Navaratna Jewelry: a piece that holds the whole universe

Indians have always been known for their ability to embellish their persona. Especially, when it comes to women, they have a unique bond with their jewelry. Each and every piece of it holds a story to narrate. One such type whose significance is more closely associated with South Asian culture and religion, is the Navratan Jewelry which holds a very interesting history from ancient India.

Collection of nine gems

Gold platted Navaratna Jewelry

The setting of the Navaratna

Jewelry making is an ancient art as old as human civilization, and the Asian subcontinent has always been prominent among world leaders in the development of jewelry styles and techniques. When it comes to traditional jewelry, India, in particular, has a long history. It has always been a major production house. During those days, jewelry was made from available sources and was adored by both men and women. But as time passed, people started developing this jewelry according to their own style.

Due to its mystical power believed to be possessed, Navaratan Jewelry has always been the most revered type of jewelry in the subcontinent. The term’ Nava’ means nine and ‘ratan’ is referred to gems. Thus, Navaratan jewelry is referred to as a piece of jewelry that is made of nine gems such as coral, ruby, pearl, diamond, cat’s eye, emerald, yellow sapphire, blue sapphire, and hessonite. Because of the supernatural prowess attributed to the constituent nine gems, such jewelry has been popular since ancient times.

According to the Hindus, the universe is thought to be made up of seven planets and two "nodes." which are collectively referred to as the nine planets. There is a celestial god, also known as a navagraha, for each of the nine planets. The nine celestial Gods are associated with the navaratna or nine gemstones.

The nine celestial Gods are the Sun known as Surya, Moon known as Chandra, Venus as Shukra, Saturn as Shani, Mercury as Budha, Mars as Mangala, Jupiter as Brhaspati, Ascending Node, or Dragon's Head is denoted as Rahu and Descending Node, or Dragon's Tail as Ketu.

Historically, Navaratna Jewelry was primarily worn by kings and emperors in the form of an amulet. Because each of these gemstones is linked to a celestial deity, it is believed that wearing all nine of them together will activate the cosmic powers of all heavenly bodies. During the ancient day, the royal rulers of India used to worship gemstones as Hindu gods and the Navaratna was believed to be a representation of the entire universe in Hinduism.

As the stones were thought to be the most powerful object, only the royal kings and emperors were allowed to wear these types of jewelry. Royal turbans were made using these stones and were permitted to the king and their royal family members.

Among all the nine gemstones, the diamond was regarded as the most powerful stone and that's why it was given to a ruler in order to regain his favor, as a tribute in exchange for protection, or as a symbol of surrender to an enemy king. For the purpose of ensuring their immortality, Mughal emperors had their names and titles inscribed on diamonds. The Navaratna, particularly diamonds, played a significant role in shaping India's history. They used to symbolize authority and supremacy as representatives of cosmic powers, and they were used in different wars and political purposes.

The setting of these stones is as unique as its story. Usually, the gems are set in mounted rings so that the stones come into contact with the skin. Each and every gem’s weight is determined by the individual’s astrological. The setting and alignment of these nine gems are shown in their customary fashion in the illustration. A ruby that is a symbol of the Sun is always the center of the entire set which is surrounded by diamonds, natural pearls, red coral, hessonite, blue sapphires, cat's eyes, yellow sapphires, and emeralds clockwise from the top. Traditionally, only a ruby is set in the center of a nine-gem arrangement. This is thought to be going against nature's flow. Because the Sun is the focal point of the solar system, its gem is set in the center of a Navaratna.

Because it is regarded as neutral, many people prefer to wear a Navaratna rather than a single Ratna. There is a belief that when gemstones are worn together, their malevolent energies cancel each other out. However, some people believe that navaratna is also unlucky. Because gemstones aid in the manifestation of one's thoughts into action, scriptures state that only an honest and morally sound person should wear navaratna jewelry.