South Indian gold jewellery, made in a Jaipur workshop: temple jewellery with Lakshmi, the peacock and the lotus raised in gold, and the mango mala — the manga malai — its mangoes linked into a long haram.
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Why a Jaipur workshop makes South Indian jewellery
South India's gold jewellery grew up around its temples; Rajasthan's around its courts. We make two of the South's best-known pieces — temple jewellery and the mango mala — the Jaipur way: one piece at a time, the back finished as carefully as the front.
Ask about South Indian piecesSide by side
Why South Indian gold looks different
Not because of its purity — because of how the gold is worked.
South Indian
Shows the gold itself, raised in relief.
Often given a darkened, antique finish.
Red and green stones, set sparingly.
Rajasthani
Covers the gold with kundan and polki.
Fired meena enamel on the back.
Bright, polished gold.
The same 22K
91.6% gold in Chennai as in Jaipur.
More copper in the alloy gives a warmer, redder shade.
Names
South Indian jewellery names
The pieces of a South Indian bridal set, by the names you will hear in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
At the neck
- Manga malai
- A long necklace of linked mango shapes — the mango mala.
- Kasu mala
- A necklace of gold coins, often stamped with Lakshmi.
- Lakshmi haram
- A long necklace with the goddess at its centre.
- Addigai
- A broad choker, usually set with rubies and emeralds.
- Guttapusalu
- A necklace hung with clusters of tiny pearls — a Telugu bridal favourite.
- Thali
- The wedding pendant on its chain — the South Indian mangalsutra.
At the head, ears, arms and waist
- Nethi chutti
- The South Indian maang tikka, worn at the parting.
- Jhimki
- South India's jhumka: a bell hanging below the lobe.
- Mattal
- A chain from the earring into the hair that carries its weight.
- Vanki
- An armlet shaped to the upper arm, often with a peacock or Lakshmi.
- Oddiyanam
- The bride's broad gold waist belt.
- Jadanagam
- A long ornament running down the bride's plait, often in the shape of a serpent's hood at the top.
Is gold cheaper in South India?
The gold itself costs much the same everywhere: city rates all follow the same international price and the national benchmark that IBJA publishes, and differ by small amounts set by local jewellers' associations. What differs a great deal from shop to shop is the making charge — compare that, not the rate. See today's rate.
What goes into a South Indian bridal set?
Usually a nethi chutti at the parting, jhimkis with mattal chains, a short necklace and a long haram — often a manga malai or a Lakshmi haram — vankis on the arms, an oddiyanam at the waist and a jadanagam down the plait.
Can a South Indian necklace be set with kundan?
Yes. A mango mala or a haram can be set with kundan or polki in the Jaipur way, which gives a South Indian shape a Rajasthani face — useful for a family that wants one piece for both sides of a wedding.
Where does South Indian temple jewellery come from?
Its best-known centre is Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, whose temple jewellery was registered as a Geographical Indication in 2007–08. The dance costume of Bharatanatyam carried it from the temple to the stage.