Exquisite jewellery studded with colourful and precious gemstones on display at a store in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, July 1: According to the Sam Veda, “Gems are precious and cannot be worn by all and sundry.”

This age-old Vedic notion about gem jewellery and exquisite stones is gradually fading away with more and more customers opting for precious and semi-precious stones over gold and silver.

With the astronomical price of gold, the market value of gold and valuable gemstones now stands almost on par. Customers too, who have been into gold jewellery for a long time, now want to try out something different.

Even a decade earlier, ruby, diamond, emerald, sapphire, coral, pearl, platinum, zircon and hessonite were regarded as stones for the elite.

The common man had to think twice before taking a glance at these stones.

The stones were worn only for astrological purposes. But with the changing lifestyle and a steady increase in the standard of living in the cities, people can now afford to splurge on these exotic stones.

With an increase in demand, few of the jewellers in the capital have started showcasing gemstone jewellery sets for their buyers.

“In the last two or three years we have noticed an increase in gemstone buyers. Nowadays people buy precious and semi-precious stones not just for astrological reasons, but also prefer to flaunt it at parties and weddings.

Stone-studded wedding rings are one of the most popular items in our shop. People from higher middle class group are also going for gem sets,” said Rita Swain, sales person of a jewellery showroom in Bhubaneswar.

The refreshing aqua blue colour of zircon, the glittering soft red of ruby, the golden hues of yellow sapphire or the simple sparkling diamonds – its beauty doubles when accessorised with silver or platinum chains or rings with elfin sized diamonds sprinkled here and there.

Typical floral designs of neckpiece and earring with myriad hues of stones studded still remains the most admired and loved designs among the jewellery enthusiasts.

Polki jewellery, that is, unfinished and uncut diamonds are also attracting customers.

“After the release of Jodhaa Akbar, the polki sets have become immensely popular. Every month we get an order for at least 4-5 polki sets,” said Rajiv Routroy, manager of a jewellery shop at Janpath Road. The price of these precious and semi-precious solitaires range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,00,000 depending upon the carat.

“Nowadays gold is more expensive than these gemstones. One-carat ruby or emerald is easily affordable and looks great with any outfit, ” said Ruchika, a college student.