History of Sri Lanka’s traditional jewellery

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HISTORY OF SRI LANKAS 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 Historical documents indicate that a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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