| The bridal jewelry happens to be one wedding item | | | | jewelry. |
| which always manages to drain out the maximum | | | | Indian bridal jewelry generally consists of a stunning |
| money than other wedding accessories. But, can we | | | | variety of gold ornaments that are meant to make a |
| imagine an Indian wedding without bridal jewelry? The | | | | bride look beautiful and gorgeous. The ornaments may |
| answer is definitely negative. According to a recent | | | | consist of bangles which would reach up to the elbow, |
| public release by the World Gold Council, the demand | | | | together with bracelets that would surround the wrists. |
| for gold jewelry is up 38% in the last 12 months, even | | | | The list would also contain ear rings dropping heavily |
| with the gold prices at $ 789.50 an ounce. India is now | | | | from the ear lobes and rows of necklaces encircling |
| the largest consumer of the precious metal in the | | | | the bride's neck. Sometimes, the bride adorns her |
| world. | | | | mother's wedding jewelry which might have been |
| These facts do reveal that Indians spend a great | | | | passed on to various generations. Keeping pace with |
| percentage of their incomes on gold jewelry. Needless | | | | today's fashion, gold belts which clasp the saree to the |
| to say, it is on wedding valuables that they face the | | | | bride's waist are being used extensively. These are |
| mammoth expenditure. Despite of their extravagant | | | | also referred to as kamarbandh. |
| tastes, India's burgeoning urban middle class is only | | | | The Indian bridal jewelry does not consist of faux |
| partly responsible for the phenomenal growth in the | | | | jewelry, and seldom consists of ornaments made of |
| country's affinity for gold jewelry. Surprisingly, | | | | platinum or sterling silver. It is quite interesting to know |
| two-thirds of the 920 tones of gold sold in the past 12 | | | | that bulky ornaments are always considered to be the |
| months have been purchased by people living outside | | | | basic norm for the wedding girl, even though they |
| the big cities, in the villages and small semi-urban areas. | | | | might be difficult to carry. A large gold pendant called |
| This shows that even people from comparatively low | | | | "pathakam" is a crucial ornament for South Indian |
| income groups are ready to spend on marriage | | | | weddings. |