South Indian jewellery is deeply rooted in Indian tradition and religion and is usually adorned for ceremonies, festivals, rituals and weddings. They are seen as a symbol of status in society, showcasing the abundance of one’s wealth.

South Indian Neckpieces

Kasu mala is made with little gold coins and are overlapped together throughout to form a necklace. This is a mandatory ornament for a wedding, and it comes in different coin sizes, from short to long chains. Shop for gold coins online and then convert them to traditional jewellery. In Indian culture, the older women wear small kasu mala as their regular wear ornament.

A mango mala, commonly known as the manga malai, is heavily adorned with various stones, rubies and pearls as per one’s choice and preference. They are best for traditional outfits and primarily for silk sarees. A mango mala has an extensive and intricate pendant place right at the centre, and this is an essential ornament that shows the status of a person in all celebrations and weddings.

Haram is a long gold necklace that has the central piece as Goddess Lakshmi. This is crafted and studded with precious stones. Elephants and peacocks accompany the Lakshmi in most of the harams, and this long necklace, when worn in pure gold, represents a person’s financial prosperity, and they are pretty expensive. This is, again, bridal jewellery worn mostly during celebrations and festivals.

Hand Jewellery

Vanki is traditional jewellery that is worn on the arms and is like an inverted V in shape. It is made of pure gold with rubies, emeralds and diamond embellishments, and the common motif patterns in them are goddesses Laxmi, peacocks, elephants and serpents. These are again worn for functions and festivals, and they are made in different sizes.

Valayals are bangles that are worn in either single or clusters with many other bangles together. There are two types of bangles the thin one and light in weight and the other that is chunky studded with kemp, sapphires, rubies, precious stones or diamonds. The sleek ones are worn by women regularly, while the thick ones are worn for very special occasions. These are the type of jewellery that women always wear in their hands.

Hair Ornament

A nethichutti is also known as the maang tikka that covers the entire forehead with thick bands or layered to cover the hair area. These are mainly crafted with Kundan stones and very rarely with diamonds. These are a compulsory ornament for all south Indian brides.

Waist Band Jewellery

Oddiyanam is an ornament worn above the saree on the waist. These were initially designed to accentuate the hips of the women. They are symmetrical and are made to fit a particular hip and hence comes in various sizes. They are adorned with emeralds, blue sapphires, diamonds and rubies.

Traditional Earrings

Jhimkis are a favourite ear adornment for all age group that are either bell or chandelier in shape. They are created in various sizes and length, and it is considered a symbol of femininity. Smaller versions of these are worn daily, and the bigger ones are worn for special weddings and ceremonies.

The craftmanship in south Indian gold jewellery gift is usually very grandiose and intricate that stand out from the jewellery styles from the other parts. South Indian jewellery is made of gold as it is the primary materials, and it is embellished with pearls, kemp stones and diamonds. The styling tips are mentioned below for regular and bridal wear with the most popular jewellery styles in South India.