Photo essay: the rich story of gold
For many Muslim women, jewellery is a repository of wealth and family history
As gold prices soar to historic highs against a backdrop of global economic instability, precious metals are capturing the attention of investors and collectors, offering a sense of safety and long-term value.
In South Asian households, gold jewellery has long functioned as much more than personal adornment or a store of wealth. Every painstakingly crafted clasp and intricate engraving carries stories of migration, celebration and whole family histories.
Usually given to mark life’s milestones — particularly weddings, for which it often forms part of a dowry — gold is tucked away in safes, ready to be worn on special occasions and to offer financial security in times of need.
Capturing how it is styled and passed down through generations, this photo essay explores the dual life of gold, as a much-loved family heirloom and a strategic investment.
Ayisha Ghafoor, Leicester
When Ayisha Ghafoor, 27, got married two years ago, she was gifted a set of four gold bangles from her husband — but it was the two heirloom bangles once worn by her great-grandmother and passed through her mother that held the deepest meaning.
“My mum kept them for me,” she says. “When my great-grandmother gave her some gold jewellery, she melted a few of the others to redesign and make earrings for herself, but kept these two as they were.”
“I didn’t understand why the older generation put a lot of emphasis on gold,” she says, lifting the lid of the red velvet box. “But when I got married, I realised it’s a means of security for South Asian women.”
“I always wear gold jewellery on Eid or at weddings. It styles well with mostly Asian clothes, rather than western clothes,” she says.
“My mum always tried to accumulate gold for us, so when we did get married, it would be beneficial for us and easier than buying gold in bulk. I had things like little rings and necklaces as birthday gifts.”
“When I look at these bangles, I think of my grandma, I think of my great-grandmother,” she says. “It’s not just a bit of gold, it’s like I see a whole generation of women before me.”
Latifa, Ruqqaya and Zoya Ali, Hertfordshire
Latifa Ali, 53, clips on a heavy gold necklace with the help of her eldest daughter, Ruqqaya. It is only the second time she has worn it, since her wedding day 35 years ago. “I never had a wedding photoshoot,” she says. “This could be it.”
“These earrings are special to me,” says Latifa’s granddaughter Zoya. Aged eight, she has inherited gold that has been passed down through three generations of women in her family. “It used to be my nanu’s, she gave it to my ammu and now I get to wear these pretty earrings.”
“My wedding necklace was part of my dowry when I got married in 1989,” says Latifa. “It’s the norm when Bengalis get married. The bride is gifted gold and given a set as part of her mehr [dowry] alongside money. Even though I don’t wear these necklaces, I would never exchange or melt them down.”
Latifa hopes her daughters appreciate the age and design of the pieces and find them to be a source of happiness, as it is for her.
“I feel grateful that my mum has given these bangles and rings to me. Something so precious that has been in the family for years,” says Ruqqaya, 34. “I can enjoy that moment with the gold and then pass it down to my child, just like my mum did.”
For Latifa, handing down gold is a way to honour her heritage and continue building generational wealth. “Gold was a lot cheaper back then. I remember before I got married, my husband bought me this ring when he and his family came to see me. I found out it was £50. Now, it’s worth £300,” she says. “I tell this story to Zoya, hoping she will have a connection with it when she grows up.”
“The gold is quite sentimental and precious to me because my mum has memories and stories behind each piece of jewellery that she’s shared with me and my sisters,” says Ruqqaya.
“When I see the bangles or the rings, I automatically remember my nan who’s no longer alive. I feel closer to her, I feel like I can smell her through them.”
Noor Shahid, London
In Noor Shahid’s family, like many others, there is an unwritten tradition of passing down gold through generations. Before we met in her home in Battersea, London, the 28-year-old, originally from Lahore, Pakistan, picked up the gold from a bank locker in Leeds.
“This set was my mum’s that her dad got for her during her wedding, so she gifted it to me when I got married in 2024,” says Shahid, pointing to a photograph of her parents on their wedding day. “It has been in my family for nearly 30 years now.”
“This was my first-ever piece of gold jewellery that I got from my grandma. It is my name in Arabic. I wear it all the time,” says Shahid, holding one of her favourite necklaces.
“My husband says I should invest in gold, but his idea is investing in the markets, not actual gold I can wear, so I’ll leave that to him.”
“Gold is such a big element of getting married and wedding preparation. I didn’t buy anything new because my mum already had this set,” Shahid says, fixing the tikka on her forehead.
“Craftsmanship is so different from years ago and I don’t want to lose the element of it being authentic from 1995. It was something that my mum chose herself, but it’s a design that I like. In 20 years, when I give this to my future daughter, I’d hope this stays timeless.”
“I see women in our culture use gold to take control of their finances, whereas the men don’t focus on it as much,” says Shahid. “I think of it in the same way. If I see a jewellery piece that I want, I always say to myself that I’d rather get it in gold. It’s just been ingrained in me. At the end of the day, we’re all just girls.”
