Daily Life Timeline

Jewellery Timeline of India: Gold Heirlooms → Artificial → Branded → Minimal → Lab-Grown

In the 1950s a family’s gold was its savings, made to order by the local goldsmith and passed from mother to daughter. Rising gold prices made imitation jewellery popular in the 1980s, branded hallmarked showrooms arrived in the 2000s, lightweight minimal pieces suited working lives in the 2010s, and in the 2020s lab-grown diamonds and digital gold are changing how India shines.

This timeline covers Harappan beads, Golconda diamonds, temple jewellery, kundan and meenakari, stridhan and heirlooms, the Gold Control Act, one-gram gold and American diamonds, glass and lac bangles, branded showrooms, BIS hallmarking and HUID, online jewellery, minimal everyday wear, gold bonds and ETFs, lab-grown diamonds from Surat, and digital gold.

1950s Heirlooms → 1980s Artificial 2000s Branded → Minimal 2020s Lab-Grown Diamonds

Why the Jewellery Story Matters

India is one of the world’s largest buyers of gold, and jewellery here is much more than decoration — it is savings, security, blessing, and identity. The way Indians buy and wear jewellery reflects changes in laws, prices, women’s work, trust, and technology, from the family goldsmith and heirloom boxes to hallmarked showrooms, online stores, and lab-grown diamonds.

Big picture

India’s jewellery journey in one view

For thousands of years India crafted gold, gems, and beads, and was the world’s main source of diamonds. After independence gold heirlooms were family wealth, while gold control laws and rising prices pushed many towards imitation jewellery. Liberalisation brought brands and hallmarking, the 2010s favoured light everyday pieces bought online, and the 2020s brought mandatory HUID hallmarks, lab-grown diamonds, and digital gold. Related timelines: banking, the rupee, Digital India.

1968

Gold (Control) Act passed

1994

Titan founds Tanishq

2000

BIS gold hallmarking begins

2023

6-digit HUID hallmark mandatory

Split image with a grandmother opening a carved wooden box of gold bangles and a necklace for her granddaughter beside a brass lamp on the left, and a young woman trying a delicate diamond pendant at a mirror beside a tray of loose diamonds and a jeweller’s loupe on the right
From a grandmother’s heirloom box to a minimal lab-grown diamond pendant (artistic illustration).

Jewellery Then vs Now at a Glance

FeatureThenNow
Main purposeSavings, security, and traditionStyle, gifting, and investment
Typical piecesHeavy bangles, long chains, necklacesLight chains, studs, pendants, rings
Gold purity22 carat, trust in the goldsmith22, 18, and 14 carat with BIS hallmark
StonesRubies, emeralds, pearls, polkiMined and lab-grown diamonds, coloured gems
Who made itFamily sunar (goldsmith)Factories, brands, and designers
Where boughtGoldsmith’s workshop or bazaar shopShowrooms, websites, and apps
Proof of purityTouchstone and trustHUID code, XRF testing, certificates
When wornEvery day, heavier at weddingsMinimal daily; heavy sets for occasions
ImitationGlass and lac banglesOne-gram gold, American diamond, fashion jewellery
Gold as investmentCoins and jewellery at homeGold ETFs, bonds, and digital gold
🛕 HeritageAncient – 1946

Temple Gold & Royal Gems

India has one of the oldest jewellery traditions in the world. Harappan craftsmen made gold ornaments and beads, Indian mines supplied the world’s diamonds for centuries, and temples and royal courts gave rise to temple jewellery, kundan, and meenakari.

Traditional Indian jewellery on red velvet in a carved heritage room — a gold temple necklace with goddess motifs and rubies, a kundan choker with green enamel, a maang tikka, a nose ring, jhumka earrings, and carved gold bangles beside a brass lamp
Temple jewellery, a kundan choker, jhumkas, a nath, and gold bangles (artistic illustration).
  • Harappan period (c. 2600–1900 BCE): Craftsmen make gold and silver ornaments and fine carnelian beads; bead workshops are found at Lothal, and Harappan beads reach Mesopotamia.
  • Up to the 1720s: India is the world’s main source of diamonds, from mines in the Golconda region; the Koh-i-Noor is believed to come from the Kollur mine.
  • Medieval South India: Temple jewellery with images of gods and goddesses adorns temple deities and is later worn by Bharatanatyam dancers and brides.
  • 16th–17th centuries: Kundan, jadau, and meenakari (enamel) work flourish in Mughal and Rajput courts, especially in Rajasthan.

Technology

  • Bead drilling: Hard carnelian stones.
  • Kundan setting: Stones set in pure gold foil.
  • Touchstone: Testing gold purity.

Features

  • Stridhan: A woman’s own wealth.
  • Sacred motifs: Temple designs.
  • Royal craft: Court workshops.
💛 Heirlooms1947 – 1969

Gold Heirlooms

In the 1950s gold was the family bank. Mothers passed bangles, chains, and necklaces to daughters, the family goldsmith made new pieces to order, and gold kept in trunks or pawned in hard times was the safety net for millions of households.

1950s home where a mother in a silk sari slips gold bangles onto her daughter’s wrist on a woven mat, with an open steel trunk and a cloth pouch of gold coins and a chain beside them while the father watches
A mother passes heirloom gold bangles to her daughter before a wedding (artistic illustration).
  • 1950s: Married women wear gold bangles, chains, and mangalsutras daily, with silver anklets and toe rings; gold is saved for weddings and passed down as stridhan.
  • 1962: During the war with China, citizens donate gold ornaments to the National Defence Fund, and the government issues gold bonds to collect gold.
  • 1963: Gold Control Rules try to curb gold demand, for a time limiting new jewellery to 14 carat gold; the unpopular rule is relaxed in 1966.
  • 1968: The Gold (Control) Act licenses goldsmiths and dealers and limits how much gold they can hold; many traditional goldsmiths lose their livelihood.

Technology

  • Hand tools: Blowpipe, hammer, and anvil.
  • Balance scales: Weighing in tolas.
  • Touchstone test: Checking purity.

Features

  • Family bank: Gold as savings.
  • Made to order: Local sunar.
  • Passed down: Mother to daughter.
✨ Artificial1970 – 1989

Artificial & Imitation Jewellery

As world gold prices soared in the 1970s, gold-plated “one-gram gold”, American diamonds, and fashion jewellery let women match every outfit without buying gold. Real gold was often kept safe in bank lockers while imitation pieces were worn for travel and daily life.

1980s market stall lit by bare bulbs with gold-plated necklaces, oxidised silver jhumkas, and stacks of colourful glass bangles, where two young women in salwar kameez try on earrings with a hand mirror as the shopkeeper arranges bangles
One-gram gold, oxidised jhumkas, and glass bangles at a market stall (artistic illustration).
  • 1970s: After world gold prices are freed, gold becomes far costlier; import curbs also make gold smuggling a big business.
  • 1970s–1980s: Gold-plated imitation jewellery grows, with Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) famous for one-gram gold and Rajkot (Gujarat) for imitation jewellery.
  • 1980s: “American diamonds” (cubic zirconia) give the sparkle of diamonds at a tiny price; film heroines popularise matching costume jewellery.
  • 1980s: Glass bangles from Firozabad, lac bangles from Hyderabad and Jaipur, and oxidised silver become everyday favourites.

Technology

  • Electroplating: Gold coat on brass or copper.
  • Cubic zirconia: Lab-made sparkle.
  • Machine chains: Mass production.

Features

  • Affordable: Match every outfit.
  • Safe to wear: Real gold in lockers.
  • Film fashion: Costume looks.
🏬 Branded1990 – 2009

Branded Showrooms & Hallmarking

With gold control scrapped and imports eased, jewellery moved from small shops to big, bright showrooms with fixed prices, purity guarantees, and exchange offers. Hallmarking began, diamonds became more common, and festivals like Akshaya Tritiya turned into major gold-buying days.

Large jewellery showroom with marble floors, chandeliers, and glowing glass counters, where a sales associate in a sari shows a gold necklace on a blue velvet tray to a seated family with a bride-to-be, beside a digital weighing scale
A family chooses wedding jewellery in a branded showroom (artistic illustration).
  • 1990: The Gold (Control) Act is repealed; through the 1990s gold import rules are eased, cutting smuggling.
  • 1993–1994: Kalyan Jewellers (Thrissur) and Malabar Gold (Kozhikode) start in 1993, and Titan founds Tanishq in 1994 as a national jewellery brand.
  • 2000: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) starts voluntary hallmarking of gold jewellery; silver hallmarking follows in 2005.
  • 2000s: Diamond jewellery spreads to the middle class, big chains expand across states, and in 2007 India’s first gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are launched.

Technology

  • Karatmeters (XRF): Instant purity tests.
  • Digital scales: Exact weights.
  • CAD design: Computer-made patterns.

Features

  • Trust: Hallmarked purity.
  • Exchange offers: Old gold for new.
  • Showrooms: Fixed, displayed prices.
💫 Minimal2010 – 2019

Minimal Everyday & Online Jewellery

Working women wanted light pieces they could wear to the office, so thin chains, studs, and small diamond pendants in 18 and 14 carat gold took off. Jewellery was bought online with try-at-home services, and the government offered new ways to own gold without jewellery.

Young professional woman in a blazer working on a laptop at a bright wooden desk with plants and a coffee cup, wearing a thin gold chain with a tiny pendant, small studs, and a slim gold bracelet
A thin chain, studs, and a slim bracelet — minimal jewellery for work (artistic illustration).
  • 2008–2011: Online jewellers such as CaratLane (2008) and BlueStone (2011) start selling jewellery on the internet, later adding try-at-home services.
  • 2015: The government launches Sovereign Gold Bonds and the Gold Monetisation Scheme to reduce physical gold imports.
  • 2016: Tanishq launches Mia, a lightweight everyday jewellery brand for working women; rose gold and 14 carat pieces become popular.
  • 2010s: Oxidised silver and tribal-style pieces pair with kurtas, and men’s chains, kadas, and studs grow.

Technology

  • E-commerce: Buy with a click.
  • Virtual try-on: See it on screen.
  • Lightweight casting: Hollow and thin designs.

Features

  • Everyday wear: Office-friendly.
  • Lower carat: 18K and 14K gold.
  • Gold without jewellery: Bonds and ETFs.
🔬 Lab-Grown2020s – Future

Lab-Grown Diamonds & Digital Gold

In the 2020s every piece of gold jewellery sold by a jeweller must carry a hallmark with a unique code. Lab-grown diamonds — real diamonds grown in weeks — make diamond jewellery far more affordable, and India, led by Surat, has become a major producer. Gold can now be bought in rupee-sized amounts on phone apps.

Modern laboratory with rows of stainless-steel diamond-growing reactors glowing pink through round windows, while a technician in a white coat examines a diamond under a microscope beside a black tray of polished loose diamonds
CVD reactors grow real diamonds in weeks (artistic illustration).
  • 2021: BIS hallmarking becomes mandatory for gold jewellery from 16 June 2021, starting in 256 districts.
  • 2023: From 1 April, every hallmarked gold piece must carry a 6-digit HUID code that buyers can verify on the BIS Care app.
  • 2023: The Union Budget announces support for lab-grown diamond research at an IIT and cuts customs duty on diamond “seeds”; Surat becomes a major lab-grown hub.
  • 2020s–Future: Digital gold on payment apps, recycled gold, 3D-printed designs, and traceable, certified stones shape the next chapter.

Technology

  • CVD and HPHT: Growing diamonds.
  • HUID codes: Verify on an app.
  • 3D printing: Complex designs.

Features

  • Affordable diamonds: Real, not mined.
  • Transparent purity: Every piece coded.
  • Gold in rupees: Digital buying.

Traditional Jewellery Styles of India

Style or pieceRegionWhat makes it special
Temple jewelleryTamil Nadu, KeralaGold with gods, goddesses, and temple motifs
KundanRajasthanStones set in layers of pure gold foil
MeenakariJaipur, RajasthanColourful enamel on gold
PolkiRajasthan, North IndiaUncut natural diamonds
ThewaPratapgarh, RajasthanGold sheet designs fused on coloured glass
Filigree (tarakasi)Cuttack, OdishaFine silver wire lace work
Kasu malaSouth IndiaNecklace of gold coins
NathMaharashtra and North IndiaLarge bridal nose ring
MangalsutraAcross IndiaBlack-bead and gold necklace of marriage
Glass and lac banglesFirozabad, Hyderabad, JaipurColourful, affordable, festive

Gold Purity & Hallmark Guide

GradePurity markGold contentCommon use
24 carat99999.9%Coins and bars (too soft for most jewellery)
22 carat91691.6%Traditional Indian jewellery
18 carat75075%Diamond and gemstone jewellery
14 carat58558.5%Lightweight everyday jewellery
Sterling silver92592.5% silverSilver jewellery and anklets
BIS hallmarkBIS logo + purity + HUID—Proof of purity on every piece

Mined Diamond vs Lab-Grown vs American Diamond

FeatureMined diamondLab-grown diamondAmerican diamond (CZ)
Made ofCarbonCarbonZirconium dioxide
How it formsDeep in the earth over billions of yearsGrown in weeks by CVD or HPHTMelted and crystallised in a factory
Real diamond?YesYesNo (a simulant)
Hardness (Mohs)1010About 8–8.5
PriceHighestMuch lower than minedVery low
How to identifyLab certificateLab testing and certificateSimple diamond tester

From Sunar to App: How Indians Buy Jewellery

Elderly goldsmith at a low wooden bench blowing through a thin brass blowpipe onto a small flame to solder a gold earring, surrounded by tiny hammers, tongs, a small anvil, and a hand balance, while a young apprentice watches
A sunar solders gold with a blowpipe, a skill passed down generations (artistic illustration).
Way to buyWhereWhat you getCommon from
Family sunarGoldsmith’s workshopPieces made to orderCenturies old
Bazaar jewellerLocal market shopReady pieces, gold on creditEarly 1900s
Imitation stallStreet markets and fairsOne-gram gold, bangles, fashion pieces1970s–1980s
Branded showroomCity high streets and mallsFixed prices, hallmarks, exchange1990s–2000s
Online jewellerWebsites and appsTry-at-home, certified diamonds2010s
Gold ETFs and bondsStock exchange or bankGold investment without jewellery2007 and 2015
Digital goldPayment appsGold from one rupee, stored in a vaultLate 2010s–2020s

Jewellery Timeline Summary

Year / EraMilestone
c. 2600–1900 BCEHarappan gold ornaments and carnelian beads
Up to the 1720sIndia, via Golconda, is the world’s main diamond source
Medieval eraSouth Indian temple jewellery
16th–17th centuriesKundan and meenakari in Mughal and Rajput courts
1950sGold heirlooms as family savings
1962Gold donated for national defence
1963Gold Control Rules
1968Gold (Control) Act
1970s–1980sOne-gram gold and American diamonds
1990Gold (Control) Act repealed
1993–1994Kalyan, Malabar Gold, and Tanishq begin
2000BIS voluntary gold hallmarking
2007First gold ETFs in India
2008–2011Online jewellers CaratLane and BlueStone
2015Sovereign Gold Bonds and Gold Monetisation Scheme
2016Lightweight everyday brands such as Mia
2021Mandatory hallmarking begins
20236-digit HUID mandatory; lab-grown diamond push
2020sLab-grown diamonds and digital gold

Test Your Knowledge

20 quick questions from the jewellery timeline. Click each question to reveal the answer.

Answer: Carnelian.

Answer: Golconda (in present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).

Answer: The Koh-i-Noor.

Answer: Jewellery with stones set in layers of pure gold foil.

Answer: Colourful enamel work on metal, famous in Jaipur.

Answer: A woman’s own wealth, often in the form of jewellery.

Answer: A traditional goldsmith.

Answer: To help the National Defence Fund during the war with China.

Answer: 1968.

Answer: Brass or copper jewellery with a thin gold plating.

Answer: Machilipatnam.

Answer: Cubic zirconia (zirconium dioxide), not carbon.

Answer: Firozabad.

Answer: 1990.

Answer: Titan.

Answer: 22 carat gold, about 91.6% pure.

Answer: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Answer: Six (alphanumeric).

Answer: Yes — it is carbon with the same hardness and sparkle as a mined diamond.

Answer: Surat.

Classroom activity

Students Tasks

Use these prompts for discussion or projects on how Indian jewellery and gold buying changed over time.

Timeline understanding Culture and heritage Economics of gold Science of materials
  1. Ask your grandparents about a family heirloom and the story behind it.
  2. Make a timeline poster: heirlooms (1950s), artificial (1980s), branded (2000s), minimal (2010s), and lab-grown (2020s).
  3. Collect pictures of five traditional jewellery styles and mark their regions on a map of India.
  4. Explain what 24, 22, 18, and 14 carat mean using a simple pie chart for each.
  5. Find out what a BIS hallmark and HUID code look like, and how to check one on the BIS Care app.
  6. Interview a local jeweller or goldsmith about how their work has changed.
  7. Compare a mined diamond, a lab-grown diamond, and an American diamond in a chart.
  8. Discuss why Indian families have long treated gold as savings.
  9. Research the Golconda diamond mines and famous diamonds that came from India.
  10. Debate: “Lab-grown diamonds are better than mined diamonds.”

Continue exploring

Jewellery is tied to banking, money, and digital services in India. Explore these connected timelines next.

Banking timeline Rupee history timeline Currency timeline Digital India timeline More India timelines All timelines

Moments Through Visual Stories

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India’s jewellery journey in pictures — temple gold and kundan, 1950s heirlooms, 1980s imitation stalls, branded showrooms, minimal everyday pieces, lab-grown diamonds, the traditional goldsmith, and then versus now.

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Disclaimer: This content is AI-generated for educational purposes and may contain errors or outdated details. For correct and authoritative information, please refer to official and reliable sources such as government publications, manufacturers, museums, and academic references.