And in a country where marriages are synonymous with jewellery, it is important to know what to look for. While purity and design is one thing you will definitely be checking out for, we'd urge you to spend safely and save wisely. Here are four tips which help you when you are buying gold.

Understand gold purity Gold is a soft metal and has to be mixed with metal alloys to give it shape (read strength and durability). Higher the purity of gold, higher is the carat number (18K, 22K, 24K).

Hallmark jewellery You might trust the street side shop you have been purchasing jewellery from for centuries. But remember that India has a process of standardisation — BIS as it is called — where licensed jewellery shop owners can get their products hallmarked.

Start early When you start early, you have ample time to plan. Prices of gold keep changing and when you are watching the prices for a considerable time, you would always know when the right time for a buy is! This will also give you time to check out different jewellery makers and how they charge for making it.

Watch your style You buy it just once and do not want to err. Keep a list of what all you plan to wear and ensure your jewellery matches what you are wearing and how you are made up. Also, gold comes in different colours — white gold, rose gold, black gold etc. which you might want to experiment with during the various ceremonies.


Source: Times of India

BDST: 1659 HRS, DEC- 13, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor