Centuries of Opulence: Jewels of India
13 October 2017 – 12 October 2018
Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA, Courtesy of a Private Collection
This Mughal-era gold horn pendant features a 125 carat Colombian emerald engraved in Arabic with salutations of peace. Made for a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, it is set with diamonds, Burmese rubies, emerald beads and pearls.
Exhibit Description
This exhibition features 50 exquisite gemstone jewellery pieces and objects from India on loan from a private collection. Never seen in public, these pieces - including several from the magnificent Mughal Empire (1526–1857) - showcase more than 300 years of adornment from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The exhibition explores the distant sources of the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and other gems decorating these pieces, their religious and cultural symbolism, the wars fought for them and the historical tradition of gemmology in India.
Find out more about the journey of gemstones used to create the fabulous Indian jewellery featured in this special exhibit at GIA.
