Sanhitha Sanugula
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November 05, 2026
The gold you grew up with, just a little farther away
If you grew up Indian, you probably remember the jewelry shop trips. The cold air conditioning. The glass counters. Your mom holding a necklace up to the light, turning it slowly, asking the uncle behind the counter a hundred questions.
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November 04, 2026
Gold is how we say the things we don't say out loud
Indian families don't always say "I love you" in words. We say it in other ways. A plate of food you didn't ask for. A call to check if you reached home safe. And gold.
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August 01, 2026
The piece every South Indian bride remembers
There's a moment at almost every South Indian wedding. The bride is nearly ready. Her mom or her aunt comes in with the vaddanam, wraps it around her waist and clicks it shut. Everyone in the room goes quiet for a second.
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July 04, 2026
It starts with your grandmother's jewelry box
Almost every Telugu bride has a memory like this. Sitting on the floor next to her grandmother, watching her open an old steel box wrapped in a cotton cloth. Inside, there's a kasulaperu with coins worn smooth from years of wear. A vaddanam that's been to four weddings. A mangalsutram that's older than your mom.
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June 03, 2026
Two necklaces, one grandmother's trunk
Ask any South Indian family about their heirloom jewelry and two names come up again and again. The mango mala. And the kasulaperu.
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April 01, 2026
The most meaningful thing you'll wear every day
Think about your mom's mangalsutra. She probably wore it while cooking, while dropping you at school, while sleeping. It wasn't for special occasions. It was just part of her.
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March 04, 2026
A necklace that came from the sea
Picture the coast of Andhra Pradesh a few hundred years ago. Boats pulling in at sunrise. Divers bringing up oysters from the warm water. Somewhere in a workshop nearby, a goldsmith sitting cross-legged, stringing tiny pearls one by one onto fine gold wire.
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February 14, 2026
Standing at the counter, totally confused
You're on a video call with your mom and the jewelry shop. The salesperson says, "This one is Nakshi, this one is antique, this one is Kundan." Your mom nods like it's obvious. You nod too. You have no idea what the difference is.
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January 01, 2026
The group chat is already going off
You know the drill. The invite comes in, and within ten minutes the group chat is on fire. "What are you wearing to the haldi?" "Saree or lehenga for the reception?" "Do I need to buy new jewelry or can I steal my mom's?"
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December 25, 2025
Three ways to wear a diamond
Your mom wore polki at her wedding. Your cousin wore a sparkly diamond set at her reception. And your best friend just sent you a photo of a Victorian necklace with "OBSESSED " underneath.
