"Do you buy diamonds ?" she asked. We were in the gym locker room briefly, after training. Startled by this unexpected question but curious enough to play along, I made some non-commital reply. We agreed to meet at her house, the next day.
Only in India could one be asked such a bizarre question in passing ! But then Indians love jewelry and it's an important part of their culture, especially for the bride at her wedding. Both men and women wear an appropriate stone on the first finger to ensure good health, wealth, peace and happiness, if a planetary influence is weak, according to their astrological chart, this will be compensated by a particular stone. This is very often a yellow sapphire, set in 24 carat gold ! Jewelry, in particular gold and diamonds, is a legitimate investment and the high proportion of jewelry shops in and around town, is impressive - the latest being Joyalukkas, which opened with much fan fare during Diwali, even featuring a Bollywood star in attendance, to draw the crowds.
She carefully opened a small packet holding 1.27 carats of baguette diamonds. They sparkled in the light. "They are exceptionally good quality and have very few impurities" she told me..."I buy only the best stones from Seurat - they come from South Africa, but are cut and polished in India". With this she produced a magnifying glass and demonstrated the technique of checking quality. Then came a packet of ordinary diamonds...."I can also get hold of rubies and emeralds, if you'll give me a day or two".
One of the joys of India is the accessibility of the exotic, in the midst of the mundane !
Only in India could one be asked such a bizarre question in passing ! But then Indians love jewelry and it's an important part of their culture, especially for the bride at her wedding. Both men and women wear an appropriate stone on the first finger to ensure good health, wealth, peace and happiness, if a planetary influence is weak, according to their astrological chart, this will be compensated by a particular stone. This is very often a yellow sapphire, set in 24 carat gold ! Jewelry, in particular gold and diamonds, is a legitimate investment and the high proportion of jewelry shops in and around town, is impressive - the latest being Joyalukkas, which opened with much fan fare during Diwali, even featuring a Bollywood star in attendance, to draw the crowds.
She carefully opened a small packet holding 1.27 carats of baguette diamonds. They sparkled in the light. "They are exceptionally good quality and have very few impurities" she told me..."I buy only the best stones from Seurat - they come from South Africa, but are cut and polished in India". With this she produced a magnifying glass and demonstrated the technique of checking quality. Then came a packet of ordinary diamonds...."I can also get hold of rubies and emeralds, if you'll give me a day or two".
One of the joys of India is the accessibility of the exotic, in the midst of the mundane !
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