Dhanteras is the festival of wealth and prosperity. An auspicious day when any object of acquisition, be it a small utensil or an exquisite piece of gold jewellery, is said to bring in luck. This year's Dhanteras comes after the Union government altered a key rule governing gold buying.
- Do your homework before setting out to buy gold. Know the price of gold by also checking with other shops as well.
- Check making charges before buying gold ornaments. Making charges normally range between 6 per cent and 25 per cent of the cost of gold.
- Always buy gold hallmarked by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The gold is hallmarked by BIS-recognised Assaying and hallmarking centres.
- Find out the carat of the gold, which denotes its purity in fractions. The higher the carat, the higher is the percentage of purity of gold.
- Always insist on a bill which tells you in detail about the price and value of gold and precious stones, if any.
- If you want to invest in gold, buy gold coins. Or you could invest in gold ETFs or sovereign gold bond scheme.
- Some shops also offer insurance for high-end jewellery of Rs 50,000 and above. Ask the jeweller if he will give you insurance before buying large ticket items.