Golden Girl

and Kochi.

These five cities were chosen because of their unique style of jewellery. For example,Chennai specialises in

temple jewellery,that has

intricate etchings of gods and goddesses narrated as a story. Jewellery in Kochi is greatly inspired by performing arts practised in Kerala. “The jadau work done in

Rajasthan and Gujarat is one of the oldest jewellery traditions followed,” explains Ray.

Even though Ray had the option of picking jewellery from around the country,her personal tastes are a little different. “Like all women,I love jewellery. Over the years,I’ve built a nice little cache. But my tastes are a little more understated and subtle. Of course,I love diamonds,”

she confesses.

During the course of her explorations,the actress saw several over-the-top examples of the Indian love for gold. “I went to this shop in Delhi,where there were washbasins,faucets and even dustbins made of pure yellow gold! It was atrocious,decadent,and yet wonderful at the same time,” she recalls.

One of Ray’s motives for doing the show was to find out how much the modern Indian woman was ready to spend on such expensive baubles. She believes that women have been investing in jewellery and gems since time immemorial and only

recently have their choices become more understated. “Nowhere in the world can you walk out on the streets wearing as much jewellery as we do,especially in South India. That’s the beauty of it,

it’s a part of our culture and tradition,” she feels.

PRAJAKTA HEBBAR