I Love Diamonds and I Buy Them With My Own Money

Most women I know, get a special glint in their eyes whenever the conversation moves to diamonds. Women love diamonds, but when it comes to purchasing it, how many of us are actually able to do it on our own? While it is a special feeling to be gifted diamonds by those who love us, it is absolutely liberating to buy diamonds on your own. Earning or not, proper financial planning can ensure that you are able to buy those diamonds that you fancy on your own, and don’t have to wait for anyone to gift them to you.

Storyteller, child counsellor and educationist Ranjeeta Sachdeva bought diamond jewellery for herself in 2017. “I always wanted to buy diamonds with my own money. Due to certain customs it wasn’t allowed for my parents to be able to gift diamonds to their daughter. After getting married, I somehow ended up deciding that I won’t ask even my husband to buy diamonds for me, purchase them with my own money.”

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While Sachdeva was a working woman prior to getting married, she became a freelancer after tying the knot. With no regular income, how was she able to accumulate money enough to purchase diamonds for herself? She reveals, “I invested whatever money my parents gave me at the time of marriage, which is commonly known as stree dhan, properly. I had that in mind ever since I got married, that whatever money I got from my parents or relatives will into a separate account, while the money I got from my in laws or my husband would go into a different account. I knew that whatever I received from by parents was my own money and I wasn’t answerable to anyone for it. It is that money which I began investing slowly.”

While a lot of women receive stree dhan from their parents, not everyone of them is prompt enough to invest it. So we ask Sachdeva how and when did she get into investing? “I have been investing since 2009,” she reveals, adding, “It is not possible to get into investing money almost as soon as you have money at hand. It takes time to fully understand where and how you want to invest. When I got married, there wasn’t much awareness regarding proper financial planning. But by the grace of god I was surrounded by some good people who gave me proper guidance.”

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So what is her financial advice to other women who want to be financially independent? “First of all, it is very important to do financial planning. One should have a clear strategy in mind, even if you are starting with a small sum. Second is proper guidance. I had help from a cousin who works in this field and she knew what she was doing. Although I was a little hesitant in the beginning, but with time I gained confidence.”

Women in India are still dependant on their male family members to manage their money. But Sachdeva believes that working or not, women should be financially aware and independent. “Future is very unpredictable. While at present you may feel happy and content with the life you have, you never know what circumstances will befall you tomorrow. In case of any unfortunate development you end up bereaved of those who manage your money, what will you do then? Which is why women should always know how and where their money has been invested.”

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So is she planning on buying more diamonds in future? “Well I had a certain financial goal in my mind and buying diamonds with my own money was one of them. Since I have accomplished it, I have moved on to the next thing in my wishlist.”