Luxury in pure gold

Dubai : A jeweller at the Deira Gold Souq has put up for sale an ornate blouse made of pure 22 carat gold.

Weighing 2.5kg, the jacket, which is being sold by Pure Gold Jewellers at the Gold Souq, has been intricately woven in textile style, complete with motifs of coloured stones in the front and a broad clasp and six button-like hooks at the back.

The cost of the jacket is Dh403,690, 35 per cent of which is the making charge, Abdullah Rahman, Showroom Manager, said, adding that the piece was fully handmade and had been sourced from Jaipur in the western state of Rajasthan in India.

Rahman said the showroom had two such blouses, the first of which was bought by an Emirati lady recently.

Adorning a bust in the showroom window, the medium-size blouse attracts many customers who come in to enquire about it, he said.

"On an average, we get at least five to six enquiries every day," said salesperson George Antony, adding that serious enquiries generally come from Russian and Saudi women.

"Some of them want to know if the blouse can be made to their size, but we are not taking any orders," he said.

Suresh Kumar, another salesman at the store, said some looked at the blouse as more of an investment and work of art rather than something that they might wear.

"We are now getting a third blouse from Jaipur that will weigh 4kg," he said.