A staff member showcases jewellery to a customer at a rental store in J P Nagar.
Credit: Sharunya Rental Jewellery
For 26-year-old software tester Akanksha R from HRBR Layout, it did not make sense to buy gold for her wedding. The soaring prices meant her father would have had to take out a huge loan. For her October-end wedding, apart from her wedding ring and her mother’s anklets, all her jewellery was rented.
When Saarika G S accompanied her cousin, who was due to get married, to a jewellery rental store in early November, she found that “the bride’s mother and sister were looking for jewellery sets too.” The venue for the wedding was a resort in Kerala and the family “did not want to travel with real gold.”
Most jewellery rental stores Metrolife spoke to observed a dramatic surge in business. At a Malleswaram 11th Cross store, owner Seema T N says bookings doubled this season compared to last year. Most customers choose jadau-kundan or antique gold for weddings, and kundan or Victorian sets for receptions.
Bridal packages start at Rs 2,000 for two days, which includes a long hara (long necklace), earrings, and a maangtika (forehead ornament). More premium sets (Rs 6,000-7,000) include multiple necklaces, bangles, a waist belt, and hair accessories. “Hardly anyone takes just one or two pieces anymore,” Seema adds.
Around 70% of brides rent their entire ensemble, with the only real gold being their wedding rings. “Even bridesmaids, mothers, and sisters rent coordinated sets,” she notes. Most sets are booked till December 7, with enquiries coming in for functions after January 25.
A jewellery store on Muddinapalya Road near Nagarabhavi saw its busiest wedding season since it opened two-and-a-half years ago, with rentals up 60% from last year. Walk-ins surged between October and November, and bookings continue until mid-December, before Dhanur Masam, a period when functions pause.
Owner Priyanka C states that popular rentals include pieces with south Indian styles such as mango motifs, guttapusalu (clusters of small pearls or beads), and bottu mala (a necklace with coin-like pendants).
In a J P Nagar 6th Phase store, co-owner Nikhil M shares: “Of our 30 rental sets, around 50% were booked through the season.” Their rentals start at Rs 500 for single pieces like a choker or long necklace, and go up to Rs 3,500 for a full bridal set. “Temple jewellery with Lakshmi motifs, remain one of the most rented styles,” he adds.
Trends
Nikhil, who owns rental jewellery stores in Banashankari and R T Nagar, says that until last year, antique temple jewellery was the top choice. “This year, around 80 per cent booked jadau kemp designs, while some preferred Victorian styles with American diamonds,” he adds.
“Septum nose rings are trending, so some brides rent them too,” says Priyanka.