Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Buy the feeling or buy the metal?

India has been a gold-buying nation.

If they don't buy gold, then they buy the color 'gold' (in the form of imitation jewelry/fashion jewelry). In buying the color, buyers want to camouflage their inability to buy the real gold. In other words, in whatever form, they want to convey that they are wealthy by whatever means.

Sure, conveying that you have wealth is a fitness indicator and helps create many desirable perceptions about you. But when you look into the mirror, what you want to look at is 'how you look' and not 'how much wealth you have'.

I must that hazard a guess that seeing/showing you have wealth might just make you feel that you look good. Possible. Commission a study, please :).

I am a simpler, straighter man. When I look into the mirror, I feel, I look either good or not-so-good. I choose stuff accordingly. It should convince me on many parameters. Its durability, its refinement, its color, its price, its design, its match with my attitude. In short, my ways of choosing are sort of 'holistic' most often. Am sure, for many many people it's the same.

So back to the point. Needless to say Gold is a good metal for jewelry. But it's might expensive. Brass, copper, etc. are used extensively in imitation jewelry because they are dirt-cheap for the purpose. But they are also 'coarse' metals. A slight closer look might reveal that they are nowhere near the refinement that one observes in Gold, no matter what the intricacy of the design.

And it is here that Silver as a metal for jewelry really helps. It's not as cheap as copper or brass but it is mighty cheaper than Gold. It lends itself to refinement as good as that found in Gold or Platinum. Any kind intricate designing work is possible at the same cost (perhaps cheaper) when compared to cost incurred in case of Gold.

People say Gold is good for investment. Sure it is. So buy Gold. In situations of monetary difficulties, you can easily sell the same. But if you buy Gold jewelry, then you're letting go of not just the metal but also the design (the workmanship and its value, which is the real part of jewelry).

Buying jewelry in Silver means you've paid very little for metal and therefore, no pressure on you to sell during adverse monetary conditions. You can look good even in adverse times :), so to say. Guess, that's what you buy jewelry for. Look elegant, graceful, charming no matter what the time.

Important to decouple investment and looks. You sell the investment (Gold) but never the looks (your face, the jewelry that adds to the beauty of your face).

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