<p>My connection with gold has always been tenuous. Growing up in an area where dacoities were rife, I saw my mother wear only her mangalasutra, ear studs and bangle. Her one precious ornament was her dovaragilli (gold choker), and we siblings would occasionally look at the exquisite piece in wonder. There were dacoities in a couple of houses nearby, but my mother’s jewellery was never targeted, probably because the dacoits felt it was not worth stealing. </p>.<p>My real encounter with gold came when I got married. When I tried on a necklace set at a jewellery store, my brother called me a Chandamama princess. It made my day, as I was young <br>and foolish.</p>.<p>My parents bought the set for me fondly, and I wore it at my wedding. The joy was short-lived, as my spouse and I, travelling back to our city by train in a first-class compartment, were robbed of our jewellery by a gang of robbers in cahoots with the catering staff, who had laced the food.</p>.The tea that drank up the night.<p>Early the next morning, we found our suitcases open. The robbers took the jewellery and suits; my saris were untouched. We had been so tired after the wedding events that we did not wake up during the robbery. We were thankful that we were unharmed and did not file an FIR, though I wept for a week.</p>.<p>We decided to keep the episode a secret and told ourselves that we would eventually save enough to buy the same set again. When asked by my mother and other family members why I always wore just my mangalasutra and costume jewellery, I cited safety, sporting a minimalist look, and even once joked about a gold loan.</p>.<p>Years later, we got the wedding set made to order, but it looked nothing like the original. I then had to tell my parents the entire story. </p>.<p>By that time, with my spouse always chanting, “You’re not your jewellery,” I had started loving my minimalist look. </p>.<p>I have friends who love gold jewellery. Some years ago, when I was still working and we had been paid arrears, my friend bought jewellery with the amount, while I used it to reduce my housing loan.</p>.<p>With the current price of gold, my friend is happy about investing in gold jewellery. I am equally happy I did not, as my daughter-in-law loves the minimalist look too, and values simplicity over display. </p><p><em>Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.</em></p>
<p>My connection with gold has always been tenuous. Growing up in an area where dacoities were rife, I saw my mother wear only her mangalasutra, ear studs and bangle. Her one precious ornament was her dovaragilli (gold choker), and we siblings would occasionally look at the exquisite piece in wonder. There were dacoities in a couple of houses nearby, but my mother’s jewellery was never targeted, probably because the dacoits felt it was not worth stealing. </p>.<p>My real encounter with gold came when I got married. When I tried on a necklace set at a jewellery store, my brother called me a Chandamama princess. It made my day, as I was young <br>and foolish.</p>.<p>My parents bought the set for me fondly, and I wore it at my wedding. The joy was short-lived, as my spouse and I, travelling back to our city by train in a first-class compartment, were robbed of our jewellery by a gang of robbers in cahoots with the catering staff, who had laced the food.</p>.The tea that drank up the night.<p>Early the next morning, we found our suitcases open. The robbers took the jewellery and suits; my saris were untouched. We had been so tired after the wedding events that we did not wake up during the robbery. We were thankful that we were unharmed and did not file an FIR, though I wept for a week.</p>.<p>We decided to keep the episode a secret and told ourselves that we would eventually save enough to buy the same set again. When asked by my mother and other family members why I always wore just my mangalasutra and costume jewellery, I cited safety, sporting a minimalist look, and even once joked about a gold loan.</p>.<p>Years later, we got the wedding set made to order, but it looked nothing like the original. I then had to tell my parents the entire story. </p>.<p>By that time, with my spouse always chanting, “You’re not your jewellery,” I had started loving my minimalist look. </p>.<p>I have friends who love gold jewellery. Some years ago, when I was still working and we had been paid arrears, my friend bought jewellery with the amount, while I used it to reduce my housing loan.</p>.<p>With the current price of gold, my friend is happy about investing in gold jewellery. I am equally happy I did not, as my daughter-in-law loves the minimalist look too, and values simplicity over display. </p><p><em>Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.</em></p>
