Gold and Silver Rakhis See Rising Demand in AS Rao Nagar Ahead of Raksha Bandhan

Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, jewellery stores across Hyderabad, including outlets in AS Rao Nagar, are seeing an increased demand for silver and gold rakhis as buyers seek alternatives to traditional threads that can be preserved long after the festival.

At Shubhlaxmi Jewellers in AS Rao Nagar, silver rakhis have been a regular part of the store's festive offerings since 2006. Sourced from Rajkot in Gujarat, the rakhis are made with pure silver, which constitutes around 70 per cent of each piece. The store receives thousands of designs, packaged with around 100 pieces per box, and sells between three and four kilograms of silver rakhis annually.

Store owner Mukesh Jain noted that customer demand begins approximately a month before the festival, with popular styles selling out quickly as the occasion nears. The inventory includes pure gold rakhis alongside silver pieces, with designs tailored for long-term wear rather than single-day use.

"People who wish to wear their rakhis for a lifetime choose these. The pendants used in these rakhis are made of pure gold, with the weight depending on the design," Jain said. He added that the store does not stock one-gram gold variants, focusing instead on handpicked, customisable pure gold options. He explained that full silver designs function like bracelets, while pendant styles allow the pendant to be removed from the thread and converted into a permanent locket.

Spiritual motifs featuring deities such as Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, and Lord Ganesha remain the top choices among customers visiting the store.

Precious-metal collections are also being rolled out by jewellery brands such as GIVA. Resha Jain, chief brand officer at GIVA, stated that their Raksha Bandhan collection includes silver options, pet and kids' rakhis, bro rakhis, and 9-karat gold and lab-grown diamond pieces under the Heer by GIVA line.

According to the brand, the gold and diamond rakhis are structured to be repurposed into pendants after the celebrations, catering to consumers who want festive items to double as lasting personal jewellery.