciation of the sacred metals.  Even though the majority of the Indian population wore jewellery, [[Maharaja]]s and people related to royalty had a deeper connection with jewellery.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} The [[Maharaja]]'s role was so important that the Hindu philosophers identified him as central to the smooth working of the world. He was considered as a divine being, a deity in human form, whose duty was to uphold and protect dharma, the moral order of the universe.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prior |first1=Katherine |last2=Adamson |first2=John |title=Maharajas' Jewels |year=2000 |publisher=Vendome Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-86565-218-7 |pages=12}}</ref> The largest ever single order to [[Cartier (jeweler)#Royalty|Cartier]] was made in 1925 by the [[List of princely states of British India (by region)|Indian royalty]], the [[Maharaja of Patiala]], for the [[Patiala Necklace]] and other {{not a typo|jewellery}} worth {{INRConvert|1000|m|year=1925|to=USD EUR}}.<ref>[https://theprint.in/feature/from-bahadur-shah-zafar-to-the-nizam-of-hyderabad-a-jewellery-brand-for-the-royals/1197972/ From Bahadur Shah Zafar to the Nizam of Hyderabad, a jewellery brand for the royals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930003440/https://theprint.in/feature/from-bahadur-shah-zafar-to-the-nizam-of-hyderabad-a-jewellery-brand-for-the-royals/1197972/ |date=2023-09-30 }}, The Print, 5 Nov 2022.</ref>

[[Navaratna]] (nine gems) is a powerful jewel frequently worn by a [[Maharaja]] (Emperor). It is an amulet, which comprises diamond, pearl, ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, cat's eye, coral, and hyacinth (red zircon). Each of these stones is associated with a celestial deity, representing the totality of the Hindu universe when all nine gems are together. The diamond is the most powerful gem among the nine stones.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} There were various cuts for the gemstone. Indian Kings bought gemstones privately from the sellers. Maharaja and other royal family members value gem as Hindu God.{{Clarify|date=December 2024}} They exchanged gems with people to whom they were very close, especially the royal family members and other intimate allies.

[[India]] was the first country to mine [[diamond]]s, with some mines dating back to 296 BC.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} India traded the diamonds, realising their valuable qualities. Historically, diamonds have been given to retain or regain a lover's or ruler's lost favour, as symbols of tribute, or as an expression of fidelity in exchange for concessions and protection.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} Mughal emperors and Kings used the diamonds as a means of assuring their immortality by having their names and worldly titles inscribed upon them. Moreover, it has played and continues to play a pivotal role in Indian social, political, economic, and religious event, as it often has done elsewhere.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} In Indian history, diamonds have been used to acquire military equipment, finance wars, foment revolutions, and tempt defections. They have contributed to the abdication or the decapitation of potentates. They have been used to murder a representative of the dominating power by lacing his food with crushed diamond.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} Indian diamonds have been used as security to finance large loans needed to buttress politically or economically tottering regimes.  Victorious military heroes have been honoured by rewards of diamonds and also have been used as ransom payment for release from imprisonment or abduction.<ref>{{cite book |last=Prior |first=Katherine |title=Traditional Jewelry of India |year=2000 |publisher=Vendome |location=New York |pages=312}}</ref>

Today, many jewellery designs and traditions are used, and jewellery is commonplace in Indian ceremonies and [[Indian wedding|weddings]].<ref name="Reader 1983" /> For many Indians, especially those who follow the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] or [[Jainism|Jain]] faiths, bridal jewellery is known as ''streedhan'' and functions as personal wealth for the bride only, as a sort of financial security. For this reason, this jewellery, especially in the sacred metals of gold and silver, has large cultural significance for Indian brides. Jewellery is worn on the arms and hands, ears, neck, hair, head, feet, toes and waist to bless the bride with prosperity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaur |first=Prabhjot |title=Women and Jewelry – The Traditional and Religious Dimensions of Ornamentation |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303844521}}</ref>

<gallery widths="170" heights="170">
Pendant with a Siddha(?) LACMA AC1999.239.1.jpg|Pendant probably with [[Siddha]]; 8th–9th century; copper alloy; {{convert|8.89x7.93x0.31|cm}}; [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] ([[Los Angeles]])
Clevelandart 1915.342.1.jpg|Earring with [[Vishnu]] riding [[Garuda]]; {{circa|1600}}; gold set with jewels and semi-precious stones; overall: {{convert|2.6|cm}}; from [[Nepal]]; [[Cleveland Museum of Art]] ([[Cleveland]])
Clevelandart 1915.346.1.jpg|Earring with four-armed Vishnu riding Garuda with [[Nāga|Nagas]] (serpent divinities); {{circa|1600}}; repousse gold with pearls; overall: 3.6&nbsp;cm; from Nepal; Cleveland Museum of Art
Comb with Vishnu Adored by Serpents LACMA M.83.218.1.jpg|Comb with Vishnu adored by serpents; 1750–1800; ivory with traces of paint; {{convert|6.99x7.94|cm}}; from Nepal; Los Angeles County Museum of Art
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