Pipal Patti Jewelry & Its Return to Gold

The Origins of a Sacred Motif

In the jewelry traditions of Northern India — especially across Punjab — the pipal patti has long held a sacred place. Inspired by the heart-shaped leaf of the pipal tree (ficus religiosa), the motif carries deep symbolic weight: a reminder of shelter, feminine strength, and the continuity of life.

The pipal tree itself has been revered for centuries. Said to be the very tree beneath which sages meditated, marriages were sanctified, and wishes were tied in red thread, it has long stood as a symbol of divine wisdom and maternal protection. In jewelry, this sacred shape found its way into gold, stylized into leaf-like elements, clustered into earrings, edging necklaces, and cascading from regal chandbaalis.

During the 19th century, these designs flourished in the royal courts of Patiala, where pipal patti motifs were often crafted in 24k gold, embellished with kundan, polki, and pearls. They were worn by Maharanis for ceremonial events, layered in grandeur but rooted in meaning.

And in other parts of Punjab, smaller princely states with deep cultural refinement, the motif lived more intimately — not always in opulent display, but within family jewelry boxes, worn at weddings, and treasured until they were, as often happened, melted down and remade to adapt to life’s changing seasons.

A Royal Lineage: Maharani Jind Kaur and the Legacy of Leaf Motifs

Among the women who defined the visual legacy of Punjabi royal adornment, few stand taller than Maharani Jind Kaur, the last queen of the Sikh Empire and mother of Maharaja Duleep Singh.

Famed for her resilience and political acumen, Jind Kaur was also known for her exceptional collection of jewels, many of which were rich in botanical symbolism. One of the most well-documented pieces believed to be linked to her is a gilded emerald and seed pearl necklace, with pendants and gold detailing that echo the shape and sentiment of the pipal patti form.

While no surviving jewel has been definitively classified as pipal patti from her collection, many included granulated gold, leaf-like flourishes, and naturalistic forms. They stand as evidence of how deeply embedded nature — especially the sacred tree — was in the design language of the time.

After the annexation of Punjab by the British, many of these jewels were seized and dispersed, but their stories remain in museum archives, family memory, and motifs that refuse to be forgotten.

The Disappearance & Why It Mattered

As modernity arrived, many of these traditional forms faded. Lighter gold weights, globalized designs, and mass production shifted the landscape of South Asian jewelry. The pipal patti, once shaped by hand and memory, became a rarity, preserved in photographs, sketches, or whispered stories.

But for many of us, especially those with roots in Punjab, the memory of these jewels never disappeared. They live in glimpses: a grandmother adjusting her earring, a mother opening a velvet-lined box, a childhood hand reaching out to touch a golden leaf.

Under the Pipal Tree: A VFJ Revival

At Vishva Fine Jewelry, we return to the pipal patti not as a trend, but as a tribute.

Our newest collection, Under the Pipal Tree, reimagines this historic motif for the present day. It is a collection shaped by memory, drawn from the royal ateliers of Patiala, inspired by our own family’s history in Kapurthala, and rooted in the soft strength of the women who wore these leaves before us.

Each pipal patti is crafted by hand, in filigree, jadau, and meenakari, then finished with polki diamonds, emeralds, or pearls. These pieces aren’t replicas of what was, but descendants, carrying the lineage forward with reverence and intention.

And within the collection, a special capsule:

Offerings Under the Tree

A quiet edit of small talismans and sacred gestures. Pieces that speak not in grandeur, but in presence, meant to be worn daily, gifted with meaning, and kept close to the heart.

Why It Matters

By reviving pipal patti jewelry, we aren’t just bringing back a design, we’re preserving a language. One that was spoken in gold. One that still lives in the hands of our artisans, and in the memories of the women who raised us.

Because under the pipal tree, nothing is truly lost, only waiting to be remembered.

The collection is now in studio.
Come, sit with us awhile —
Under the Pipal Tree.