Dhanteras 2026: Smart Ways to Buy Gold When It Costs ₹1.5 Lakh per 10 Grams

• Dhanteras: Friday, November 6. Muhurat timings vary by city, so check a local panchang.
• Price check: 24-carat gold was about ₹1.52 lakh per 10 grams and silver about ₹2.26 lakh per kg in Delhi on October 13.
• For investment: coins, bars or gold ETFs usually beat jewellery, because you pay little or no making charge.
• For jewellery: insist on the BIS hallmark with a six-digit HUID code.
• Be careful with "digital gold" apps: SEBI has said they are outside its regulation.

Does buying before Dhanteras save money?

A common belief is that gold always gets more expensive just before the festival, so you should buy early. An analysis by the gold platform OroPocket, using its own price data from 2016 to 2025, found no reliable pattern: the Dhanteras month beat an ordinary month in only five of ten years. Its conclusion, which is worth noting even though it comes from a company that sells gold, is that the form in which you buy matters far more than the day.

If you want to avoid crowds, many buyers also use the Pushya Nakshatra days, which fall on October 31 and November 1 this year.

Option 1: Jewellery

Jewellery is gold you can wear, and for many families its value is emotional as much as financial. But it is the most expensive way to own gold.

• Making charges typically range from about 5% to 25% of the gold's value, depending on the design, and you rarely get them back when you sell.
• GST is charged at 3% on the gold and 5% on the making charges.
• Purity: most jewellery is 22 carat (91.6% gold) or 18 carat (75%).

Tip: ask for the making charge as a separate figure on the bill, and compare it across two or three shops.

Option 2: Coins and bars

Gold coins and bars, usually 24 carat, carry much smaller premiums than jewellery. They are a better choice if your main aim is to save in gold. Buy them from banks, well-known jewellers or the official outlets of refiners, and keep the packaging and certificate, because sealed coins are easier to resell.

Option 3: Gold ETFs

Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are mutual-fund units backed by physical gold held by the fund. You buy and sell them through a demat account on the stock exchange, just like shares. There is no making charge, no storage worry and no purity risk, and they are regulated by SEBI. Gold mutual funds that invest in these ETFs let you start with small monthly amounts without a demat account.

What about "digital gold" apps?

Many apps let you buy gold for as little as ₹10 and promise to store it in a vault for you. In November 2025, the market regulator SEBI warned investors that such "digital gold" or "e-gold" products are not securities and are not regulated by SEBI. That means if the platform fails or something goes wrong, the investor protection and complaint systems that apply to ETFs and mutual funds do not apply.

SEBI pointed investors instead to regulated options: gold ETFs, exchange-traded gold contracts and Electronic Gold Receipts. If you already hold digital gold, check who the custodian is and how you can sell or take delivery.

How to check that your jewellery is genuine

1. Look for the BIS hallmark: the BIS logo, the purity mark (for example 22K916), and a six-digit HUID code.
2. Check the HUID on the government's BIS Care app, which shows details registered for that piece.
3. Make sure the bill lists the weight, purity, gold rate, making charges and taxes separately.
4. Keep the bill safely. You will need it when you sell or exchange the piece.

Sensible money tips for the festival

• Set a budget first. Gold is near record highs; don't borrow to buy it.
• Think long term. Gold can protect savings when the rupee weakens or markets are shaky, but its price also swings. Most financial planners suggest it be only a small part of your savings.
• Silver is volatile too. Prices have climbed sharply, and can fall just as fast.
• Old gold exchange: if you are exchanging old jewellery, ask how the shop tests purity and what deduction it applies.

For the bigger picture behind high gold prices, read about the falling rupee and what to wear this Diwali.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice.

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