National News
Retail Gold Sales Drop 25% Amid Rising Prices, Lightweight Jewelry in Demand
A 4% rise in gold prices in March has led to a significant 25% decline in retail gold sales at jewelers and a 60% drop in Zaveri Bazaar. Indian families with upcoming weddings are feeling the pinch of higher gold prices, turning to lighter, lower-carat jewelry to meet bridal jewelry demands. Despite this, demand is expected to pick up during Akshay Tritiya in April, though lightweight jewelry remains the preferred choice.
Gold prices saw a near-4% increase in the first half of March, bringing down retail sales by 25% compared to the same period last year. Zaveri Bazaar, a hub where retail jewellers buy bullion and jewelry in bulk, saw a 60% drop in sales.
Senco Gold & Diamonds, Joy Alukkas, PNG Jewellers, Mamraj Musaddilal Jewellers, and senior executives from the India Bullion & Jewellers Association mentioned that Indian families, especially those with weddings planned for the upcoming season, are stressed by the escalating prices. As a result, they are opting for lightweight jewelry, as high prices make it difficult to stick to the traditional gold jewelry budgets.

Suvankar Sen, the chief of Senco Gold, shared that sales of small-ticket gold jewelry in the ₹30,000 – ₹40,000 price range have dried up. “The high prices are keeping customers away from spending on gold,” he said. On March 18, gold was priced at ₹88,256 per 10 gm in the physical market, with a 3% Goods and Services Tax (GST), pushing the cost to ₹90,903 per 10 gm.
“Those who have weddings in the family are buying lightweight jewellery as they cannot stretch the budget. Demand has dropped by 15% beginning from March and if this rally continues, the recovery in demand may not happen. The next big sales can only happen during Akshay Tritiya, which falls on April 30,” said the MD of Senco Gold & Diamond.
Despite the rise in prices, the demand has remained sluggish in South India too. “Compared to last March, demand is down by up to 25%. While the high price is a big factor in this demand drop, other things like board exams have slowed down demand as well,” said Baby George, CEO of Joy Alukkas.
Saurabh Gadgil, chairman of PNG Jewellers, also highlighted the shift in preferences. “People are buying lightweight jewellery, and many are exchanging old gold jewellery with new ones. The volumes are getting impacted but value-wise the jewellers are not facing any issue.”


Avinash Gupta, partner at Hyderabad-based Mamraj Musaddilal Jewellers, noted that while demand has softened, it hasn’t reached alarming levels. “Demand will bounce back in April due to weddings and Akshaya Tritiya, but definitely the preference will shift to lightweight and lower caratage jewellery.”
National News
June Marked A Strong Rebound In India’s Gem and Jewellery Exports, Surging 26.51% Year-On-Year On Robust Demand Across Key Products and Global Markets
India’s gem and jewellery exports recorded a strong recovery in June 2026, with gross exports rising 26.51% year-on-year to US$ 2.21 billion (Rs. 21,010.78 crore) compared to US$ 1.75 billion (Rs. 15,023.07 crore) in June 2025. The robust monthly performance was driven by healthy demand for gold jewellery, cut and polished diamonds, silver jewellery and platinum jewellery, lab-grown diamonds across key international markets.
For the April–June 2026 period, India’s overall gross gem and jewellery exports remained stable at US$ 6.61 billion (Rs. 62,588.61 crore), registering a marginal 0.04% growth in US Dollar terms and a 10.76% increase in Rupee terms over the corresponding period last year, demonstrating the sector’s resilience amid continued global economic uncertainties and elevated precious metal prices.
Commenting on the export performance, Shri Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said,

“The strong rebound in June exports reflects the resilience of India’s gem and jewellery sector amid an evolving global trade environment. While exports during the April–June quarter remained broadly stable, the sharp recovery in June is an encouraging sign for the months ahead. Continued demand from key markets, market diversification, and the benefits of recently concluded trade agreements such as the India–UK CETA are expected to further strengthen export growth. GJEPC will continue to work closely with the Government and industry stakeholders to enhance India’s global competitiveness and unlock new export opportunities.”
“The strong rebound in jewellery exports in June 2026 was supported by a significant correction in international gold prices. Gold prices declined by 10.28% month-on-month, falling from US$ 4,723.88 per troy ounce in May 2026 to US$ 4,238.32 per troy ounce in June 2026. The decline in bullion prices lowered raw material costs, enabling Indian exporters to offer more competitive prices in global markets. This improved price competitiveness, coupled with stronger demand in key overseas markets, boosted export volumes and strengthened buyer sentiment. Additionally, the successful participation of Indian exporters in major jewellery exhibitions in Kuwait and Sharjah further supported export orders and contributed to the strong recovery in June exports. However, the problems in availability of gold to exporters continue due to a technical regulatory issue of GST applicability at the import level by the Nominated Agencies notified by RBI. Council is working with the Govt to resolve this issue.”

June 2026: Product-wise Export Performance
- Gold Jewellery (Plain & Studded) exports surged 54.50% year-on-year to US$ 1,087.74 million (Rs. 10,330.51 crore).
- Plain Gold Jewellery exports grew 25.34% year-on-year to US$ 453.76 million (Rs. 4,311.43 crore). The growth was driven by strong demand from the UAE, USA, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the UK.
- Studded Gold Jewellery exports surged 85.35% to US$ 633.97 million (Rs. 6,019.08 crore), with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the UK emerging as the key export markets.
- Cut & Polished Diamonds exports increased 8.71% to US$ 846.73 million (Rs. 8,039.30 crore), supported by healthy demand from the UAE, Hong Kong, Belgium, Canada, and the USA.
- Silver Jewellery exports declined 23.98% to US$ 58.77 million (Rs. 557.52 crore) in June 2026.
- Platinum Jewellery exports grew 34.77% to US$ 17.44 million (Rs. 165.55 crore), with the USA, UK, UAE, Germany, and Hong Kong being the principal export markets.
- Polished Lab-Grown Diamonds exports recorded a robust 52.25% growth to US$ 101.35 million (Rs. 961.92 crore), driven by strong demand from Hong Kong, the UAE, Thailand, Canada, and the USA.
- Coloured Gemstones exports declined 23.63% to US$ 26.26 million (Rs. 249.63 crore).
April–June 2026: Product-wise Export Performance
- Gold Jewellery (Plain & Studded) exports stood at US$ 2.78 billion (Rs. 26,357.04 crore) during April–June 2026, registering a 2.35% decline compared with US$ 2.85 billion (Rs. 24,372.70 crore) in the corresponding period last year.
- Plain Gold Jewellery exports declined 23.30% to US$ 1.13 billion (Rs. 10,704.54 crore) during April–June 2026, compared to US$ 1.47 billion (Rs. 12,611.39 crore) in the corresponding period last year.
- Studded Gold Jewellery exports grew 20.10% to US$ 1.65 billion (Rs. 15,652.50 crore) from US$ 1.38 billion (Rs. 11,761.31 crore) in April–June 2025.
- Cut & Polished Diamonds exports declined 4.13% to US$ 2.72 billion (Rs. 25,773.90 crore) compared to US$ 2.84 billion (Rs. 24,271.10 crore) in the corresponding period last year.
- Silver Jewellery exports nearly doubled, rising 97.78% to US$ 431.30 million (Rs. 4,060.27 crore) from US$ 218.07 million (Rs. 1,865.38 crore) in April–June 2025.
- Platinum Jewellery exports increased 27.66% to US$ 58.67 million (Rs. 554.81 crore) from US$ 45.96 million (Rs. 393.23 crore) during the corresponding period last year.
- Polished Lab-Grown Diamonds exports increased 14.92% to US$ 296.24 million (Rs. 2,805.39 crore) from US$ 257.77 million (Rs. 2,204.84 crore) during the same period last year.
- Coloured Gemstones exports declined 15% to US$ 82.25 million (Rs. 778.57 crore) compared to US$ 96.76 million (Rs. 826.93 crore) in April–June 2025.

About The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), set up by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India (GoI) in 1966, is one of several Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) launched by the Indian Government, to boost the country’s export thrust, when India’s post-Independence economy began making forays in the international markets. Since 1998, the GJEPC has been granted autonomous status. The GJEPC is the apex body of the gems & jewellery industry and today represents 11000+ members in the sector. With headquarters in Mumbai, GJEPC has Regional Offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Surat and Jaipur, all of which are major centres for the industry. It thus has a wide reach and is able to have a closer interaction with members to serve them in a direct and more meaningful manner. Over the past decades, GJEPC has emerged as one of the most active EPCs and has continuously strived to both expand its reach and depth in its promotional activities as well as widen and increase services to its members.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GJEPC
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gjepcindia
Youtube: www.youtube.com/gjepcindia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GJEPCIndia
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