Like all other items, jewellery also has a history and story to tell. While earlier jewellery was mainly considered as a symbol of power, status and pride, nowadays it has come to hold a more emotional and sentimental place in people’s lives. In ancient times, jewellery was mainly restricted to the royals who flaunted it to showcase their riches, power, self- importance among others. With the passage of time as living conditions changed, jewellery became affordable to all, thus marking a remarkable shift in the path jewellery has taken over the years.

In present times, jewellery, be it gold, silver or precious stone studded, holds personal importance for the people purchasing as they may have received it as a gift from a dear one or may have purchased it to mark any special occasion. Aeons ago, however, this was not the case. Jewellery was an important part of the royal treasures and many a battle has beenfought over them. Kingdoms and states have been invaded and many lives lost in the fights to gain control over the prized jewellery. For kings and queens alike, jewellery was morethan a mere trinket but something representative of their wealth and status. Royals, in India and worldwide, take immense pride in their jewellery collection. Queen Elizabeth of the British royal family is known to adorn precious stone jewellery, which are rare and priceless. The Maharani of Patiala is also known to have flaunted her custom-made Cartier ruby choker, made in platinum with rubies, pearls and diamonds. Consisting of three layers, the necklace was truly a feast for the eyes. The queen of Baroda also proudly showcased her 128-carat Star of the South diamond studded three-tier diamond necklace in the yesteryears.

History is witness to many battles being fought over precious jewellery. The most famous is the battle for the Kohinoor diamond, discovered in India in the 13 th century. The precious diamond was taken away by the British during the colonisation of India and is till now away in foreign shores, being kept at display at the Jewel House in the Tower of London. The 1739 Karnal battle also saw a heavy loot of royal jewellery, mainly the Mughal crown jewels, by Nader Shah. The empire slowly disintegrated after the battle with the crown jewels changing owners over centuries.

Jewellery has changed a lot over the past 50 years, with first being a status symbol to now being purchased for security as well as sentimental reasons. Jos Alukkas takes pride in being a part of this journey as well as your lives and we will continue to create beautiful jewellery memories in future as well.