indian gold jewelry
Pricey gold still keeps its shine
Published:
Feb 02, 2008 found at thetimes.co.za
As the price of gold goes through the roof, Narissa Subramoney looks at the
allure of the precious metal in the Indian community
Gold jewellery has always been synonymous with success and prosperity in the
Indian community.
Tradition dictates that brides receive the most sacred pieces of jewellery,
including thalis and mungalsutras (chains worn around the neck) and kangans
(bangles), on their wedding day.“In Hindu custom, exchanging of jewellery is a
tradition, so jewellery purchases are still widely popular in the community,”
says Nitesh Premji of Premji Jewellers.
“We have found that gold prices have not affected sales.”
Bride’s
delight: One of the wedding sets made by Premji Jewellers. The soaring price
of gold has not affected their sales. Pictures: Richard Shorey
And it is not only bridal ornaments that are popular. There is also a growing
demand among Indian youth for male jewellery pieces.
“It’s all about the bling,” says Deepak Nathoo of Deepak Damjee Collection
in the Chatsworth Centre.
“Chains, hand chains and rings, which are influenced mainly by Western pop
culture, are now sought after by the younger generation Indian males.”
For females, the precious metal has not lost its charm.
“Chains are less chunky than before, and they are now two- toned — gold and
white gold — rather than the old tradition of pure yellow gold,” says Baboo
Soni of Mayuri’s Jewellers in the Chatsworth Centre.
Although Indian jewellery is evolving, the pieces still tend to be hand made.
“That is the main difference between a Western piece and an Eastern piece,”
says Soni.
Western jewellery may be produced by the casting technique, which uses wax
moulds, and the use of machinery for mass production.
“An Eastern bridal set takes me about two full days to complete, and
everything is done by hand.”
The art of making gold jewellery and the intricate designs are passed from one
generation to the next, particularly by the big-name retailers.
Traditionally, the craft — the origins of which can traced to the Indian state
of Gujarat — required no formal skills. Today, young jewellers receive formal
training, in addition to the skills that are handed down.
“I got into jewellery making for the love of it,” says Premji, who began his
career when he was 14.
“During weekends and school holidays, I used to visit the family workshop. I
started using silver wire to practice making basic chains.”
When he turned 19, he enrolled for a two-year course at the St George College of
Art in London.
While their ancestors may have thrived in the trade in India, South African
Indian jewellers recall difficult times under apartheid.
“Indians were not allowed to purchase gold directly from suppliers,” says
Nathoo.
This impacted on pricing and the quality of the metal.
Many jewellers started their business with modest tools in a garage or small
sheds using only silver, while stores such as Narandas and Damjee’s traded in
the Madressa Arcade in Durban’s Victoria Street before expanding countrywide.
“The Indian jewellery market was very isolated during apartheid,” said
Nathoo. “The survival and flourishing of the South African Indian jewellery
trade is amazing. Not only were we isolated as traders, but we have survived
globalisation.”
Among the challenges to their business is the relative accessibility to markets
in Dubai and India.
Aashir Narandas of Narandas admits that while they have lost a few customers to
those markets, they do not represent a huge segment of their client base.
“At the end of the day, it depends entirely on what the customer wants,”
said Nathoo. “We have what you could call a South African Indian jewellery
market which only South African Indian jewellers can cater for.”
read also:
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