History of Sri Lanka’s traditional jewellery

HISTORY OF SRI LANKA’S TRADITIONAL JEWELLERY

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Birth Of Jewellery Making

Jewellery making has been a very important part of Sri Lankan culture since ancient times. The first instance of gold mining can be traced as far back as 2nd century AD when even the ancient Greeks were aware of the island and its jewellery. Historical documents indicate that a number of metals were mined for jewellery in addition to the use of bone, wood and other materials. Gold was not as popular as silver which was cheap, easy to mine and very easy to work with at that time.

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The Indian Influence

• In time, it was inevitable for Sri Lankan jewellery to be influenced by the Indian subcontinent • A number of Indian trends started emerging in Sri Lanka's jewellery making industry along with a focus on traditional Indian jewellery.

• Gold continued to be reserved for royalty while the common folk preferred silver and copper along with other materials like glass and wood.

• Along with earrings, necklaces and bangles jewellery started taking on many new forms like nose rings, waist bands etc.

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Colonial Influence And Post Colonialism The arrival of the colonial era changed many things for Sri Lanka. Western influence gained prominence over the Indian trend and jewellery started evolving from simple metal ornaments to gem-adorned works of art. The gem industry flourished, and Sri Lanka became known around the globe for a number of jewels. This was probably around the time jewellery began to develop as an industry in the country.

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Government Restrictions And Beyond

• For a long time, the jewellery industry was a small scale industry, consisting mainly of artisans who would handcraft delicate pieces of jewellery.

• This was mainly due to a number of restrictions placed by the government on the industry which made growth and progress difficult.

• In the 1990s, the restrictions were finally lifted, and the industry thrived. Large scale production became possible and gold slowly became accessible to the common public.

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The Golden Era Of Jewellery Making

Since the 1990s, gold has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of jewellery in Sri Lanka. The country is well known for a range of gorgeous gold jewellery like gold bangles, gold earrings, delicate gold necklaces etc. A number of jewellers offer some of the best gold jewellery designs these days and one can safely say that Sri Lanka has reclaimed its place in the jewellery market of the world.

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THANK YOU

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