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Significance of Gifting Gold in India

Indians have considered gold to be auspicious since time immemorial and the custom of gifting gold is still going strong in India. Be it a wedding, childbirth or even birthday, it is propitious to gift at least a small amount of gold. Gifting gold is also considered lucky in certain cultures. Its significance is deeply rooted in history.

Gold is not just about jewellery in India. It is also a form of investment, a matter of certainty in times of financial crisis. Other than that, it also symbolizes power and wealth. Over the years, India’s love for gold has never waned, if anything, it has grown exponentially. Owning gold is regarded as a sensible and smart choice. Regardless of the rising prices of gold, India’s ability to buy gold hasn’t reduced. And this thought process is reflected in the gold that lies in every bank locker.

Historical Significance

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Since the ages of kings and queens till now, gold has been considered a symbol of status in India. A person’s stature in society was decided by the gold he could buy. That hasn’t changed much yet. It’s a part of our belief system that gold is a symbol of purity. That’s because gold has passed through the fire before being purified and turned into jewellery.

Gold was not just mined in India, the country also had trade contacts with Romans which accounted for the majority of its gold. Trade flourished in India due to the presence of spices, silk, ivory and such items which they exchanged for gold and silver. Such was their love for gold even in the era when trade routes were just being established.

Religious Significance

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Much more than their historical significance, gold is intertwined religiously equally between all religions. So much that temples own tons and tonnes of gold gifted by their devotees. A fine example is the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh which receives tonnes of gold donated by devotees. The vast treasure of them all is held by the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala which is said to include gold statues, coins, ornaments and even a throne. Other examples are the golden temple in Amritsar, the golden temple of Sripuram in Tamil Nadu, etc which are covered by gold.

Akshaya Tritiya is a fine example of gold being celebrated by peasants and kings alike. People believe that it is of good fortune to buy gold on this auspicious day. And that their fortune would be multiplied if they purchased gold on this day however tiny it might be. The religious significance of gold in India is again proved by the fact that it is the symbol of Goddess Lakshmi who is the Goddess of wealth.

Gold Jewellery vs Gold Gift Vouchers

As we’ve established, gold is the most preferred gifting option in India. But given the choice, not everyone has the liking for shopping gifts, especially jewellery. The choice of jewellery depends on personal interests. for instance, while you may prefer trendy and light as air jewellery, the person you buy the gift for might not like the same kind of jewellery. Their interests might run along the traditional route or even funky pieces. Gifting jewellery that doesn't synchronize with their interest restricts them from enjoying their gifts. It also puts unnecessary strain on the person buying the gifts.

Gift vouchers from respectable jewellers take that needless strain off of you. Gift vouchers/cards can be purchased depending on your budget from a low price of Rs. 500. The person you are buying for can purchase gifts of their liking at their convenient time. It is a cool alternative to gold and cash gifts. Gold vouchers come in the form of debit cards which one can use at the time of purchase.

Pros and Cons of Gold Gift Vouchers

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If you are going along the route of gift vouchers, it is only right that we give you the pros and cons of gifting a gift voucher, both on the personal and practical side.

  • Pros: Gift Vouchers are easier to buy especially if you have left the gifts to the last moment. From the user’s perspective, they have the freedom to choose the jewellery they wish to buy. If you are mailing the gift, they are safer and easier to send across; whatever gift it might be, not just jewellery. You can also choose when to use the gift card, which can also be during a sale/discount season.

  • Cons: While gift vouchers can be ideal when you are in a time crunch, it can be perceived as impersonal, depending on who you gift it to. And then there is the time limit, accumulated fees and such terms and conditions. But they are not so much as an issue and can be circumvented. However, if they are lost, there’s nothing much you can do about it.

10 Gold Gift Vouchers You Can Buy in India

With tons of options available when it comes to gifting gold, it is easier to get lost in the process. If you are in this dilemma right now, check out gift vouchers. India being the prime centre of gold, you have various options when it comes to gift vouchers. Most jewellers have gift cards/vouchers available for their customers. There are many available in Amazon too. However, international brands are an exception. You might or might not find any suitable gift cards within your budget.

Gift cards come with a set of terms and conditions which you have to take note of. Missing any of these might render it useless. Like the expiry date; Everyday card has an expiry date beyond which the remaining money is forfeited. You cannot get a refund or encash the card. Most of the gift cards can be redeemed multiple times until they expire or the amount is exhausted. Though these resemble a debit/credit card complete with a pin, reloading is not possible

  • Tanishq Gold Coin Gift Card : One of the largest gold retailing groups, Josalukkas has its gift voucher going. The gift card starts with a value of about Rs. 1000 up to Rs. 20,000 and can be purchased from Amazon India. The validity is 1 year and can be fully or partially redeemed. The card can be used to buy gold/diamond/platinum/silver jewellery and gold coins too.

  • Josalukkas Pure Gold Gift Card : One of the largest gold retailing groups, Josalukkas has its own gift voucher going. The gift card starts with a value of about Rs. 1000 up to Rs. 20,000 and can be purchased from Amazon India. The validity is 1 year and can be fully or partially redeemed. The card can be used to buy gold/diamond/platinum/silver jewellery and gold coins too.

  • Reliance Jewels Gift Card : The next one we have for you is from Reliance Jewels by Reliance, one of the largest retail store conglomerates. Costing you Rs. 15,000, the gift card is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. The best part about this gift card is that you can use it not just in Reliance Jewels, but also in Reliance Fresh, Super, Mart, Digital, Footprint, Market, etc to name a few. More details are available on the card itself including details about the participating outlets. The card is available to buy from Amazon India.

  • Bluestone E-Gift Voucher : India’s leading online jewellery retailer Bluestone also has its own line of gift vouchers. Available from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,00,000, the E-gift voucher can be used to buy Bluestone Jewellery but not coins. The details of the gift card would be sent to your email or SMS whichever method you choose to receive it. The gift card comes with a validity period of 12 months and is available to buy at Woohoo.

  • PCJ Gold Jewellery Gift Card :PCJ or PC Jeweller, based in New Delhi is one of the leading jewellery stores out of North India. If you do wish to buy a PCJ gift card, Amazon India has one for you. Priced at Rs. 10,000, the gift card is valid for 2 years. The voucher comes in the form of a card with a pin that can be redeemed at any PCJ store.
  • Joyalukkas Gold and Diamond Jewellery E Gift Card : Joyalukkas, another gold jewellery store based out of Kerala is one of the leading, prize-winning jewellery stores both in UAE and India. The details of the e-gift card would be sent to your emails at the time of purchase. With a validity period of 12 months, the gift card can be used to buy gold/silver/diamond jewellery but not coins. The gift voucher can be purchased from Paytm and is priced at Rs. 500.

  • Malabar Gold and Diamonds Gift Voucher : Another gift card, this time again from a jeweller based out of Kerala, Malabar Gold and Diamonds. Costing you at a budgetable price of Rs. 500 to a maximum of Rs. 50,000 the gift card comes in 2 formats: The personalized one and the theme gift card. While the concept and the rules behind both the cards remain the same, the personalized card can be customized with a picture of your loved one. The theme gift card, on the other hand, has a pre-designed theme. The gift card comes with a validity of 1 year and is available to buy at Malabar Gold and Diamonds.

  • Oriana by GRT Gift Voucher : Gift your loved one the freedom to buy trendy and classy jewellery from Orianna by GRT with the help of this gift card. You can purchase the gift cards, at any rate, starting from Rs. 500 to Rs. 10,000. Valid for 1 year, it can be redeemed at any GRT store or at their online store. The gift card has to be redeemed at one go. Any balance would be forfeited and rendered unusable. Purchase your gift card from Oriana.

  • KalyanJewellers Gift Voucher : Kalyan Jewellers, leading jewellers based from Kerala has been in business around the pre-independent India and is existing with the same grandeur even now. Buy your loved one the freedom of choice from Kalyan Jewellers with the help of their gift cards starting from Rs. 500. You can also choose between a traditional gift voucher and an e-gift card.

  • Caratlane Voucher : CaratLane, a Tanishq partner also has its gift card program costing you Rs. 7000. With a validity of 1 year, the voucher can be redeemed at any CaratLane website before the expiry date. Available from Paytm, the gift card can be redeemed as many times as possible.

  • Candere by Kalyan Jewellers :Candere by Kalyan Jewellers is another gift option great for fashionable and contemporary jewellery. Available for any budget of your choice, the gift card is valid for 1 year after the date of purchase. The gift card can be used during the purchase of any gold and diamond jewellery online. It is an e-gift card and hence, the details would be emailed to you. It is available to buy at Candere.

Buying Gold Online in India

India has a love of gold that goes beyond casual consumption. As much as Indians love to wear their gold jewellery, they also love to invest in gold. Gold is considered a fool-proof investment; With the gold exchange-traded funds or gold mutual fund, gold coins or the recent digital gold, an Indian’s love for gold never abates.

How to Buy Gold Online

Gold offers one of the best investment opportunities, with countries all over the world offering different gold-based investment options. The most famous of it being gold bullions or coins. It is relatively easy to buy and store. And even more easy to convert to ready cash whenever needed.

Most online stores including Amazon India, now sell gold coins. But before buying gold online, you need to verify the authenticity of the gold. It should come with a BIS Hallmark. Keep an eye on gold market rates before making your purchase. You do not want to purchase gold during a peak. The purity of the gold also matters. You need to choose between 24 karats, 22 karats and 18 karats.

Benefits of Going Online

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There are always issues when it comes to physical gold; The most important of them is storage and making charges. It the above relates to you, there are also possibilities where you can buy e-gold, gold mutual funds and gold ETF’s as investments. As with all investment opportunities, read and research fully before committing in the long term.

Going for e-gold and other online gold investments help you circumvent the safety issue and also, with taxation. With regards to e-gold, you need not even take control of your physical gold. You can maintain them online; Buy e-gold as and when possible and keep them in your Demat account. You might also want to look into gold ETF’s and gold mutual funds

Writer
Sunandha Wilis
After spending 12 years in the hectic corporate world, Sunandha quit the industry to follow her passion for writing. She enjoys writing on a variety of subjects including travel, health, beauty, fashion and technology. Apart from writing she also dons the hat of an editor from time to time. Her time off is spent listening to music and wrestling with her boys.

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Still prefer to gift gold?

Then consider giving coins and biscuits. That way the recipient can still get the full value of gold and use it when buying jewellery. If you intend to give it to a family member for the purpose of financial security, then this makes more sense than jewellery where making charges can account for a significant value of the piece. There are many other options for investing in gold without physically having it, look into these as well.