LIFESTYLE - It is important to put thought and planning into your wedding jewellery, advise experts.
From various trends that are shaping the market today, to juggling budgets and considering pieces as wearable investments, local jewellers shared insights with the POST.
Dalip Rajcomar is a second-generation jeweller and the owner of Golden Jewellers.
He said over recent years, a number of factors have contributed to how people bought jewellery, and specifically in the case of wedding jewellery, what they purchased.
Cost of living
“In recent years we have found that affordability became questionable, this was even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The cost of living especially the cost of food and the basics had become really high so jewellery and what we call luxury items were generally going down in sales.
“Since the pandemic, we have seen increases in unemployment and cuts in salaries, and people can barely survive, particularly the working and middle class. We have also found that those in the upper earning brackets have become selective of how they spend."
These, he said, were some of the aspects that shaped how people are buying their jewellery today.
Past vs present
Whereas in the past, traditional wedding sets were more eastern in design, with bigger pieces of jewellery, Rajcomar said the younger generations have moved toward smaller pieces.
“This of course is dependent on a number of factors, like affordability. During Covid the wedding industry took a knock, where ceremonies and expenses have largely downsized.
“With jewellery, crime has also become a factor in discouraging people from buying the more traditional, heavier pieces. In the past, especially the older folk, used to buy Kruger coins and have them set in heavy neck pieces. Today, families are afraid to invest in such because of the increase in robberies and house break-ins.
“Traditionally in the Indian community, in particular the older folk, worked hard to build up their assets, and one of those prime assets has always been gold. Post Covid-19, we can see this with the many pawn shops popping up that are buying gold from the older generations who are selling off their valuable pieces to try and help with all of the economic difficulties that have come with the pandemic," said Rajcomar.
Trends
But there is also the preference of the modern bridal couple taken into consideration, he said.
“Today, the older Kruger sets, the heavier kangangs (yellow gold bangles), jumkas (earrings) and neck pieces are almost a complete no-no for the younger brides. And this was even outside of pre and post Covid-19. They don't really want to invest in the traditional chunky wedding sets.
“The modern bride tends to buy costume jewellery or silver jewellery to wear on her wedding day, and more functional jewellery for everyday use. In many of the more traditional homes, particularly among the parents, they want their kids to have some gold as an investment. So many of the parents buy gold and diamond pieces for their sons or for their daughters-in-law, which the couples use for special occasions,” said Rajcomar.
He said, for example, today, brides are opting for a tennis bracelet, for example, over the kangans (bangles): “That heavier traditional easter jewellery of the past for weddings that we saw is largely history.”
Rajcomar said: “Today’s brides are leaning more towards finer pieces of jewellery that are functional. White gold has also become more popular. And of course, today, we have increased interest in rose gold.
"Modern couples have also realised that unless you are a trained jewellery expert, the layman can't really tell the difference between white gold and silver, for example, or if a piece is 9-carat or 18-carat white gold.
“On the other hand, your modern brides are also working women who, together with their partners, are earning well. So, where couples can afford it, they are buying the higher carat gold and diamonds. Today we even see some brides opting for a half-carat and bigger for their rings."
Some things remain
All these developments aside, Rajcomar said there were some traditions that would never change.
“One of the things that will never change among the Hindi brides is that they must have a Mangalsutra or Thaali. You can never do without that because this is a traditional religious part of the ceremony. Amongst the Tamil and Telugu-speaking community, they must have the Thaali.
“But what the more modern bride is doing, is she is changing the accessories for her Thaali.These days they are cutting down and mainly putting the gundu balls on either side of the Thaali.
"The other contributing factor to the changing trends in traditional jewellery is that we are seeing a lot more inter-cultural marriages - across Indian cultures and across racial demographics. But regardless, the thaali and the Mangalsutra will never go away. These are important aspects of religion and culture,” said Rajcomar.
Design trends
Rajcomar said for the past 10 to 15 years, modern brides’ selection of wedding jewellery had been smaller.
“In our stores, we find that a lot of the new age brides buy our designer silver neck pieces which they wear for the wedding ceremony. For the layman’s eye, you could never tell whether that is white gold and diamonds or silver with cubic zirconia. The pieces are designed as such that they could wear them for a formal function later after their marriage.
“What we have also found to be popular among the younger brides over the years is their choice of smaller, finer pieces of jewellery and tennis bracelets. Functional jewellery that they can wear on their wedding day but also for everyday use.
“Nowadays we are seeing a greater demand for tanzanite and diamond settings in white gold. We are also seeing a lot of demand for morganite and diamond settings in rose gold, but the favourite is white gold.
"One of the popular settings is what we call the Diana setting - tanzanite and diamond setting in white gold, similar to Princess Diana’s famous ring. At my stores, I would say around 75% are going for white gold, and 25% still favour yellow gold.
“For the engagement, more and more brides opting for solitaire rings. Many would like the biggest one carat and above, but then again, many cannot afford it, so they go for a quarter carat or half a carat.
"A lot of brides invest in a solitaire setting for their engagement ring with a few diamonds on either side or around it just to enhance it. They then buy a curved band to enhance the stone in their setting in their engagement ring."
Male jewellery trends
When it comes to the grooms, Rajcomar said many men were opting for tungsten and titanium rings.
“But gone are the days of that chunky signet-looking kind of male ring that we used to see grooms wear in the past."
Investment
For those who can not afford diamonds, Rajcomar said cubic zirconia set in white gold was a popular choice.
But he advised couples to plan and see the jewellery they buy as an investment.
“If you can afford it, then invest in a single stone diamond. You can enhance it with a little stone on either side. But investing in single stones is best because one day, if you want to trade it in or sell it, you'll get back good value for it.
“Lots of people are seeing the value of their past purchases today. For example, if they started with a 20-point diamond (0.20 carats), they can later upgrade to a 1 carat.”
Rajcomar advised couples to rather spend more money on their wedding jewellery than all the frills of a wedding day.
“Because five years down the line, you will have something to show for it. You may also have children, and you'll need money. Your jewellery is an investment. Go to a reputable jeweller who abides by the Jewellery Council of South Africa. Get advice and go with what you can afford.
"Establish your lives together now. Buy a house and reinvest your gold later to invest in what you want. Jewellery, like a house, is an asset, and one day, when you’re stuck, you can reinvest, but you have got to be wise in how you buy jewellery,“ he said.
“Even if you have R2 000, be selective and choose something that will pick up R4 000 later. Don't buy jewellery that's got all the little stones that might glitter in a certain type of light, but in a couple of years, when you try to re-sell, you can't get your money back.
"Invest in gold, by a 10-pointer (0.10 carat) diamond, for example, because a 10-pointer will keep growing in value, like a Kruger coin. Don't spend your hard-earned money on fancy-looking things that might look expensive, but it's not worth its price in gold.”
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