Lillian Bharucha is used to getting gifts of gold. Her family has marked birthdays and other milestones with golden earrings and necklaces. But on her upcoming wedding day, the 24-year-old will forgo a cultural tradition centuries in the making: Gone is gold. Diamonds are in.

"Since I have so much gold, I thought diamonds would be a nice change, and they actually match with everything," said the Houston-raised Bharucha, whose parents are Pakistani and of Persian origin.

Gold is losing its luster with many second-generation South Asian-Americans.

Unlike the generations before them who were all about 22-karat gold — a purer and brighter yellow form of gold than is commonly sold in mainstream American stores — young South Asians are increasingly being drawn to the sparkle of diamonds.

Read Full Article