A Brooch is a unisex ornament. Anyone irrespective of gender or age can adorn this beautiful piece of jewellery. The best part is that it is not only used for ornamental purposes but also has a function to perform. We can call it a fancy safety pin that keeps your clothes in place. It fastens your garments together and saves you from a possible embarrassing moment. Haven’t we all seen a decorative brooch with our mothers that she uses to keep her saree pleats intact for festive events? Yes, this humble product can save you and also add a touch of glamour. But are you aware of the brooch story? Well, let’s talk about the evolution of the modern-day brooch. The art of making a brooch belongs to the tribal community called Germanic. They were nomadic tribes and passed on their skills as they moved from one place to another for survival. The Brooch is from the Bronze Age. Metal bars and wires were shaped into a brooch back in the day. Red enamel and coral inlays fulfilled the decoration part. Simple and humble, but high on performing its duty, the brooch evolved with more gemstones, enamelling, and filigree in […] read more

Aranjanam is essentially a waist chain; a cord-like ornament made of silver or gold or a thick black thread meant for infants and children. Some grown-up boys and girls and sometimes even adults continue wearing them. Aranjanam is a word in the Malayalam dialect whereas in Tamil it is called “Arajan Kayir”. The foremost reason for making a baby wear an aranjanam is to measure healthy growth indicated by the increase in the waistline. Adults, especially women, use it for tightening clothes, like securing the folds when wearing a saree. Namkaran or Naming Ceremony In South India, Aranjanams are given to babies as a part of a ceremony called Namakaran or the Naming Ceremony on the 28th day of baby’s birth. The day is called “Irupathettu”, i.e. the day when the star or the “nakshathram” of the child repeats as per the Malayalam Calendar. On that day, he or she is adorned with a black thread or a gold chain intertwined around the waist. The baby is made to wear his/her first ornament along with kanmashi or kohl and is offered sweet porridge (ghee mixed with honey) as the first meal. The baby is also given a black spot on the cheeks and titled on the forehead […] read more