South Sea pearls on Indian jewelry?

[Amrita]

Hi Folks!! Came across this picture on an Indian bridal jewelry website - there was no description of the golden pearls with the picture. Don't you think they look like drilled through golden South Sea Pearls? Size seems to be about 12-13 mm.
Thought this would be something different and exotic for your eyes..

 

[LitGeek]

Oh wow, that is really pretty!

 

[lisa c]

That's wonderful! Thank you Amrita!
I have some questions - how often does bridal jewelry like this come out after the wedding? Where is it worn? For what type of occasions?

 

[lisa c]

I mean to say, one wearing wouldn't be enough, that'd be a let down. Would wearing it at other weddings be all right, or would that put you in competition with the current bride?

I'm limited in my ability to do research right now, but I'm supposing there's a whole body of etiquette / knowledge around important pieces of jewelry like this.

 

[pattye]

Amrita,

Was there a price indicating if the piece was precious metal, GSS and genuine gemstones? What a dramatic piece!

 

[lisa c]

Good points, Pattye; I was assuming precious metal and genuine pearls.
Not only that, I remembered that big important pieces can often be separated into simpler pieces.

 

[KarinK]

I know a little about Indian wedding jewelry though I hope an expert will tune in

Wedding jewelry should be in 22k gold and often a lifetime worth of savings are spent on gold for the bride. It's her insurance against hard times ahead as it is not seen as uncommon to sell it again. With the high gold prices, though, some families have begun to buy 18k gold. Being a parent to a girl is a huge expense in India. If her skin is dark, they must offer a higher bride price for her to get a good marriage. And when she is married she leaves her parents to go to the house of her husband where he lives with his parents, and is her job to serve on them. So if you only have girls, you have many expenses and no one to take care of you in old age, provided you can even afford to have all your girls married.

I am sure change is coming slowly and mor young people prefer the Western way but there is a lot of ground to cover in India.

- Karin

 

[KarinK]

I know a little about Indian wedding jewelry though I hope an expert will tune in

Wedding jewelry should be in 22k gold and often a lifetime worth of savings are spent on gold for the bride. It's her insurance against hard times ahead as it is not seen as uncommon to sell it again. With the high gold prices, though, some families have begun to buy 18k gold. Being a parent to a girl is a huge expense in India. If her skin is dark, they must offer a higher bride price for her to get a good marriage. And when she is married she leaves her parents to go to the house of her husband where he lives with his parents, and is her job to serve on them. So if you only have girls, you have many expenses and no one to take care of you in old age, provided you can even afford to have all your girls married.

I am sure change is coming slowly and more young people prefer the Western way but there is a lot of ground to cover in India.

- Karin

 

[lisa c]

Thanks Karin!
My student-dentist went to an Indian wedding in Canada that lasted a week, with 500 guests. He had a blast. I can't even imagine the expense.
I can't help but think that only a small slice of the populace actually lives like this, though, even if the middle class is growing in India.

 

[KarinK]

Lisa, I am sure the huge expense is available only to the very rich.

I met a family during my first stay in Chennai, mother with a grown daughter and son, where the children would not marry. The daughter told me her mother had said she could even marry for love if she wanted to, as the family did not have a lot of money and her skin was very dark so a bride price would be high. But the three of them were very comfortable just living together.

During my second visit I talked to a guy who worked all day in an emporium selling jewlery to tourists. All his money went towards the dowery of his younger sisters. Only when they are married off, can he begin to consider his own.

- Karin

 

[lisa c]

You know, when you strip it down to the bare bones, across countries and cultures, we're the same in that we believe/buy into something or we don't.

When my daughter was getting married, she told me the average cost of an average wedding in Pittsburgh (hall, catering, musicians, photographer, florist, invitations, gown) was $30+thousand. (They married in Columbia, Maryland, however.)

As not particularly affluent people, would we normally spend that on a party? Nope. As a significant moment in our daughter's life, with a huge body of folklore/myth attached? and perhaps a professional image to maintain? Plus available credit? Yep. (I have no idea what X spent. It was a great party and I think she's got happy memories about it. I'd better check ;-) )

And, at the end of the day, we have no gold to sell!!! but we participated in the stimulation of the economy, so it's all good, right?

The Circle of Life - it feels good to be part of it!

 

[lisa c]

And that's how we learn to cope with debt, and even come to feel cheerful about it. (I did not say this cheerfully. I am more bemused than anything.)

 

[KarinK]

I'll grab the gold any day!

- Karin

 

[lisa c]

Where? Is someone giving gold away? I'll take gold, too! Where???

We'll talk again when Ida wants to marry, and Peter has more years to be an even more doting father (gurgle). Although, maybe Danes are more sensible about these things?

 

[KarinK]

In Denmark we pay for the wedding ourselves No 'father of the bride' stuff here.

Couples are settled and well on their way by the time they may want to marry - have usually lived together for some time as well (Danes are practical people, better check compatability first). So there is really no reason why the parents should pay. It costs plenty to raise kids in the first place.

- Karin

 

[lisa c]

It costs plenty to raise kids in the first place.

- Karin[/QUOTE]

True, and best returns on money I've ever spent...
(Hope I didn't transgress by labeling Peter a doting father. XO. Thanks for sharing your experiences and stories, always!)