Heirlooms

Gold is more than just a precious metal in Indian culture–it holds significant religious, cultural, and financial value. The majority of gold used for Indian jewelry is 22 carats, which gives it a distinct darker color. Typically, gold is passed from generation to generation as heirlooms. These heirlooms are extremely sentimental and play different parts in certain family celebrations. For example, for weddings and birthdays, gold is usually given as gifts and mothers typically pass heirloom gold jewelry to the bride. 

During holidays such as Diwali (the Festival of Lights), “begins with Dhanteras (the first day of the festival), and gold plays a key role in its story. According to mythology, King Hima’s son was saved from a fate of death by snakebite thanks to a large distracting pile of gold at the family’s door. This legend has inspired a tradition of buying gold on Dhanteras to ensure good luck.” (Source) The five-day celebration of the triumph of good over evil is typically held as the biggest holiday of the year. 

For Gudi Padwa (also known as Ugadi), which marks the beginning of the Chaitra month (new year) according to the Hindu calendar, “buying gold is a longstanding tradition in India. It is believed that purchasing gold on this auspicious day will bring prosperity and good luck throughout the year. During Gudi Padwa, women adorn themselves with traditional gold jewelry such as mangalsutra, thushi, and kolhapuri saaj, enhancing their beauty and grace.” (Source)

Our collection curator, Sarah shares: 

"Not only does the deep, rich yellow of Indian gold remind me of the juiciest mangoes I’ve ever had, it also reminds me of my summer visits with my grandmother. My Paatti (the Tamil word for grandmother) and I would spend hours carefully polishing her necklaces, rings, broaches and bangles together while she told me stories from her childhood, and of my mother and her siblings as children. As the eldest grandchild, my mother and grandmother delighted in playing dress up with me, draping all their jewelry on my tiny body as a child — the too-big bangles on my wrists, the necklaces hanging down to my waist, a peacock shaped brooch pinned right over my heart. They’d watching me run around the house, giggling as they all jangled. Every visit, Paatti let me try on her bangles to see if they fit and they’d always slip right off if I squeezed my fingers together. One year, she had had enough! She was determined to find me a set of bangles that fit. It was during this venture learned that my American necklaces were a different shade of gold because of the amount of pure gold in them. I remember going to five or six different jewelry stores with her, her frustration growing as I tried the sparkling bangles of all sizes that just didn’t quite fit. Finally, she asked what *would* fit my frustratingly small wrists, and to her abject horror, the jeweler sheepishly said “perhaps we can try a baby’s anklet?” But, she shouldn’t have worried so much, they fit now! :)"

Show off your nail jewels with this glistening gold and add some sparkle to your day.