3.42 H&A Cushion/Square

[mandyd]

This is my one and only diamong ring in white gold that was purchased in Los Angeles along with a pair of matching earrings. The diamond bangle I picked up in Calcutta this time along with the 2 others already posted.

 

[dbgaap]

What great stories you have!!
And that GOG square H&A is just amazing!
You definitely pull it off, too- it looks great on you!

eta: how much do you wear at once?
I love seeing tons of gold heaped on!

 

[mandyd]

My mom gave me these ruby and pear earrings for my 21st birthday. Although it has been years since I have worn them, I cherish them in memory of her.

 

[dbgaap]

WOW! I would love to see a shot of those earrings on.
I love the little pearls and so many rubies of similar color.
What a unique design!

 

[mandyd]

These are my rare golden tahitian pearls I got from Los Angeles and had my jeweller copy the Mikimoto design. It weighs some 35gms and has 2.96 carats of diamonds and the whole thing cost me no more than $1700. Mikimoto sells a much smaller and lighter version for almost $10,000 ! This picture does not do it justice. My jeweller surpassed himself here. Even in India where we suffer from jewellery overload, complete strangers wanted to know where I got them!

I live in fantasyland CA so yes, I do wear a little more bling than is usual in America. Between the Patek watch and the gigantic ring and the smaller one and a couple of bangles and a nice pair of earrings I wear enough to be abducted. I does get me the best tables in posh restaurants and shops like Harry Winston do let me try on $6million jewellery without qualms, so I''ll say it comes in pretty useful at times. I have fun with my jewellery and don''t take it seriously at all. I bet if I wore all of it and walked down the high street people would think it was fake! By the way if you went to a wedding in India you would have a hard time figuring out who the bride was! Seriously, even the clothes are woven with real gold thread and are sold by weight!

 

[mandyd]

Here are pearl bangles( notice the beautiful gold endings) that my mom gave me at 23. The gold and enamel I got in 92. The ruby ones were for my 22nd birthday and the 3 gold ones I used to wear in college. If I wore all of them I could not lift my hand!

 

[lizz]

Btiger, thank you for showing your pieces. They are lovely.

 

[mandyd]

Ok there were too many earrings to be photographed individually so I am just putting half a pair on each stem! These are my reset diamond huggies and a Mikimoto pearl earring my mom designed. I have a huge amount of Mikimoto pearls. My dad was an engineer and worked for GE and in 1955 shortly after independence from the Brits, he was sent to Tokyo for a year on assignment. My parents were newly weds and my mom loved pearls and even though she had no idea who Mr. Mikimoto was, she knew quality when she saw it. So my dad bought her handfuls of these new fangled pearls she was so in love with. So most of the pearls you will see such as the bangles, earrings, and strings and strings of the stuff are all Mikimoto''s - much older than me! I took some to Mikimoto one day and they said I could not get the same quality today if I tried!

 

[mandyd]

This is one of the few "sets" I own. This one is a diamond and sapphire necklace with matching earrings that I had re set last year. I don''t have too many (!) necklaces. I am a earrings and hands girl but most Indians have to have a set of everything - matching earrings, necklace, bangles, ring - the works! Even today if I like a pair of earrings at a store I have to pay a premium for breaking the set if I don''t want to buy the necklace. It took me an hour to persuade the jeweller to sell me the one diamond bangle instead of the pair!

 

[mandyd]

I love these gold and enamel 22kt earrings. They go well with the gold and enamel bangles. I bought these 7 yrs ago for $30

 

[mandyd]

Here''s another Mikimoto pearl set with diamonds and the matching earrings to that ring from Los Angeles that I posted earlier. The necklace has the largest Mikimoto pearls and has the same diamond detail that falls on the collarbone on both sides. The pic I took came out blinding so I will take another one and post. This is one of my favourite pieces.

 

[mandyd]

I got these black Tahitian pearls from Hawaii and copied another Mikimoto $10,000 design but mine has much larger diamonds than the original and costs a fraction. The other is a pink pearl earrings set in gold that goes with my 4 string pink pearls from Hong Kong.

 

[mandyd]

This style is very traditional Indian and is called a Jhumka. These ruby & diamond ones belong to my grandmother and is the only really old piece I have. My mother never inherited any jewellery as they had a "love marriage" as opposed to an arranged marriage and so my father''s family disinherited him and he got cut off from the family booty. My grandmother took these off her ears and gave them to my mother in secret as she could not go against her husband''s decision. My dad never saw his family again until I was in my teens. My mother came from a political family bent on the independence from the British. Her uncle was the first president of India. I believe my mother was 50 years ahead of her time and I salute her for all the opportunity I received due to her decisions. When she put my brother and I into a British convent English medium school her political family refused to talk to her as they felt she was a traitor but she held her own and believed that her political beliefs had nothing to do with her children''s future. Would I have ever come to America and achieved everything I have, had I not had the same education?

 

[mandyd]

Ok getting tired now. Here is a picture of some of the lot together. Enjoy! I will try to post more later if I can summon up the energy.

 

[KittenKat]

Your story is wonderful! Thank you for sharing.

Your ring is absolutely gorgeous, as are your others pieces. I am in love with your Polki earrings. Stunning. The traditional Indian jewelry is just incredible, I''d love to find pieces like that.

You live in CA? Where do you shop out here? (Does your Indian jeweler ever come to town? Hehee)

 

[JulieN]

really beautiful collection...

 

[mandyd]

HI Kittenkat, Thanks for your lovely remarks. I live in Southern CA. The city of Artesia has a street called Pioneer Blvd which is also known as Little India and there are many Indian jewellery shops there. You can find Indian jewellery shops in most major cities in the US esp Chicago, Atlanta, NY etc. After all there are 2 mill of us here mostly working in the IT industry! And after people, jewellery is India''s largest export! Most of these stores in the US are reasonably priced and you can get a very nice "set" of rubies or emeralds for around $3000 - $4000. Indian jewellery stores are very different from western style stores. For one, they have massive inventory and many larger stores have an entire floor dedicated to diamonds! The rest of the store is usually set up in sections such as bangles, chains, earrings etc. so you can satisy each body part desire as you move along!

Polki is a centuries old way to set diamonds. As you know, diamonds were first "discovered" in India mostly in the mines of Golconda. Most of the world''s prominent diamonds the Kohinoor, Orlov, Regent, Sancy, Hope (Blue), Nassak, Darya I Noor & Agra (both Pink diamonds), Indore Pears, Shah, Dresden (Green), Arcots and of course 90% of the Royal Jewels - all located in various museums around the world are all Indian diamonds. These diamonds were all originally, table cut or Polki and bezel set and later recut by western standards. The one thing to remember is that Polki is always completely transparent. When the back is covered with gold foil it is called Kundan which is extremely beautiful but is a collosal waste of money as the insides are filled with resin so it is hard to tell the gold weight and one generally ends up overpaying. I am on a quest for a pair of Polki bangles. I did not find anything I liked on this visit. Polki is difficult to come by as it requires large chunks of unblemished diamonds and the nice pieces get sold instantly. My Polki earrings were part of a set and the necklace was massive. It took an hour and 3 of my friends to persuade the man to sell the earrings alone. I paid about $500 for them 6 years ago.

 

[Sundial]

WOW you have some seriously beautiful jewelry!!!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[KittenKat]

btiger

Thank you for telling me where Little India is. (It''s only 32 miles from the westside!) My hubby and I are going to have to go out there and walk around. All of your jewelry is breathtaking. I think a pair Polki bracelets would be divine. If you do get them, you''ll have to share some photos.

I am actually dying to visit and tour India. Hopefully, we''ll get to in the next couple years. You just gave me another reason to get there asap...

 

[mandyd]

Kittenkat, the largest store there is called Bhindi Jewellers and they have a diamond floor upstairs. They have some nice stuff but shop around the street before you buy anything. If you really like something ask them to break down the price by gold weight, stones and labour cost like we Indians do. That should surprise them and keep them on their toes! And definitely ask them for their return and upgrade policy. Diagonally opposite is the famous Ambala Sweet House which serves a south Indian delicacy called Masala Dosa - huge paper thin crepes filled with potato & onion stuffing and various chutneys on the side. This place is always packed but try it out if you get a chance as this particular dish is hard to find in regular curry joints since it requires a specialized cook. BTW the stores are open from Tues - Sundays and closed on Mondays. Have fun and write in your review!

 

[whatmeworry]

btiger,
Thanks for sharing the pictures. That''s a beautiful story about the Jhumka.

 

[dbgaap]

Date: 7/11/2006 3:01:01 PM
Author: btiger
You can find Indian jewellery shops in most major cities in the US esp Chicago, Atlanta, NY etc. After all there are 2 mill of us here mostly working in the IT industry! And after people, jewellery is India''s largest export!

Ah, this is good to know!


I work in the IT industry and that is how I have become acquainted with so many Indian people.

We have many nationalities represented on our project, and I love all of my Indian colleagues. They all seem so smart, they speak such good English and have such nice (somewhat formal) manners.

They have even offered to buy gold jewelry for me when they travel to India.
It''s hard, though to shop for someone else.


Now I know I should look my a "little India" in the DC area. There must be something like that here, eh?

 

[KristyDarling]

Btiger -- thanks for sharing your beautiful collection and stories. All of your pieces are stunning and so intricately detailed. My Dad lived and worked in India for 8 years and still goes there frequently to work on miscellaneous projects. I've never had the opportunity to go visit him there and I really regret that. I'd LOVE to own a set of plain, thin, gold bangle bracelets like those I've seen on many Indian ladies around here. Do you know of any Indian jewelry shops in the San Francisco Bay Area that would have something like that? Thanks in advance!

 

[DiaDiva]

btiger, I love the stories behind each piece of your jewellery. Your YG stuff just looks so rich and incredibly sumptuous!

 

[mandyd]

dbgaap & kristydarling, ask any Indian where the major Indian stores are located and you are bound to find a "desi" (we refer to ourselves as desi, meaning ''of the old country'' rather than Indian as it is too confusing with Native American Indians or Latin Indians due to the blooper made by good ole Columbus) jewellery store. Most of the time the stores are all grouped together in one area as we desis cannot live without our spices, our Bollywood dvd''s, jewellery and clothes. Kristydarling, there must be tons of desi stores in the Bay area as that entire area is full of tech companies. In fact if you guys see an Indian grocery store walk in there and pick up a desi newspaper such as India West etc. and there should be tons of ads for local businesses there. They are all in English so no problem there.

Indian grocery stores are a secret treasure trove. All the spices cost a fraction of what they cost in a regular store and they frequently carry hard to find British food items. Most of the veggies sold there are organic at lower than regular prices. You can buy a huge bag of Basmati rice and various beans for the same price as a miniscule bag in a regular store. Also look at the desi clothing stores. As I said, craftsmanship in India is second to none and the hand embroidered clothes are extremely beautiful and so inexpensive. Many of my American friends buy the heavily embroidered skirt & top combination to wear on cruise ships or attending formal occassions where you know you will only wear the dress once or twice and you don''t want to spend a fortune. You can also buy beautifully embroidered sarees and use them as curtains or throw on your bed posts for that exotic look.

Don''t buy any gold jewellery yet! The price of gold has sky rocketted in the last few months to $700 with the falling $. You might have to wait until the elections for the US$ to recover and bring the gold price down to a reasonable $300. Those gold bangles look thin but they are really heavy and solid in 22kt so they are not going to be cheap by any means. If you are buying for beauty make sure you buy handmade but if you are buying as an investment then go for machine made. In either case, find out how much of the gold they will deduct if you were to sell it back to them. Generally, a machine made 22kt bangle will have a lower deduction as it is less intricate and requires less foreign material in construction.

Here is a picture of my gold chain necklace. The whole thing is like a flexible herringbone. It is around 30 years old and I doubt the workmanship can be replicated today!

 

[SuzyQZ]

btiger:

Thanks for the wonderful stories behind your jewelry. I''ve enjoyed looking AND reading about each piece and the history and sentiment that each one brings to mind.

I''ve ordered a catalog from Bhindi Jewellers'' website. I''m looking forward to the "eye candy".

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[mandyd]

Here are some diamond tops, what I call my daily wear collection! The end one is blue and white sapphires and it is rather heavy so I have hardly ever worn them.

 

[KristyDarling]

BTiger -- you are a treasure trove of information. Thanks so much! I will keep my eye on gold prices before I decide whether bangles are a feasible purchase for me.

What are "diamond tops?" Are they pendants? Rings? It''s hard to tell from the pics, but whatever they are, they''re GORGEOUS!

 

[mandyd]

Sorry, we Indians call earrings "tops". There were just too many to photograph individually so I just took one of each pair and shot them.

 

[mandyd]

Here''s one I had copied from a famous movie star''s design with my Mikimotos when I was 16. Can''t remember when I last wore them

It''s kind of over the top but the work is so detailed I can''t bring myself to have it reset. Almost all my pieces are custom made and many are designed by my mom. In India you almost never buy off the rack so to speak. With 1.7 billion pairs of hands you can get almost anything custom made! I rarely shop in the US for clothes or shoes or even things like a duvet set or cushion covers, tablecloths - you name it. I have everything custom made when I go home. Not just because it is inexpensive but I guess we are just spoilt having had custom made all our lives that I need to have that uniqueness whenever I can. That shirt that fits just right or that shoe that is moulded to your feet - that feeling is hard to replace. And it is not something that only rich people can afford, everyone has at least their clothes and jewellery custom made. I remember, even our school uniforms were custom made! In fact you can get your carpets custom made and in Varanasi you can get your material woven with your custom made design, colours and fabrics!

Personally, being a travel agent I have travelled all over the world and I can say this without bias that nowhere else but in India, have I seen the range of exquisitely made hand made goods. Most countries have one or two handcrafted articles they are famous for and you end up with those as souvenirs when you leave but you can''t do that in India. I go every year and I still can''t stop buying stuff. It''s all so amazing and when you live abroad you stop taking those things for granted and just want more and more! It''s hard when you go as a tourist as your brain just goes into overdrive with culture shock because India is overwhelming! Everyone should go to India with a shopaholic like me! Couple of years ago I took my Italian and S. African girl friends with me. As is normal in India, every shop we went to we were immediately offered coffee, tea or coke that came on a nice silver tray and we took our time examining everything. Some cities where we did not have the time to shop, I had them bring the shop to us at our hotel in the evening where we chose at leisure. Mind you, many of these were just small handcrafted stuff, worth just a few dollars. But it was so much fun for my friends to shop this way and when we came home and went shopping in Macy''s they wanted to know when their tea was coming!