Sellers of imitation jewellery in Rajshahi are doing brisk business ahead of Eid-ul-fitr, thanks to the steep price of gold. People from all walks of life are going to the city’s jewellery markets, including Shaheb Bazaar, RDA Market, New Market and other shopping malls, to buy imitation jewellery of their choice. Rings, earrings, toe rings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, anklets and other types of trendy jewellery are in vogue this season. Stone earrings, necklaces and rings, Pakistani and city-gold bracelets are particularly in demand. A pair of bracelets is selling for Tk. 250 to 1,200, a necklace for Tk. 500 to 3,500, earrings for Tk. 150 to Tk. 2,500, and rings for Tk. 200 to 2,000. Moin Uddin, an imitation jewellery salesman in RDA Market, said they are receiving heavy footfall in the last 10 days of Ramadan. “We have sold ornaments worth around Tk. 40,000 to 50,000 every day this week compared with Tk. 15,000 to 25,000 before Ramadan,” he added. Aminul Islam, another jewellery shop owner in Shaheb Bazaar, said affluent people usually buy gold jewellery on Eid or other festivals. But high prices of gold jewellery have dampened the demand for such jewellery over the last three or four years, he added. This has apparently sparked the recent hike in the demand for imitation jewellery. “We are getting a huge response from shoppers ahead of Eid. We offer a large collection of eye-catching imitation jewellery,” said Aminul Islam. Saida Jannat, a student at Rajshahi University who came to Shaheb Bazar with her friends to buy earrings, told this correspondent that she had already bought new clothes for this Eid. “There are wonderful collections of jewellery here. We can’t make up our minds on which one to choose!” she added. Soudia Afreen, another customer, said that though the collection and design of trendy jewellery this year are better than in the previous years, the price of jewellery is very high.