Old is gold. This very adage signifies the preciousness of gold. A symbol of wealth and prosperity in the Hindu religion, gold is considered so pure that Hindus never wear gold on their feet. Only silver is used for this purpose. Besides, gold is very deeply entangled and interwoven with the Indian culture and therefore, no custom is complete without gold jewellery, be it marital, spiritual or any other religious ceremony.

Bride’s Fave & Security: Gold is the ultimate luxury gift and nowhere more so than in India where brides are draped in gold and are laden with jewellery. With around ten million brides getting married every year in India, many festooned with gold, it's no wonder that India is the world's largest consumer of gold.

India accounts for 20 percent of annual global demand for gold, devouring 800 tonnes of the metal annually, mostly as jewellery. Known as "stridhan," (woman's wealth) gold is seen as financial security for brides.

The carat factor: The exotic colour of 22k gold has always fascinated the Indian woman. Most Indian jewellery is hand-made and contains 22-carat gold, whereas in the West 9-to-18-carat gold is popular. It’s because 22k has inert, malleable and ductile properties of fine gold which make it a favourite of the jewellery designers and manufacturers alike. Aroma therapist Samantha Kochar says, “It has a better look to it and more return value. The purer the gold, the better it is”. She adds that the exotic colour of 22k gold enhances the Indian skin tone best.

The changing lifestyles have had their bearing on the jewellery trends as well. The love for jewellery in gold is enduring but it too is witnessing some new emerging trends which, it seems, are going to stay for a while.

The Changing Look: With hot and sweaty months prevalent, the flavour of the season certainly encourages the feminine, romantic and visually lighter jewellery. Sangeeta Dewan, the jewellery designer, who has earned global acclaim for Indian design by bagging the prestigious International Gold Virtuosi Award 2000, prefers to lend a contemporary lightness to the jewels for casual wear. She says that gold jewellery is luxurious, though the accent certainly is on lighter jewelry weight. Specially crafted chain, lace like patterns are popular and are worked around with Indian and Oriental motifs. Experimental and candid, the silhouettes are constantly changing. The texture trends are subtle, soft and elegant.

The colour: Gold is available in two distinguished colours- the traditional yellow and unconventional white.
“They are like fire and ice, the hot and cold” says Sangeeta who suggests wearing gold in the mornings with soft pastel clothes, worn in the hot Indian summer to balance the heat. The hot yellow is appropriate for the evenings with bright radiant colour of clothes as well as black and white. Telling the reason behind the growing popularity of white gold jewellery designer Ritu Gulati says that white gold enhances the brilliance of the diamonds in its backdrop. But most people prefer the warmth of yellow gold to the coolness of white colour.

The Finish:  Finish of a piece is also important when it comes to golden jewellery. 

Different finishes befitting the occasion have become a rage. And a combination of finishes has been responsible for rendering added beauty to yet another occasion. Sangeeta says, “Sometimes, certain design ideas emerge from spectacular combinations of various finishes or from a particular flash of intuition. Like for example, satin matte finish can be carried for most casual occasions and is easy to maintain. It has a soft satiny shine, which is subtle yet contemporary. 

High gloss finish most appropriate for the evenings.” Samantha also feels that matte finish looks classier.
World Gold Council impresses upon the need to make people aware of the importance of buying gold. It says that gold is an all time investment. It is true. Despite the gold prices heading north by over 60 per cent in two years, the glitter has shown no signs of fading in India, the world’s second- most populous country.  It's seen as a portable form of wealth in a country where stocks and bonds are sometimes viewed with suspicion despite an economic boom that is bringing affluence to many Indians.

"India looks poised to remain the world's foremost gold consumer for many years to come. Its dynamic population growth and strong cultural and religious affinity to gold will continue to underpin structural demand," said Natalie Dempster, investment research manager at London-based World Gold Council.  Branded gold jewellery has already made inroads and have caught the attention of younger generation in a big way.

Trends in fashion come and go, but love for gold was always there and will be there—forever.