For Akshaya Tritiya 2025, young shoppers are quietly reshaping the age-old traditions of gold buying by channeling their spending into sleeker, subtler forms of luxury
Bengaluru: Akshaya Tritiya—long revered as an auspicious occasion to invest in precious metals—has traditionally seen gold take center stage, thanks to its deep-rooted ties to Hindu mythology and India’s long-standing fascination with the yellow metal. Legend has it that wealth acquired on this day multiplies endlessly, making it a magnet for prosperity-seekers.
For jewellers, this week is nothing short of a golden windfall. It’s when brands unveil exclusive collections, dangle limited-time offers, and unleash full-throttle marketing blitzes to ride the wave of festive sentiment—often raking in a sizable chunk of their annual revenue.
But times have shifted, and so have the players. With gold prices now scaling near-stratospheric levels (touching Rs 1 lakh per 10 grams), Gen X—armed with deeper pockets and a nostalgia-laced reverence for tradition—continues to invest.
Meanwhile, the younger crowd is rewriting the script. Even if they don’t fully buy into the age-old beliefs, they are not quite ready to sit out either. Instead, they are opting for a modern twist—channeling their spending into sleeker, subtler forms of luxury that still let them partake in the ritual, but on their own terms.
Gen Z consumer behaviour trends
For Gen Z, jewellery is not just about karats—it’s about character!
This generation leans hard into personalisation, sustainability, and purchases that reflect who they are. They are digital natives with a finely tuned BS radar, and are spending on brands that are transparent, purpose-driven, and digitally fluent.
“Gen Z is redefining Akshaya Tritiya as a more personal, meaningful celebration. Instead of focusing only on traditional heavy gold sets, they are opting for stunning, modern, lightweight, minimalistic pieces that are wearable every day,” said Shaifali Gautam, CMO of CaratLane. “They value customisation and storytelling, which is why features like our ‘made to order’ service resonate deeply with them.”
Gold is being replaced with sleek silver pieces, whisper-thin platinum bands, and lab-grown diamonds that don’t carry the ethical baggage of mined stones. Some are even dabbling in digital gold or jewellery NFTs to flex online.
“For Gen Z, the festival is as much about expressing self-worth as it is about tradition,” said Resha Jain, Chief Brand Officer of GIVA, a fine jewellery brand.
“They are reinterpreting age-old customs with a modern lens, choosing pieces that resonate with personal milestones, sustainability, and emotional meaning. That’s where lab-grown diamonds have become a powerful bridge, timeless in sentiment, but conscious in form.”
To meet this demand, GIVA launched a storytelling-driven campaign blending featuring Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and a poignant generational film on passing down blessings through jewellery.
Similarly, lab-grown diamond jewellery brand Jewelbox rolled out a campaign themed around ‘Meaningful Moments,’ positioning jewellery as a form of personal expression.
“Consumers are seeking meaningful purchases. With increasing awareness, buyers are more mindful of certification, pricing transparency, and long-term value, leading to a preference for credible brands,” said Vidita Kochar Jain, Co-founder of Jewelbox. The brand is projecting a growth of more than 2.5 times compared to the previous year.
Moreover, many Gen Z and millennial investors are turning away from jewellery in favour of gold bullion. Unlike ornamental pieces that often include making charges and design premiums, bullion offers a purer, more liquid form of investment.
Changing purchase platforms
Gone are the days when buying jewellery meant sitting under a yellow light while a salesperson laid out velvet trays of gold. Today’s shoppers are more likely to try on a necklace in augmented reality than in a physical store.
“Digital-first shopping behaviours—browsing online, booking try-at-home sessions, and using virtual tools like CLive (live video call consultation with a jewellery expert)—have become mainstream among consumers,” said Gautam of CaratLane.
Instagram boutiques, WhatsApp catalogs, and gamified shopping apps have become the new-age jewellery counters. Tanishq’s AR try-on app lets users see how a piece looks on them without ever leaving their couch, while brands like Melorra are blending e-commerce with editorial storytelling, memes, and influencer partnerships to court younger audiences.
“In order to appeal to the tech-savvy customer base, the popularity of online shopping has led to a heavy emphasis on exclusive discounts and special promotions that are only accessible through online platforms,” said Dishi Somani, Founder of DishiS Designer Jewellery.
Retailer response
Tapping into the cultural shift, jewellery brands are trading traditional grandeur for sophistication. Lavish bridal sets are making way for conceptual minimalist designs that align with Gen Z’s love for clean lines and quiet luxury.
CaratLane has unveiled celestial-themed Sol and Luna collections, paired with a festive offer of a free 0.5g gold coin on every Rs 30,000 purchase. To top it off, the brand is also providing 6-hour delivery in major cities.
On a similar note, fine jewellery platform Akoirah by Augmont (integrated gold player from refining to retailing) has introduced a lightweight collection featuring minimalist lab-grown diamond jewellery. Each design is crafted in 14-karat gold and offered in a variety of colour tones, catering to the modern woman.
Newly launched lab grown diamond brand Lucira has launched a curated collection of proposal, promise, engagement, and wedding rings. “We are seeing a growing trend of young couples choosing Akshaya Tritiya to propose, exchange promise rings, or buy their first significant piece of jewellery together,” said Rupesh Jain, Founder of Lucira.
Another lab-grown diamond jeweller Aukera has unveiled an eight-sided diamond inspired by the meaningful concept of Ashta Lakshmi. Each purchase of this is accompanied by a specially crafted Lakshmi Paaduka, featuring symbolic motifs, as started by its Founder and CEO Lisa Mukhedkar.
Divine Solitaires has introduced a versatile diamond coin for younger consumers, combining emotional and investment value.
“Gen-Z needs something that can be used, instead of just keeping in lockers as investment. Our diamond coin fits that perfectly—designed to be worn daily, mark personal milestones, and be passed down as an heirloom, all with certified quality and a clear value proposition,” said Jignesh Mehta, Managing Director of Divine Solitaires.
Adding a layer of convenience, Kalyan Jewellers has teamed up with quick commerce platform Swiggy Instamart for the occasion, enabling customers in 100 cities to order certified gold and silver coin variants with doorstep delivery in minutes.
The bigger picture
Jewellery sales this Akshaya Tritiya may shimmer brighter than ever, with estimates pointing to a potential Rs 16,000 crore in business, despite some mixed market signals.
“On this year’s Akshaya Tritiya, sales are expected to reach around 12 tonnes of gold worth nearly Rs 12,000 crore and about 400 tonnes of silver worth Rs 4,000 crore, making a total estimated business of Rs 16,000 crore,” said All India Jewellers and Goldsmith Federation President Pankaj Arora in a PTI report.
Retailers are anticipating multifold growth this season, with expectations ranging anywhere between 2% and 15% in sales.
PP Jewellers by Pawan Gupta is expecting a 5–10% bump in gold demand, while DishiS Designer Jewellery is projecting a 15–20% increase in sales. Jewelbox is anticipating a 2.5x growth and Aukera is shooting for 2–4x the performance of last year.
Akshaya Tritiya may be rooted in centuries of ritual, but it’s increasingly becoming a mirror of how traditions evolve with the times. As younger generations bring their values to the forefront, Indian retail is being nudged into a more inclusive and forward-thinking era.
Legacy, after all, is not static—it’s alive. And if this year’s trends are any sign, the future of festive jewellery looks a lot like intentional, expressive, and brilliantly unconventional.
