What your budget buys today
A gold gift is priced by weight, so the first question is how many grams a budget reaches. At today's rates, with the making charge and GST included, this is what each one buys.
| Budget | 22K jewellery | 18K jewellery | 24K coin |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹5,000 | 0.33 g | 0.39 g | 0.33 g |
| ₹10,000 | 0.66 g | 0.78 g | 0.65 g |
| ₹15,000 | 0.99 g | 1.2 g | 0.98 g |
| ₹20,000 | 1.3 g | 1.6 g | 1.3 g |
| ₹30,000 | 2 g | 2.4 g | 2 g |
| ₹50,000 | 3.3 g | 3.9 g | 3.3 g |
18K gold is 75% gold against 22K's 91.6%, so the same money buys about a fifth more weight, and it holds stones and fine designs better. 22K is the traditional choice and keeps more of its value when sold.
Gold gifts that fit each budget
- Under ₹5,000: about 0.33 g of 22K gold, enough for a small nose pin or a child's tiny studs. Even a 0.5 gram 24K coin costs about ₹7,690 today, so a gold coin is out of reach at this budget. A silver gift goes much further here: see silver gifts.
- Around ₹10,000: about 0.66 g of 22K: a nose pin, plain studs or a baby's bali, or a 0.5 gram coin (about ₹7,690).
- Around ₹20,000: about 1.3 g of 22K or 1.6 g of 18K: light stud earrings, a slim ring or a small pendant.
- Around ₹30,000: about 2 g of 22K: a ring with some weight, everyday earrings or a pendant on a thin chain in 18K.
- Around ₹50,000: about 3.3 g of 22K: a light chain, a pair of small jhumkas, a mangalsutra pendant or a 2 to 3 gram coin. In 18K, a diamond-set pendant or ring, with the stones billed on top.
For your wife, husband, mother, sister or a baby
- Wife: earrings, a pendant or a ring are worn most and suit any budget. More ideas by occasion are in jewellery gifts for your wife.
- Husband: men’s pieces are heavier, so at lower budgets a gold coin, a slim ring or a black-thread bracelet with a small gold motif works better than a chain.
- Mother or mother-in-law: plain earrings, a coin, or a small addition to a set she already wears.
- Sister: studs, a pendant or a coin; for Rakhi, see Raksha Bandhan jewellery.
- A baby: a pair of bali, a small kada or a coin; see gifts for a newborn.
Getting the most gold for the money
- Plain designs carry a lower making charge than filigree or stone-set work, so more of the budget goes into gold.
- Choose hallmarked gold: the stamp shows the BIS mark, the purity (22K916, 18K750) and a six-character HUID.
- Ask for the weight, the making charge and GST to be shown separately, and check the rate against today’s.
- Coins from a jeweller usually cost less than bank coins, and a jeweller will buy them back.
Questions
- What gold gift can I buy under ₹10,000?
- At today's rate ₹10,000 buys about 0.66 g of 22K gold jewellery with making charge and GST, enough for a nose pin, plain studs or a baby's bali, or about 0.65 g as a 24K coin.
- How much gold does ₹5,000 buy today?
- About 0.33 g of 22K jewellery or 0.39 g of 18K, making charge and GST included, on 7 Nov 2026.
- Is 18K or 22K gold better for a gift?
- 22K is the traditional choice and keeps more of its value; 18K buys about a fifth more weight for the money and holds stones and fine designs better, which suits rings and everyday earrings.