Ancient India and Gemology
Gems have always been one of the most radiant parts of Ancient Hinduism and hold an unshakable position in Hindu values and beliefs. The now-famous term "gemology" used to be known by the name Ratna Shastra and Ratnas. The genesis of 9 Gemstones was discovered concerning their links with the 9 planets (navgrahas) around the 6th century CE. Those gemstones are ruby, pearl, coral, emerald, sapphire, diamond, topaz, zircon, and cat's eye. They are associated with the sun, moon, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, Rahu, and Ketu respectively. The position of these gemstones in gold highly determines the level of benefits that a wearer would be blessed with. Find below the ways that were practiced in Ancient Hinduism to ensure harmony between gems and their respective planets.
According to Agastya Samhita, gemstones were
associated with weekdays and the order of their worshiping days was decided
accordingly.
Arthashastra of Kautilya of the 4th century BC
describes the important jewels and gems in a precise manner. As per the
Sanskrit work, Kadambari of Banabhatta, gemstones were one of the subjects
taught to the princes; it shows that the existence of gemstones has always been
treated as royal and respectable. Varahamihira of the 5th century CE, throws
light on the 9 most important gemstones or navratnas. They are diamond, pearl,
ruby, emerald, sapphire, coral, cats eye, topaz and zircon. Gemology grew
independently with time and is still one of the most mysterious and interesting
disciplines around the globe.
Varahamihira put the diamond on the highest pedestal and since then it has been on the throne and bagged the title of King of gemstones. Apart from the planets Varahamihira also associated gems with deities, especially the pancharatnas many diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds and sapphires.
One of the most famous puranic texts, Garuda
Mahapurana, dedicated twelve chapters to the origin, distribution, typology and
negative and positive impacts of gemstones. It also highlighted the points to
consider when distinguishing between artificial and authentic gems. One of the
myths that clouded the minds of people during the ancient time was that
gemstones originated from the organs of a demon known as Vala, but none can
neglect the fact that Kautilya and Varahamihira are the core points when it
comes to the origin story of gemstones.
Garud Purana still holds a significant place as
it described the importance of rubies' weight, ways to enhance pearl's lustre,
the non-scratching property of diamonds, the relation between sapphires and
rubies, and many more things that are widely acceptable in the current
era.
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The Roman figures like Pliny and Ptolemy also
talked about diamonds and emeralds that were found in India. The exquisite cuts
of diamonds by Indian artisans are widely appreciated in the whole world
according to Agastya Samhita. Even though the production of diamonds in India
is less than some foreign countries, the raw artistic cuts by our artisans hold
the highest position.
Gemology in India is highly respected worldwide, and Khanna Gems has played a significant role in earning and maintaining that respect. We are dedicated to studying gemstones and offering genuine ones to everyone. We have made progress and will continue to do so to ensure that Indian gemology doesn't lose its shine.