Whiteflash-Diamond Playground

From DIB - Second-generation South Asian-Americans are a following a new trend in jewelry. They are now increasing their purchases of diamond jewelry instead of sticking to a centuries-old tradition of accessorizing with 24-karat gold for weddings, birthdays and cultural celebrations. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, retail jewelers, who once stocked up on gold to meet the demand of Indian and other South Asian-American customers, now say that diamond sales account for at least half their sales and inventory. Assimilated into American culture, second-generation South Asian-American brides are increasingly choosing diamond jewelry to wear at their weddings instead of the traditional gold jewelry. For instance, as the Houston Chronicle reports, while Hindu women have traditionally worn a necklace made of a gold ornament hung from a string of black beads or a golden chain, known as a mangalsutra, they are now opting for diamond wedding rings. Jewelry retailers have observed that these second-generation buyers are more willing to spend more money on a few diamonds than on a lot of gold. The article attributes the preference for diamonds to an improvement in the family’s economic conditions. However, the article reports that despite the growing appeal of diamonds, these Asian-American buyers haven’t lost their love of gold. Stores still sell the traditional mangalsutra, but with diamond pendants.