A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
From Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India: Gold Necklace with spinel and turquoise. These were also worn by men in the Punjab.
During the time of the Abbaside Caliphate (750-1258 AD), a white-rock hill at Chatlan was broken open by an earthquake, revealing the "Laal-Bedaschan," or balas ruby (spinel). A quest began. The best quality stones were unearthed from the Badakhshan mines along the Oxus river, which separates Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.
Miniature paintings show Mughal emperors wearing spinels. Usually, they were combined with emeralds, pearls, and 18K gold.
In this three-strand gold necklace, turquoise surrounds the floral-shaped spinel roundels. They hang from triangular finials surrounded by bunches of pearls. Edited. "The Golden Smile of India," by Bernadette van Gelder.
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