Gold Is Up 59%. Indian Brides Are Buying Lighter, Not Less
Volumes fell to 75 tonnes last quarter while spending hit a record. The same money is buying noticeably less metal.
Written by: ShaadiNews Desk
Industry & Data
Original Reporting:World Gold Council and Al Jazeera
Editorial Summary & Key Highlights
India bought 15.4% less gold jewellery by weight in the second quarter of 2026 and spent 34% more on it, with prices about 59% higher than a year earlier. The World Gold Council reports wedding buying holding up, but shifting towards lighter, lower-carat and studded pieces.
Key Insights
- •India bought 75 tonnes of gold jewellery in Q2 2026, down 15.4% year on year.
- •Spending rose 34% to ₹1,132 billion over the same period, as prices ran about 59% higher.
- •Buyers are shifting to lighter-weight, lower-carat and studded pieces rather than buying less often.
Gold bridal jewellery alongside bridal makeup.
India bought 75 tonnes of gold jewellery in the second quarter of 2026, down 15.4% on the same quarter last year, according to the World Gold Council. Spending went the other way: up 34%, to ₹1,132 billion, or about $12 billion.
Domestic prices were running roughly 59% higher than a year earlier, which is how both of those can be true at the same time. Families have not stopped buying gold. They are getting a lot less of it for their money.
The report, written by the Council India research head Kavita Chacko and published on 30 July, calls wedding and festival buying "relatively resilient". It also notes that high prices are pushing buyers towards lighter, lower-carat and studded designs. In practice that means fewer heavy sets, and more pieces where the stones do the visual work and the gold does less of it.
““Families have not stopped buying gold. They are getting a lot less of it for their money.””
Further down the market, people are giving up on gold altogether. Al Jazeera reported in April that families across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Kashmir were turning to gold-plated ornaments and one-gram gold, which is base metal under a thin coat of 24-carat. It priced a gold-plated bridal set in Pakistan at 40,000 to 60,000 rupees. The real thing runs to hundreds of thousands.
If you are buying this season, the usual method will not work. Most families settle on a weight first and let the price land where it lands. A budget put aside a year ago against a weight target will not stretch to it now, and that one habit is the likeliest thing to break a wedding budget this year.
The trade estimates describe the same season from a different direction: fewer weddings last year, and ₹60,000 crore more spent on them.
Curated Wedding Gallery
Quick Facts
- Q2 2026 volume
- 75 tonnes (−15.4% y/y)
- Q2 2026 value
- ₹1,132bn / $12bn (+34% y/y)
- Domestic price change
- about +59% y/y
- Source
- World Gold Council, 30 July 2026
Demand and price figures published by the World Gold Council on 30 July 2026, authored by Kavita Chacko. Substitution reporting by Al Jazeera, 24 April 2026. ShaadiNews has not independently audited the Council methodology.
Reporting Sources:
Reader Reflections & Discussion (2)
The acoustic sitar during midnight pheras is such an inspired touch. Finally a return to soul over decibels!
Loved the breakdown of vintage zardozi craftsmanship. True luxury takes thousands of hours.