Indian Gold Navaratna Ring

Gold Navaratna Ring (Anguthi)

This beautiful and highly wearable talismanic finger ring of high-grade gold sheet over a lac core is set with the stones of the navaratna in a kundan floral motif setting. Additionally, the band or hoop has been set with fourteen turquoise cabochons, all the way around. The top and bottom of the band is incised with a scrolling or flowing motif.

Among the stones, which are foil-backed, are a yellow topaz to represent Jupiter, a ruby to represent the sun, a coral to represent Mars, a pearl to represent the moon, and a sapphire to represent Saturn.

Untracht (1997, p. 309) says that in Dravidian south India, the

navaratna gemstones are used as a rosary but elsewhere in India, they are used as a talismanic device. The nine gems have multiple meanings and associations. One is that each gem represents the nine celestial Hindu deities and the nine ‘planets’ . According to Untracht, rings set with the navaratna stones are a ‘much favoured ornament’ in India.

The correct construction of a navaratna ring could take a very long time. Says Untracht (p. 309):

‘Before commissioning such a ring from a goldsmith, one first brings the selected stones to a priest, who blesses them. At an auspicious time, they are then given to a goldsmith who will set thing in high-quality gold (22 karat). According to orthodox practice, when the gold setting is ready, each of the stones corresponding to a planet is set in the correct order of priority and position, at a time auspicious for the planet. If this procedure is followed, the process might take more than a year to complete.’

The ring is stable and ready to be worn.