Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This piece explores a generational shift in how young people view gold—not as sentimental heirlooms, but as liquid assets. By selling inherited jewelry to fund homes, education, and startups, they are fueling a surge in gold recycling.
The new generation no longer views gold merely as jewelry, but as an investment. Young people are selling inherited jewelry to achieve major goals like buying a home, funding education, starting a business, and investing, which is rapidly boosting the trend of gold recycling.
For years, heavy gold bangles, wedding necklaces, and generations-old jewelry sat in a Mumbai bank locker, serving only as keepsakes. But then, a young couple made a decision few would have considered before. Ritu and Madan Patil (names changed), in their late 20s, sold their inherited jewelry and used the money to buy their first home.
Selling the gold fetched them around 20 lakh rupees. This amount increased the down payment on their home in Navi Mumbai and reduced their monthly home loan EMI by about 20,000 rupees. With the remaining money, they can even afford a trip to Lonavala every other month.
Across the country, Gen Z and Millennials are now selling or exchanging old gold stored in lockers to put it to better use. Some are buying homes, some are funding overseas education, others are starting businesses, and many are investing in the stock market and other options. Meanwhile, many are also exchanging old-fashioned jewelry for new, lighter designs.
Rajeev Popli, Director of Popli Group, says that about 70-75% of customers visiting their stores are exchanging old gold to buy new jewelry. According to him, over 1 lakh tons of gold is lying unused in bank lockers and homes across India, but only a tiny fraction has been recycled so far.
India remains the world’s largest gold jewelry market, but mindsets are changing. According to ICRA, demand for gold jewelry (by volume) fell by 21% in the fiscal year 2025-26, while investment in gold bars and coins increased by about 22%. This clearly shows that young people now view gold not just as an ornament, but as a vehicle for investment.
A 25-year-old bank employee from Bengaluru took advantage of record gold prices to sell inherited jewelry and invest the proceeds in the stock market.
Similarly, 29-year-old Supriya Venkatesh exchanged her mother’s old wedding jewelry for new designs. She says that wearing decades-old jewelry designs is no longer preferred today.
A family in Bengaluru sold part of the gold in their locker, raising about 80 lakh rupees. This money funded the son’s Master’s degree in the US and the father’s food processing business startup.
The family believes that gold is meant for difficult times and major life goals, and education and starting a business fall into that category.
In the past nine months, over 5 lakh customers have exchanged more than 11,000 kilograms of gold at Titan’s Tanishq stores. The company says this has boosted gold recycling in the country and will help reduce dependence on imports.
Sociologists believe that despite the growing investment mindset, the emotional significance of gold in weddings, festivals, and family traditions will remain. However, the new generation is increasingly prioritizing lightweight designs, gold ETFs, and other investment options over heavy jewelry. In other words, for the new generation, gold in a locker is no longer just for show, but is becoming a means to fulfill life’s big dreams.
