Gold is more than a precious metal in Indian culture and is truly entrenched in their belief system. Over centuries and millennia, gold has become an inseparable part of the Indian society and fused well into the psyche of an Indian. Gold Jewellery forms an integral part of Indian tradition. 24 carat is the purest form of gold available on the surface of Earth. Demand for gold in India has witnessed an increasing trend in the past, despite soaring prices of gold for many years now. Gold and silver are considered as sacred metals by Hindus.
Silver in jewellery has always been the preferred metal for young people. More recently, because of the high price of other metals, it has become more popular among the middle-aged and the elderly as well. Silver jewellery remains a popular gift item. It is fashionable, affordable and increasingly more personalised. The main occasions for buying jewellery are Christmas, Valentine’s Day and weddings.
India is one of the largest markets for gold, and growing affluence is driving growth in demand. Gold has a central role in the country’s culture, considered a store of value, a symbol of wealth and status and a fundamental part of many rituals. Gold in India is also universally valued a store of wealth. That is the other major driver of demand. Gold jewellery products provide a tangible way to preserve wealth while at the same time serving the cultural function of providing decoration and displaying wealth. Indian consumers will always favour gold above other jewellery materials because of its dual role.At steady gold prices, demand for such products will grow faster than demand for gold jewellery products simply because it is still in the nascent stage.
Global gold jewellery demand during 2017 increased by 4% to 2,135.5 tonnes (t), the first year of growth since 2013, driven by stable gold prices and improving economic conditions,
The popularity of silver jewelry stems largely from the price of the metal. Relative to other precious metals, such as platinum and gold, silver is cheap. China is one of the world’s top silver consumers and its fondness of the metal apparently extends beyond investment interests and manufacturing. China’s silver jewelry market grew 211 percent. This growth has been attributed to exposure across the country’s interior. Urbanization is expected to continue fueling expansion as more retail jewelry outlets open in major Chinese cities.
The gems and jewellery market in India is home to more than 300,000 players, with the majority being small players. Its market size is about US$ 60 billion as of 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 100-110 billion by 2021-2022. It contributes 29 per cent to the global jewellery consumption.
