There was confusion in the eyes of the seven year old Surangi as they dipped mango leaves into the sandal-turmeric paste to anoint her. She did not know what marriage meant, she was just told that she would move into a new home in a village far away...
The Chinese pearl seller displayed his wares artfully, separating the cultured, perfectly spherical freshwater pearls from the slightly uneven but precious natural sea pearls. Pearls were a preferred gem in the Marathi women's vanity case ever since the Peshwas managed to expand the boundaries of the Maratha Confederacy northward during the eighteenth century, which giving them access to the gem markets of the north.
Basra pearls from the Persian Gulf, popularly referred to as Hirmoji (corruption of the word Hormuz), had always been favourites among the Marathi nobility. Pieces of jewellery unique to Marathi culture such as the mango shaped nath nose ring, ear studs called kudi, necklaces such as chinchpeti and bracelets called todey, fashioned out of pearls gave an understated elegance to the wearer, who'd rather not be noticed for the amount of gold she had on herself. Even little girls from modest backgrounds wore tiny pearl studs in their ears.
"When it comes to natural pearls, the largest and the smallest ones are in great demand and hence more expensive!" The merchant tried to impress his young audience. He even offered to burn a pearl to prove its authenticity but Vidya declined, she trusted him and was already convinced that his goods were genuine. The pearls were cool to the touch, felt heavy and their drill holes were smooth without any evidence of chipped paint- a dead giveaway for imitations.
Vidya's mother-in-law had gifted her a precious heirloom, a traditional pendant called tanmani which was encrusted with diamonds and rubies. The honour was to meant to commemorate Vidya's five years as her daughter-in-law and also the birth of her first child Gajanan. Manohar had asked the pearl seller to visit their home so that Vidya could choose new pearls to string the pendant in, as the previous ones were worn out.
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"Excellent choice, Madam, Basra pearls are becoming increasingly hard to find. In a few decades there may be only cultured pearls for sale in the markets!" The Chinese merchant knew that Vidya would not compromise on quality, she had good taste honed with sound judgement. Her mother as well as her mother-in-law had taught her well.
"You did not mention that cultured pearls are being flooded into the marketplace by sellers from your part of the world!" Vidya took care to examine each gem in the strands to look for the extent of imperfections.
"Actually Madam, Japanese entrepreneurs pioneered the technique of culturing pearls, now pearl farms are to be found all over Japan. Have you heard of the name Mikimoto? His pearls are famous in Japan as well as in Europe and America!" The merchant asked.
Surangi and Chandri watched as the conversation progressed. Vidya was many years older and Surangi was in awe of the confidence with which she finished transacting the business. By the time the pearl seller left, the Marwadi jeweller's artisan was already stringing the the strands of pearls to make the necklace. His deft fingers worked briskly and within minutes the job was done. The necklace strung, the Patwa used gold wire and a set of cutters and pliers to fashion a set of simple pearl drop earrings and a bead chain meant to be worn between a woman's ears and her hair.
