Show off as bling, get coloured highlights: Indians are obsessed with gold

It’s a perpetual gold rush in here. Festivals or feats, weddings or baby showers, dhanteras or akshaya trithi, we like to say it with gold. We advertise the gold on our person and we whisper about the bars and biscuits making a neat fiscal snack in the lockers. We make heads turn with gold highlights in our hair and the little touch of gold on our cheeks ensures we go rocking into the night. There’s a shimmer of gold in our hems, and a splash of gold in our homes. Look around, and you’ll find evidence of our gold — both solid and shade — fixation everywhere. Except, perhaps, on the sports track.

Wear it, flaunt it, hoard it or eye it, this 24-carat of blinding, blingy brilliance is a 24-hour obsession with us. The West can rave about the rarity and sophistication of platinum and delight in the dazzle of diamonds, but we, oh boy, are sold on gold!
The gold standard

“Gold has an old history,” says jewellery designer Poonam Soni. “The love of gold is intrinsically rooted in our psyche. In the earlier days, women were brought up with the ideal of male chauvinism. Families gave their daughters gold ornaments as security to cash in during hard times. Also, one’s social standing and prestige in the community depended on how much gold they had,” explains Poonam. Aparna Kulkarni, a media professional in her early 20s says, “While some from our generation see gold as flashy, our mothers are busy stocking up on gold for our marriages! ” With gold leading the metal pack, it’s no surprise, then, that many of us look at international jewellery with disdain and even contempt. “Whereas we value gold, internationally, fine jewellery is about diamond and silver, and gold is mostly pink,” says Poonam , who’s presently busy putting together wedding jewellery collection for a couple of “ultra-savvy and rich clients” . “ The wedding collection that I’m working on now has everything, from matapatti to maang tikka, the works! No price rise can ever dampen the demand for gold in our country. ”

A fashion statement

“Indians have a genetic predilection for gold. It’s something that’s embedded so deep into our DNA code that it’s difficult to wean us from our gold fetish,” says designer Rohit Bal.

He continues, “From the olden times, gold was accorded prestige. Kings were weighed against gold, awards were given in gold ashrafis . We’ve continued this love affair with gold. I use a lot of bright yellow gold and always in an antique setting. But I love the old gold. The new gold is much too loud and I dislike chunky and heavy gold.”

Gold deposits!

We bank on gold and how! According to the World Gold Council, India accounted for 32 per cent of the global total gold purchase of gold in 2010. Says Deepak Singh, head, insurance and gold, Dhanlaxmi Bank, “Clearly, this kind of consumption pattern shows that gold is a hedge against inflation. Investors are very bullish on gold. Indians are culturally attuned to the saving habit and they trust investments like gold and fixed deposits to be safer than, say, real estate or equity. ” Deepak, who believes that there is nothing irrational or excessive about our obsession for gold, says, “Our appetite for the yellow metal is voracious, and we like it in its physical form the best. Gold ETF (exchange traded fund) and e-gold are also attractive gold investment options, but where gold is concerned, we like to remain emotionally invested in it; to touch, to feel and to trade it.”

Brush with gold

If we’re covered in gold, do we like to colour it in gold, too? Says Chennai-based gallery and auction house owner Sharan Apparao ,“Gold as a colour has traditionally been used by artists in Tanjore and miniature paintings. Artist Anjolie Ela Menon uses the Tanjore technique and many of her works have been inspired by Byzantine gold icons. Other artists like N Ramachandran , Gogi Saroj Pal and Hemi Bawa have also used gold in their canvases. Artist Praful Singh has used brass that has been shined to gold. But if you are talking about physical use of gold as in one gram of gold in their paintings , no one has done that.”

Artist Niladri Paul, says, “Gold is associated with something expensive and exclusive. It lends a graphical richness that shines through the otherwise flat colours of a painting.”

A touch of gold

From gold sprays on walls to gold leaf sinks, interiors too these days are acquiring a rich golden sheen. The lounge wall in actor Ronit Roy’s home has a rich hue of gold and singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s throne is precious in more ways than one!

“The glitz and glam of gold can create the quintessential warmth and glow in your interior décor ,” says Nitin Nagpal, director Voila Home. “Gold can create an understated luxury in your house design. For a timeless and rich appeal, you can create wall effects with gold sprays or even accentuate your collection with golden elements like statues and furniture with gold polish, ” he elaborates.

Golden beauty

Gold in your sash, gold on your lash, and gold even in the smile that you flash! That’s how versatile gold is. From gold flakes in anti-ageing lotions to gold dust in cosmetics, there’s nothing like a touch of gold to enhance your face value . Says Shahnaz Husain, one of India’s most well-known names in the beauty business, “It’s one of the softest metals and is easily assimilated by the body. Research has revealed that gold not only has anti-bacterial properties, but also helps to transport oxygen molecules directly into the skin, influencing cellular functions and providing a new energy level. This helps purify, revitalise and rejuvenate the skin. ”

Shahnaz is liberal with gold in many of her beauty products and if her gold mask and gold exfoliator don’t sound rich enough, how about her Pot of Gold, a make-up foundation containing pure gold? In your face prosperity, anyone? If the face has the golden haze, how can the hair not the gold wear? Gold specks, gold highlights and the full-on blonde look, our crowning glories too are shining examples of our infatuation with gold. There’s no question about it. All that glitters is gold and as good as gold!