Gold Wedding Necklace, Nepal This piece is circa 1890, a 22 carat gold and coral wedding necklace from the goldsmithing area of Nepal. The pendant part of it is probably much older, as is the coral. The red silk backing is in excellent condition. Although every bride here must wear one, these necklaces are very rare as the bride and her family are usually not wealthy enough to keep them after the wedding ends. The gold is melted three days after the wedding and returned to the individual lenders in the extended family. The repousse on the square pieces in the necklace represent the flowers taken as offerings to the temple. The pendant is the sun and moon inset with tiny coral Ganeshas. The Ganesha symbolizes prosperity, and the sun and moon the bride and groom. The dangles are glass seeds and gold leaves representing fertility. This is a beautiful, rare, old example of Nepali gold work. Photos | Asia Index