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Retail Gold Sales Drop 25% Amid Rising Prices, Lightweight Jewelry in Demand

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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.”

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National News

Zi Launches As A Modern Indian Design House Redefining Everyday Luxury

The New Jewellery Brand Makes Its Debut With 925 Sterling Silver, With An Expanding Design Vocabulary Across Titanium, Gold and Lab-Grown Diamonds

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Zi, a new Indian design house, has launched with its debut collection of 925 sterling silver jewellery, bringing contemporary, everyday designs to a category traditionally shaped around occasion and ceremony. Starting at Rs 3,500, the collection marks the first chapter of Zi’s ambition to build a modern jewellery house where luxury is defined by design, material and wearability rather than spectacle.

Zi begins with a simple shift in how jewellery is approached: pieces need not be saved for a particular occasion. Its debut collection is designed to become part of an everyday wardrobe, with clean forms, considered detailing and versatile silhouettes that can be worn repeatedly, styled differently and carried across settings.

The collection is divided into three edits: Staple Edits, featuring everyday essentials; Forever Favourites, comprising versatile pieces designed for repeat wear; and Evening Elegance, bringing a more elevated expression to after-dark and occasion dressing. Across the edits, the pieces are designed to work independently or together, allowing customers to build a personal jewellery wardrobe rather than buy around individual occasions.

925 sterling silver forms the foundation of the launch, chosen for its versatility and as the starting point for Zi’s design language. The collection also incorporates other considered metals across select designs and is finished with premium rhodium plating. The jewellery is nickel- and lead-free, with a focus on material quality, finish and everyday wearability.

But silver is only the beginning for Zi. The brand is developing its next phase around more considered, design-led jewellery, including upcoming collections such as The Classics and The Atelier. These collections will build on the restraint of the debut while introducing greater depth and design expression, expanding the idea of what everyday luxury can look like over time.

The house is also developing jewellery across a broader material palette, including titanium fused with gold and lab-grown diamonds. Each material has been selected for a distinct role: titanium for its strength and lightness, gold for its warmth, and lab-grown diamonds as a contemporary interpretation of an established luxury material. The move reflects Zi’s intent to build a design house with a considered material philosophy, rather than remain defined by a single category or metal.

Beyond jewellery, Zi is exploring future lifestyle categories, with design continuing to anchor the brand’s approach. The long-term ambition is to create a design-led house that evolves across materials, products and categories while maintaining a consistent point of view.

The debut collection is available exclusively through Zi’s online platform from 24 August 2026, with prices starting at Rs 3,500.

With its launch, Zi is introducing a different proposition to India’s jewellery landscape: luxury designed not only for the moments that call for it, but for the everyday ones that make up a life. The debut in silver is the starting point; the larger ambition is to build a house with a design language that can evolve with the way modern India wears luxury.

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