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Bling it on, ladies

Last Updated 06 June 2014, 14:33 IST

The new-age woman doesn’t need a swoony proposal to get her hands on the much-coveted diamond ring. It is now a common trend for the ladies to splurge on the stone from their own pockets, observes Deepthi MR.

Elizabeth Taylor once said, “Big girls need big diamonds”. Very relevant today, given that most young women don’t bother waiting for a dreamy romantic proposal amidst violinists, champagne and red roses, to get their very first diamond ring. 

Times have changed, cultures have begun to take new forms, and have paved way to new twists to old customs. 

Engagement solitaire rings are slowly becoming a thing of the past. While women are not saying no to the solitaire rings gifted by their fiancés, they are not hesitant to buy rings for themselves either. And they would rather their first precious-buy be a diamond.

“It is believed that the first use of solitaire diamonds ring for engagement was in the 1400s. Archduke Maximilian of Austria in imperial court of Vienna is believed to have gifted a diamond ring to his fiancé Mary of Burgundy to signify the engagement,” informs Amarendra Vummidi, managing director of an online diamond jewellery portal.

This is believed to have triggered a fashion among the imperial class and the high society to gift engagement rings with a diamond. So a girl of marriageable age waited for her fiancé or the one she was going to marry, to propose to her with a solitaire diamond ring, kneeling down on one knee.

“Back in the days of agricultural societies, women took care of the house while the men worked in the fields and earned bread. In such societies, women could not afford to buy jewellery on their own and hence men had to buy it for them,” explains Sindhuja Singhania, a management consultant.

However, in today’s world, greater financial freedom and increase in spending power have all impacted on the current trend of women buying their own precious jewellery. Both men and women work and earn well and so, women can buy their own jewellery.

Throughout history, diamonds have been linked to engagement and timeless romance. However, today it goes beyond such frivolousness. The trend is picking up, especially among the middle and upper middle class where women are involving themselves in multiple roles in various industries across verticals. “Today’s women know what to buy, how to buy and what they want to buy.

 They are not afraid to invest in precious diamond jewellery. They are happy to splurge on diamond jewellery to celebrate special moments and special occasions, or even to treat themselves for achieving certain goals. I have done it myself,” says Laksmi Potluri, co-founder of Jabong.com.

Buying diamonds, is, today, a symbol of strength and power. Diamond jewellery has not only become more accessible to women, but also a top choice for everyday wear. The fact that it’s affordable, light weight, and offers variety, has made it a top pick for work wear, ethnic wear and casual wear alike. Minimalistic and pretty, this precious stone is now a must-have in every modern woman’s wardrobe. 

In fact, many women don’t mind buying their diamond jewellery online even. “We can buy pretty much anything online these days and diamonds are no different. As long as they are insured and come with the valid certificate, who wouldn’t buy them?” reasons Kokila R, head of sales at a private firm. 

So, a diamond is no longer simply an expression or token of love for women. It is now a symbol of their liberated status in the society.

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(Published 06 June 2014, 14:33 IST)

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