Bling in the New

There's a different kind of shimmer in the air. This Diwali, Gen Z is going in for jewellery that is ethical, modern, and not exactly investment-driven

- By NOOR ANAND CHAWLA

Gold in India has never just been metal. It is legacy, pride, and investment. But in 2025, the alloy of aspiration looks different. The new gold glows softly, bends easily, and doesn't weigh down wrists or lives. The Midas touch this Diwali time is different.

Where once 24K gold reigned as the standard of virtue and value, jewellers across Surat, Coimbatore, and Jaipur are now turning to more wearable mixes: 14K (about 58.5 per cent gold), 12K (50 per cent), and, increasingly, even 9K alloys. These lower-carat compositions, strengthened with copper, silver, and other metals, make jewellery more durable, less prone to scratches, and infinitely better suited to everyday use. The Bureau of Indian Standards' recent move to allow hallmarking for 9K jewellery has legitimised this shift; fine jewellery, once the preserve of the affluent, has become more democratic, opening a shimmering middle ground between luxury and accessibility.

Gen Z now prefers 12K and 14K gold adornments: while not exactly bijouterie, they don't see gold as investment like Millennials and Boomers, but as style statements. Meanwhile what is gold without diamonds even if they aren't mined by DeBeers? Lab-grown diamonds, once considered a compromise, are now a conscious choice. Semiprecious stones, vibrant and versatile, are taking centre stage. Arshi Nagpal, a young makeup artist working at a beauty store in Delhi's upscale Khan Market, flaunts a ring with a lab-grown two carat cushion-cut solitaire surrounded by a string of smaller diamonds a Harry Winston-inspired design. It was a surprise from her engineer husband on their first anniversary. "I know it's lab-grown but I love the look on my customer's faces when they see my rock is bigger than theirs!" she smiles.