In many societies there is a reluctance to disclose the possession of monetary wealth to relatives and neighbours who might expect to benefit from it. In some communities a good deal of hoarding takes the form of investment in jewellery, usually for the adornment of women and children.
This custom had its origins at a time when the possession of a commodity that was indestructible, transportable and divisible, was sound practice as insurance against the consequences of political insecurity or periodical economic disasters, such as drought or famine. Though it has largely outlived its economic justification in some of the countries in which it was once a wise provision, it is still firmly rooted in existing family usages in some developing countries, where it diverts resources and tends to lessen industrial capacity.