Here are the Sari-Clad Bride’s top shopping destinations in Kolkata;

Park Street courtesy of India Mike

Courtesy of James Nichloas Sears

• Park Street: For major wedding sari shopping for the bride, mother of the bride, sisters, and close family that you need to gift saris, you can rely on Park Street for a one-stop shopping experience.  On the Sari-Clad Bride’s recently Kolkata shopping spree, Park Street was her favorite destination. In two days on Park Street, we bought over 30+ beautiful saris from stores such as Sarovar, Savera, Rangoli,  and several other stores.  Additionally, you will find stores for designers kameezes along Park Street. Just a simple stroll down Park Street will cover all your bases for wedding sari shopping!

• Like The Sari-Clad Bride, we are certain that our readers also love several Indian designers.  When it comes to shopping for Designer Bridal Wear, it is best to visit South City Mall located in Salt Lake, along with The Forum.  You’ll find designer shoes, saris, lehengas, and all wedding essentials from the likes of Ritu Kumar, menswear designer Gatha to name a few.

South City Mall courtesy of Kolkata Mirror

The Forum courtesy of Skyscrapercity

• For Wedding trinkets and bangles and other accessories, The Sari-Clad Bride loves New Market. Here, you will find lots of varieties of wedding accessories at bargain prices!

• Jewelry shopping Kolkata should be an essential aspect of wedding shopping in India and The Sari-Clad brides recommends buying jewelry from B.C. Sen Jewellers (http://www.bcsenjewellers.com/event/index.htm)–if you prefer the sit-down, calm environment or Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons (http://www.bamalwa.com)  if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of jewelry business!  Also, The Sari-Clad bride recommends that you check out Anjali Jewelers!

Courtesy of goldzeit.eu

We all know that it is very important that a desi bride be well-versed in the matters of gold jewelry.  So here are some facts that every bride or bride-to-be should know before shopping for gold:

The “karat” of gold refers to the percentage of fine gold versus the percentage of other metals.  Since gold is too soft to be used in its purest form, it is usually mixed with other metals, also known as alloy, in order to harden and strengthen gold jewelry. The more gold is in the combination, the larger the karat. This can be easily detected by the color of the jewelry – more yellow in color as well. However, even in the same karat category, the color of the gold can vary depending on what other types of metal or alloy are in the combination. For example, mixing darker metals such as copper can give the jewelry a more reddish tone. On the other hand if a more yellow or white colored metal is used, the gold jewelry will have a brighter yellow look. When it comes to desi jewelry, this is often defined by where the gold jewelry was made. For example Rajasthani 22 karat gold tends to be a little more bright yellow in color whereas Jaipuri 22 karat gold tends to have a darker tone on the average. This should not be confused with the finish of the gold jewelry, which is basically the paint or coating on the surface of the jewelry, to enhance the look. An example of this is the antique look which is done with paint or a colored coating on top of the 22 karat gold jewelry. Below is a breakdown of what percentage of fine gold is present in the different types of karatage:

Karatage     Percentage of fine gold
8                     33.75

9                     37.8

10                   42

12                    50.25

14                    58.5

18                     75

22                     91.75

24                     100

Source of table: Rovin, Jeff, Laws of Order, p.32.

We discovered a few jewelry shopping basics;

• Bridal sets prices depend on karat, weight, color, intricacy of design, and whether all-gold, semi-precious and precious gemstones.
• Gold sets with gemstones are usually more expensive.
• This summer, the price of 22-karat gold varies between 32.5 dollars per gram to 36dollars per gram–depending how well you could bargain (in which case, taking along a particularly annoying Auntie might help!).
• Tip: Pay in cash and you won’t have to pay taxes, which can be a hefty sum, considering the thousands of dollars one set costs!

Here are some traditional, 22-karat bridal sets our friend, Syeda, tried out.

price: $6230
178 grams
$35.00/gram

price: $3,557
107.8 grams
$33/gram

price: $3,400
100 grams
$34/gram

price: $4,336
133.4 grams
$32.5/gram

Pohela Boishakh

Every year, on the first day of the year, Bengalis all over Bangladesh and India celebrate Pohela Boishakh–the Bengali New Year.  This day is filled with food, songs, new saris, etc.  However, one tradition that I learned about during my recent trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh was that of ‘Hal Khata’.  Hal Khata, which literally translates to ‘New Notebook’ in Bangla, is a custom in which jewelry buyers pay up all their debts to jewelry stores on Pohela Boishakh.  In order to show their appreciation, jewelry stores invite their customers for a feast on Pohela Boishakh, which occurs mid-April of every year.

Hal Khata is not only a fun celebration, but also a chance for jewelry stores to introduce their new line of jewelry for the upcoming year and a good time for brides to scope out the goods! My first experience of this Hal Khata tradition was on April of this year and when I stepped into New Jawra House in Dhaka–I was amazed to see the food, festivities, and the displays of new jewelry.

Pohela Boishakh

The Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh, is an ideal date for brides to buy jewelry.  Jewelry stores display never before seen items–the majority of which are booked and sold on this day.  I encountered several brides-to-be purchasing their wedding jewelry far in advance of their wedding date to get the best designs and prices. So if you’re planning a shopping trip for your trousseau in Bangladesh or Bengal in India, going during ‘Hal Khata’ would be a smart decision!