Shani or Saturn is the son of Ravi, the sun, and Chhaya, its shadow. He is grey-blue in colour and is the elder brother of Yama, the god of death. He is considered inauspicious. Rahu, the ascendant node, is red like a Palash flower. He is cruel and merciless. Ketu, the descendent node, is equally inauspicious.

Jewelry made of gold or silver, using all the nine gemstones assigned to the planets or grahas, is very popular among Indians. Each stone is said to protect the wearer from evil and to bring good fortune depending on his birth chart.

Each of the planets and nodes has its specific personality, colour, flower, foodgrain and gemstone. In a Navagraha puja, bowls of all these cereals and pulses are arranged decoratively. After the ritual, they are given away to the officiating priest or fed to the cattle.

The stones are used in jewelry singly or collectively. Each of the jewels is supposed to protect the wearer from specific evils. Indians have great faith in the effect of gemstones on their lives and fortunes. They constantly consult astrologers about rings, lockets and other jewelry. Diamonds are bought only on auspicious muhurts and checked out for their good effect before confirming the deal. Jewelers, who well understand these sentiments, 'loan' the stones for 'trials' to known clients. The blue sapphire or neel, is considered unlucky for all except those whose horoscopes have a benign Saturn, to whom this potent stone belongs.

The Navaratnas or nine gems have created another image in Indian culture. Accordingly any person who is extraordinarily talented in the creative arts is called a ratna or jewel.

King Vikramaditya, the founder of the Samvat era beginning in 56 BC, is reputed to have collected Navaratnas or nine jewels of knowledge or arts at his court. These extraordinary men were Dhanvantari, a celebrated physician; Kshapanaka, a great author; Amar Singh, author of a Sanskrit thesaurus called Amar Kosh; Shanku, a philosopher; Vetal Bhatt, a statesman; Ghatakarpara, a poet of the environment; Varaha Mihir, an astronomer and author of Brihat Samhita; Vararuchi, a grammarian, and Kalidasa, one of the greatest poets the world has ever produced. He is the writer of Meghdoot, Shankuntalam, Vikramorvashiyam and other immortal epic poems which are studied by scholars in every country where research in Sanskrit is conducted.