City jewellers offers affordable choices,say lightweight jewellery in demand

Patna: Despite high prices of gold, city jewellers are expecting a good sale on Akshaya Tritiya — one of the auspicious gold-buying days after Dhanteras. Jewellers are enhancing their marketing efforts by offering lucrative deals, discounts and affordable choices to boost sales. They have also launched their new collections for the festival. Many customers have already placed advance bookings for gold, silver, and diamond jewellery at city-based shops to avoid crowding during the festival.
The traditional belief holds that purchasing precious metals on this day brings good fortune and abundance. This significant day, devoted to Goddess Lakshmi, falls on the third lunar day (Shukla Paksha) of Vaisakha month as per the Hindu calendar. The celebration is scheduled for April 30.
Mukesh Jain, store manager of a branded jewellery showroom at Frazer Road, said, "Our ‘Maithili Collection' has just arrived and is in high demand. This new collection is lightweight and specifically designed for Bihar. As the name suggests, it is inspired by Madhubani art. The lightweight jewellery with a heavy look is particularly popular. It is part of this festive campaign, making it highly sought after this wedding season."
"Apart from that, we have the Navani collection. In the Mangalsutra collection, we have the ‘Door' and ‘Kalahi' collections in bangles. In diamonds, there is the ‘Red-carpet' collection. We are offering a 20% discount on making charges of gold, plus an additional discount of Rs 101 per gram," Jain told this newspaper on Monday.
Pranay Kumar Mazumdar, manager of a jewellery showroom, said the lightweight segment of diamond jewellery, which can be used daily and for parties, is more in demand. "So far, the booking of jewellery is overwhelming. We are offering discounts and offers on gold and diamond, up to 50% off on making charges of diamond jewellery, and an additional discount of up to 20% on diamonds. Besides, up to 50% off on making charges of gold jewellery," he said.
"On average, we are getting 10-15 bookings. We are offering a 35% discount on the making charges of gold jewellery and a 25% discount on the diamond value till the festival," said Deepak Kumar, manager of a jewellery shop at Kadamkuan, adding that most of the customers are purchasing antique collections and lightweight jewellery.
Binod Kumar, gold trader and president of Patliputra Sarafa Sangh, speculated that due to the rise in the price of gold and diamond, the sale would be lower than the previous year in terms of weight but not in monetary value. "People are buying lightweight jewellery for the festival due to rise in gold prices. Gold not only provides a good return, but also serves as an option for people to gift their families, which can be beneficial in the future." he said.