Mughal Jewellery

With the advent of the Mughals, the craft got a fresh vitality that added to the creativity of the Indian artisans, in particular to the level of sophistication achieved under the patronage. The jewellery served as adornment as well as indicated the wearer’s power. In accordance to the then local custom, the high-ranking officials in the Mughal court, gifted jewellery and precious jewels as a symbol of royal favour. The opulence of craftsmanship of jewellery reached a different level, wherein plain gold or silver jewellery wasn’t enough to quench the thirst for magnificence under the Mughals. The Mughal patronage encouraged the concoction of indigenous and Persian lapidaries to develop new ideas into the craft, who were guided under the discerning eyes of the patrons. Emperor Humayun himself had brought several skilled Iranian goldsmiths, who worked in the Mughal workshops.