:: All prices listed are wholesale to shops :: Retail prices to individuals are twice those listed ::
Gold, silver, glass, base metal, pearls, coins, shell, bamboo, yarn and thread...
you will find all of these materials in the selections of jewelry we show here.
Jewelry shown has traditionally been worn in upper ear piercings, earlobes, and nostrils.
Pieces have been selected to be both affordable and functional,
but may also appeal to those with an ethnic and tribal jewelry collection as well.
Gold or silver content has not been tested, and there are no stamps to indicate their purity.
However, Indian gold overall is generally of a very high karat (over 20k),
as many Indian women wear their wealth in this form.
Indian silver is generally of the coin or tribal silver variety, containing more nickel than sterling silver.
These are generalizations; purity will vary widely from piece to piece.
Old ethnic jewelry has not been cleaned nor polished to preserve patinas
and the overall appearance of the pieces at the time of collection.
All jewelry is shipped non-sterile and ethnic jewelry should be assumed to have been previously used.
INDIA
Indian Gold Earrings, Earcuffs, and Ear Plugs
For an excellent reference source of Indian gold jewelry,
please see p. 218-226 of
Traditional Jewelry of India.
To see examples of many types of Indian gold earrings, earcuffs, and earplugs once depicted in this section but have now SOLD,
please visit our sold ethnic jewelry page.
We can get similar pairs if you are interested!
South Indian barbells!
There is a great diagram depicting dozens of styles of multiple ear cartilage piercings, with names of the accompanying jewelry, on p. 218 of
Traditional Jewelry of India. I highly recommend it!
Gold koppu pieces similar to those below can also be seen on p. 149 of
Ethnic Jewellery.
They are all internally threaded (left/"backwards" threading) with ornate ends.
South Indian high karat gold upper ear internally threaded barbells.
Around 13ga. $250/pair.
Silver South Indian upper ear barbells, with dangling balls.
12ga to 11ga or so. $18/each.
Indian gold nostril jewelry
Indian gold and ruby
internally threaded nostril piece.
≤13ga. $75.
Indian nostril screws and pressure fit pin style nostril jewelry. $10/each.
Click on this image to view one that is blown up by 4X in order to show detail.
The top row shows very thin (21ga) nostril screws with faceted prong set
colored glass inlays in clear, dark pink (almost red), green, and blue (blue SOLD).
The bottom row shows around 16ga silver nostril pins with faceted clear glass, and
around 16ga gold tone pins with ruby colored glass inlays (with a tiny white dot in the centers).
These bottom right style pins have SOLD, all others are still available.
Indian silver earrings and hoops
Indian earrings with kundan style red, clear white, and blue glass inlays,
with basically regular ear wire thicknesses. Front and back shown. ≤18ga. $60/pair.
Rajastan (India) colorful old earrings with blue, green, and red glass beads.
Between 13ga and 12ga wire thicknesses. $125/pair.
Indian hoop earrings with three flat diamond shapes and square-ish cut dangles.
<16 gauge. $40/pair.
Himachal Pradesh (India) hoops with star shapes and wrapped wire. 13ga/12ga. $50/pair.
Two images shown: the first is a side view, and the one with my fingers is the 'bottom' view.
Simple indian hoop earrings:
$18/pair (top)-16ga tiny coiled hoop earrings;
$20/pair (bottom)-17ga medium coiled hoop earrings.
Five pairs of old silver Indian coiled hoops.
All are around 18 gauge. $25 to $40/pair.
Indian silver earrings and plugs
Two pair of earrings from India: one pair have been set with 'normal' earring hook wires,
but feature around an 8ga post and an internally threaded backing disc ($30/pair);
the other pair has enameled designs, around 5ga posts, and 1ga or so back flares ($40/pair).
Indian silver ear plugs
Plugs like these are traditionally worn in both stretched earlobe piercings
and upper ear cartilage piercings. They are called karanphul, which means 'ear-flower.'
Please refer to them by the letters shown;
all are $40/pair; these plugs are not threaded.
#A (between 0ga and 00ga; on page 5), and
#E (between 00ga and 7/16"; on page 7).
Shown above is a pair we refer to as 'similar to #A,' randomly scanned in black and white.
The wearing surface of this pair is between 7/16" and 1/2"; they appear on catalog page 7.
A pair of 0ga Rajastani plugs-$40/pair.
These are shown on page 7 of our catalog.
Rajastani internally threaded plugs.
The wearing surface is >1ga but <0ga. $40/pair.
These are found on page seven of our printed catalog.
Gujarati screw plugs
These internally threaded screw plugs feature huge flares in comparison to the wearing surfaces.
This row shows a pair of smaller 8ga plugs with a red colored "stone" (usually glass) at $100/pair and are shown on page 5 of the catalog. The threaded backing disc is also shown on the very far left.
The right-hand pair with a gold tone and huge front flares have a wearing surface of less than 2ga.
They are from Angar village, and are $130/pair. These are on catalog page 5.
A similar pair can be seen on p. 159 of
Ethnic Jewellery, where they are called bhungri.
They are traditionally worn by men in their upper ear piercings!
Gold-toned (vermeil?) Gujarati (India) internally threaded
>3ga but <2ga plugs with red and green enamel. $95/pair.
We've seen pictures of these being worn by men and boys in their upper ear cartilage!
Another pair of internally threaded Gujurati plugs with a wearing surface that is <1ga.
They are similar to old #L, on page 5 of the catalog, and are $50/pair.
Gujarat plugs (non-threaded)
The top pair with large flares and short shafts are only $12/pair (4ga); on catalog page 7.
The bottom single >5/8" hollow piece (Surastra, Gujarat) is merely $10 (retail or wholesale); page 7.
Flower-fronted Indian silver plugs
More karanphul silver plugs; also $40/pair.
Likely from Gujarat, India.
Please refer to them as #J (±9/16").
These can be found on page 7 of the catalog.
Gujarati jumpka
These pairs with hanging pieces are called jumpka (or jhumka, meaning bell), from Gujarat:
one with blue in the middle (around 00ga; also appearing on page 7 of the catalog),
and one that looks like flowers (around 7/16"); they are both $100/pair.
Rajastani disc shaped plugs
Older Indian disc shaped plugs from Rajastan, India, with huge front discs.
This pair is available for $40/pair. ±1ga. Shown on our catalog page 7.
Rajastani cartilage pieces
These are traditionally worn in upper ear cartilage piercings,
and come from Rajastan, India. On catalog page 7.
Two views are shown of this pair with convex fronts
surrounded by wire petal-like decoration. 16 gauge. Only $12/pair.
Gujarati (India) set of three upper ear pieces per side, coming together at the top with long attached chains
and hooks that would go into the hair or a headdress. 15ga to 14ga. $70/set.
Flared Himachal Pradesh earplugs
This around 3ga pair are from Himachal Pradesh and have enamel inlay; shown on catalog page 7.
They seem to be covered with some sort of dark resin, and are $30/pair.
Naga tribe glass earweights
Naga weights like these are hard to find! Glass ones are more affordable, though they also traditionally make them in quartz crystal. These Ao Naga tribe glass tongpang earweights from Northeast India/Western Burma are not perfect, but they are very well priced based on condition and how matched the pair is. There is some unrepaired damage. Some of the chipping appears newer, and some looks older, with smoothed out edges.
Three pairs of Newari (Nepalese) women's conch (inner ear) jewelry.
The pins are either pressure fit or internally threaded. These are called dhungri.
$40/pair. 9ga to 8ga. The top pair has SOLD.
Tibetan women's earrings
Tibetan women's aylong earrings set with turquoise and coral. $60/pair.
These two images show the same pairs; front views shown first, followed by side views.
These are all a bit smaller than ones I have seen in the past.
The top right pair has SOLD. The left-hand pair is still available. 13ga/12ga.
The right-hand pair with coral inlays is still available. 8 gauge.
The pair with big turquoise inlays on the left has SOLD.
Other styles we've had in the past include those with smooth wires, or
with strings that go up and over the whole ear to help the heavy cabochon fronts to stay upright.
For reference, see p.154 in
A World of Earrings.
We have lots of Nepalese and Tibetan mantra bracelets, too!
Click the thumbnails below
to view our selection of ethnic jewelry from various parts of the world.
