The south Indian city of Hyderabad, known as the ‘city of pearls' for its charming variety of the white beads, is also famed for its bangles, the most popular being the lacquered bangles, molded out of pure lac and studded with sparkling and beautifully cut glass pieces in colors of your choice. One single lac bangle takes over three hours to be made. A must have for every Hyderabadi woman, the lac bangles have now got a makeover! Made in metal, these bangles are now just as unbreakable as your melamine crockery! Shopkeepers in bangle shops of the famous Lad Bazaar or Choodhi (meaning bangle) Bazaar around the historical Charminar in the Old City of Hyderabad demonstrate this by flinging the bangles at the floor and then proudly showing the undamaged piece! Enjoying an ever increasing loyal customer base since over 200 years, lac bangles come in a variety of patterns, shapes and hues: from pearl and zari embroidery designs to colored stones and meenakari work. The quality, however, varies even if the appearance is the same. A shrewd eye is, therefore, your most valuable asset when shopping in the Bazaar. Prices of a set of lac bangles start at about Rs. 600 (approx. SR50) and can go up to Rs. 6000 (approx. SR500!)
