A grand Indian wedding is not just about the venue, decorations, food, and guest list. It is also about displaying wealth, especially through gold and diamond jewellery. In traditional Hindu weddings, it is common for the bride to be dressed in gold ornaments. But the display of richness often does not stop there. It is not just the bride who is expected to wear expensive jewellery. The mother, sisters, sisters-in-law and other women in the family may also be expected to appear in costly gold and diamond ornaments. Buying all
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In traditional Hindu weddings, it is common for the bride to be dressed in gold ornaments. But the display of richness often does not stop there. It is not just the bride who is expected to wear expensive jewellery.
The mother, sisters, sisters-in-law and other women in the family may also be expected to appear in costly gold and diamond ornaments. Buying all of this can cost an enormous amount.
This is where a midway arrangement offered by some local gold merchants comes in.
The practice was reportedly introduced quite some time ago and allows families to display expensive jewellery without permanently purchasing all of it.
For example, suppose an affluent family needs gold and diamond ornaments worth Rs 10 crore for a wedding. The customer pays ₹10 crore to the merchant and takes all the ornaments for the occasion.
The jewellery may be kept for anywhere from 15 days to a month and is then carefully returned to the merchant. The merchant refunds the money, keeping around 3% to 5% as a rental charge.
Of course, many may wonder, why spend even that much when imitation jewellery is available at a fraction of the cost, sometimes for the price of just a few grams of gold?
The answer is that some people can tell the difference. There are women who understand jewellery well and cannot easily be fooled by imitations.
When cameras, media, and large numbers of experienced guests are watching closely, families may feel safer using genuine gold and diamond ornaments, pieces that are difficult for imitation jewellery makers to replicate convincingly.
Moreover, it is all about diamond jewellery, which is extremely expensive but not always easy to resell at the same value. Unfortunately, flaunting such pieces with an extravagant attitude has become a perceived symbol of wealth.
And that is the story. For a few gold merchants, this can be a lucrative business during the big fat wedding season. For wealthy families, it offers a way to create the appearance of immense wealth for a few weeks at a cost of 3 to 5%.
In the end, the prestige may be temporary, but the price of displaying it is very real. This is especially useful for business families who need to create a certain perception and maintain their image within their social and business circles.
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