Buyers embrace lower purity as gold soars

With gold prices hitting record highs, traditional 22and 24-karat jewellery is fast slipping out of reach for many buyers.

- Dipti Sharma

The sparkle, though, hasn't dimmed—it's just shifted. Consumers are increasingly turning to options like 18and even 9-karat gold, which offer the same glam at a friendlier price.

Jewellery retailers are catching on: Titan's Tanishq, for instance, has widened its 18-karat range, particularly targeting the wedding market. Senco Gold says demand for 14-karat and 18-karat pieces is on the rise, with the industry already eyeing a 9-karat future.

Karats indicate the purity of the gold. Gold of 24 karats is the purest form (99.9%), 22 karats is typically used for jewellery and is mixed with other metais like copper or silver to make it more durable. Gold of 18 karats is also used for jewellery and contains a

India’s top jewellery chain, Tanishq, has seen good traction with the recentiy introduced 18-karat gold jewellery.

higher percentage of alloys.