Ear Ornament

These large earrings, known as karnphul – from the Hindi term, karanphu, meaning 'ear flower' – come from the tradition of originally placing a single fresh flower in the woman's earlobe; yet over time, this was eventually replaced by more durable materials, such as stone and metal, and later clusters of gemstones. These large circular earrings are decorated entirely with ruby, emerald and diamond foliate clusters surrounded by seed pearls, with large central studs at the back meant to replicate the flower's stem. Such earrings were mostly worn by Muslim women in Rajasthan, and are decorated in a traditional style that reflects the continued impact of classical Mughal jewellery in North India.