Lighting up the festivities with jewellery

Creating a festive air before the actual day, Diwali is a much awaited festival.However, what makes the festivities all the more exciting are the shopping options that crop up especially for the season.Jewellery shopping takes an upward turn as people dip into their wallets for that ‘auspicious’ buy.Making the experience of sifting through tons of designs and shophopping for that right bangle all the more pleasurable are the discounts, sales and schemes that jewellery stores custom-make for the season.Jewellery brands in the city have unveiled exclusive collections for the festival of lights.The themes are predominantly traditional, decorated with flowers and stars.Some stores have collaborated and introduced the Samriddhi and Shuddhi collection in gold and diamond respectively.It includes necklaces, mangalsutras and pendants, finger rings, earrings, pendants, bangles and mangalsutra with VS and VVS clarity diamonds starting from Rs. 10,000.Gold prices are currently valued at around Rs. 22,450 per 10 grams, while silver is selling at around Rs. 54,700 per kilograms.However, gold analysts predict that the prices are likely to hit Rs. 25,000 per 10 grams by this festival due to the rise in demand for the yellow metal as a better investment alternative.The outlets are concentrating more on the temple design in gold and royal motifs in silverware, the most popularly picked up patterns this season.Says Shruthi, one of the many Diwali shoppers at GRT Jewellers, “I’m looking for an antique neck-piece fashioned with the temple design and teemed with pearls.” As is the custom with most festivals, city dwellers deck themselves up for the season.Yet shopping now isn’t any more just for the passion of it; buyers are going the smart way.Buying jewellery is all about the investment value.Shoppers are investing on heavy ornaments like neckpieces studded with rubies and C-Zeds.Says Roli Srivastav, a home-maker, “I do not want to splurge money on jewellery this time.I have just purchased a pair of ear tops costing Rs. 10,000, as an investment option.” While shops are unwilling to negotiate their price per gram of gold, they do give out tokens of gold coins on every purchase.Diamond brands across the city are witnessing an increase in sales, courtesy discount offers and schemes.D’ Damas and Asmi have offered 20 to 30 per cent discount on the amount purchased along with an additional 10 per cent on a selective range.The collection focuses more on the mangalsutra collection, with bucket diamonds and finger rings with abstract designs.“A pendant designed like a ribbon with a diamond studded cross is fast moving jewellery piece this season,” says Parween, senior manager of D’Damas.Besides offering discounts, many other brands like Nirvana are cashing in on the assured gifts promised with purchases, like, 10 per cent off on expenditures starting at Rs. 5000 and free diamond studs and rings on purchases above Rs. 10,000.“The gifting scheme has brought in a whooping Rs. 2 lakh sales this Diwali season with only seven items being sold from the Diwali collection,” says Deepak Agarwal, an employee of Nirvana diamonds