**JSleik** - Bengali Wedding Bangle Help

kpwedkk

Hi all - I pulled this out of the jewelry post, because one of our knotties needs some help -

[QUOTE]

First: 10/1/2010

Last: 10/27/2010

We're looking for a NOA (Bengali wedding bangle), but can't find anything online.  I'm in Minnesota, but haven't found anything.  Does anyone have any ideas??? [/QUOTE]

I googled, and was only able to find that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wears one.  I hope someone has more luck!

jsleik

Thank you for pulling my request up to the top!!  :-)  My fiance's mother really wants to give me one, but she also really wants me to pick it out.  Since I am not going to India until right before our wedding in India, everyone is worried that we'd be leaving it until the last minute.

Anyone who has any ideas, I would be soooooo grateful!!

kpwedkk

I thought I was maybe a novice in searching at least on google, but I can't even find a store, so far!

Okay, well a Bengali Noa is also called a Loha, or an Iron Bangle...  I've seen some are made of iron, but are gold plated, but I can't tell if they are genuine or not.

If they look like gold bangles, maybe picking a design from one of the 22kt/24kt stores for a design, and send your mother in law the design to make a custom one?

Um, is there a way that she can send a picture, or ask the store owner to send a picture of what is available, so that you can pick one?  Then it would be a matter of sizes after that??

jsleik

Thanks for the Loha lead!!  My fiance and I have been scouring the internet for ideas!  And from what I understand the big parts of it are the iron core and then some sort of plating over that.  Since my ring is not gold, we were hoping to skip the gold plating and do something that will match my ring. 

I was thinking that having her send pictures would be good, but she doesn't seem to be that email-savvy to do that.  But I like the idea of having the shop-owner help out.  I'm sure he'd be happy to send pictures if it meant getting some business he wouldn't get otherwise. 

Thanks!!

jsleik

Hi!

I can't get a complete answer on exactly what they are.  Some of my fiance's friends said they got ones that were more like bracelets than bangles because they were soft, but I can't get a straight answer on the style or basic look.  We are getting together with a bunch of Bengalis this month, so I'm hoping with a few more wives to ask, I might get more info!! :-) 

Your is just beautiful!!!!
Julia

kpwedkk

Best of luck! Let us know what you find out

jsleik

I think we finally figured it out.  I found a style I like in a basic bangle.  Showed it to my fiance who said it was a pretty common style.  So, I just need to show my FMIL when she is here this fall and get sized, so she can order it when she gets home.  So nice to know it is going to be easy for her. (We just gave up on finding someone here to do it!)

temurlang

I'm just curious about this because DH is Bengali.  My MIL wears something like in this picture.  I have never seen anything like them in the US, but there aren't many Bengalis in this area.  DH wanted to get some when we were in India, but we didn't find any nice ones.  They are supposed to be made from some kind of seashell and are worn as a red and white pair.  Is this what you are getting?

kpwedkk

I hope it works out, and thanks for letting us know as well! 

jsleik

Temurlang - I guess they are supposed to have lead or steel or something for the core and then gold over that.  And no one in the US makes them.  Soooooo, here's hoping getting measured here works for having my future mother in law getting me one there!  :-) 

The red and white ones are for your wedding day, I think.  At least that is how it was explained to me.  But then I heard that is also how you show you're married.  It would be so much easier if my fiance had actually paid attention to these details OR if my future mother in law was around! 

temurlang

JSleik -- so I've just examined my gold bangles.  Not that I would be able to tell, but they seem too light to have a lead or steel core.  There is also nothing about them that is specifically Bengali, other than that they were probably bought in Kolkata (I think it's DH's grandmother's set).  I've never heard of what you're describing, but DH's family isn't Brahmin or particularly religious, so maybe they don't follow that tradition.

MIL wears the red and white ones most of the time.  I thought it's a sign you're married.  Men can be a little vague on these things lol!

If you feel you don't have enough MIL input, please borrow mine lol!