Gold out of reach this Diwali? Try these options instead

Summary: With gold soaring to all-time highs, buying the precious metal may seem out of reach. However, there exist affordable ways to invest in gold. Let’s find out. Two days back, my neighbour, Pallavi, returned from the jewellery store, looking dejected. She had gone to buy a simple gold chain for her mother, something they do every Diwali. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Do you know how expensive gold has become?” she replied with a shocked look, “Rs 1.3 lakh…for 10 grams. At this rate, I will never be able to afford gold in future.” Pallavi is not alone. Gold has been on a tear, scaling one high after another. Silver has followed suit. Walk into any jewellery shop right now and you'll see families doing mental arithmetic, trying to figure out if they can still afford their annual ritual. Add to that the making charges, which range anywhere from 10 and 30 per cent of the gold value and suddenly that small festive purchase feels like a down payment on a used car. So here's the question: if you still want gold in your life (or your portfolio) this Diwali, how do you do it without feeling robbed? The jewellery trap Let's be honest, buying physical gold as an ‘investment’ has been a bit of a con we play on ourselves. Sure, it feels good. It's tangible, it's pretty, it's something you can pass down. But strip away the emotion and look at the numbers: you're paying extra just for someone to sh

This article was originally published on October 18, 2025.