In an article featuring actress Aishwarya Rai, Mahima Chaudhry and other models, a Chinese daily said on Tuesday that gold jewellery is highlighted in Indian women because of their black skin.
The article also stated that Indian women won't go out without wearing a gold nose ring, and that girls begging on roadsides have a "gold nail in their nose".
"In India it will be considered impolite if women go out without any jewellery. Among all kinds of jewellery, Indians prefer gold ones. Indians have black skin and wearing gold jewellery can highlight this feature," People's Daily Online reported.
According to the article, the Indian government is also planning to issue "paper gold" to persuade people to buy more gold reserved in banks.
Paper gold doesn't mean that it is physical gold, but is rather a piece of paper that acts as a substitute for physical gold. According to igolder.com, paper gold means you are a creditor of the corporation issuing the "paper gold certificate".
Though it's not in metal form many Indians are seen scrambling to get hold of it, thus reflecting Indian affection and reliance for gold, the state-run daily said.
The report also stated that in India men wearing jewellery is very common. "Many Indian men wear three rings with large pieces of jewels on them. In wedding ceremony, parents usually choose gold ornaments as daughter's dowry, which not only set off the beauty of the daughter but can also serve as a kind of property in married life."
The article came in the backdrop of reports that China is likely to overtake India as the largest importer of gold this year, Press Trust of India said.
According to World Gold Council (WGC), demand for gold in China stood at 417 tonnes, surpassing India's 383.2 tonnes in the first half of the year.
The demand for gold in China is increasing as more people are opting for the yellow metal as a savings scheme.
The Q1 results of this year showed that India is still the largest importer of gold with 209 tonnes while China's gold import stood at around 136 tonnes.
"China is a much bigger economy than us and their demand, especially for jewellery and investment, is growing. The country's own supply will not be able to meet this demand growth and the imports will rise," WGC Managing Director (India and Middle East) Ajay Mitra told reporters earlier this month.
