India’s first private museum of Chettinad jewellery just opened in Tamil Nadu

Chettinad jewellery finds mention as a literary protagonist as early as the second century CE. In the earliest Tamil epic, Silappatikaram, which historians theorise was composed sometime between then and the fifth century, Kannagi and Kovalan’s lives are thrown into disarray because of an anklet. This fateful bauble was said to be studded with rubies and caused the downfall of Madurai’s king. While the epic, with its themes of love, rejection, good vs evil and theology, is intriguing enough for any literature or history enthusiast, jewellery designer Meenu Subbiah couldn’t help but focus on the ruby-studded anklet. “This shows that as early as the second century, the mercantile Nagarathar or Chettiar community travelled widely and brought back rare natural gemstones,” she says.

While Subbiah built her brand over the past few decades by blending Chettinad jewellery with modern influences, she couldn’t find any well-documented account that did justice to the fascinating and layered history of how the region’s distinct style came to be.

“For Chettinad, we have great documentation for mansions, cuisine and textiles, but not much for Chettinad jewellery, which is understood in multiple ways.”

When Subbiah began to bridge this gap through a well-researched book, she realised there could be another way to introduce the world to the staggering legacy of the Nagarathars and their jewellery. And, thus, Pettagam was birthed.