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| Gold - Timeless, Rare & Influential |
A shiny yellow metal called Gold
On a recent trip to Mumbai, I visited a jewelry showroom to
buy a gift for an upcoming family wedding. I had shortlisted a few items from
the store’s online brochure, so I assumed this would be a quick and smooth
visit. As I approached the showroom, I noticed festive lights and decorations
outside, a busy valet directing a fleet of arriving cars, and sizeable foot
traffic heading into the store. Busy day, I thought to myself.
Inside, rows of chairs arranged three deep filled the center
court, anchored by sofas around the space. The chairs and sofas were occupied
by cheerful customers being served warm filter coffee, masala tea, and chilled
water by white-gloved wait staff. That wasn’t all. Guests were also offered Sev
Puri (crispy crackers topped with potatoes, onions, and chutneys) and Bhel Puri
(a similar preparation made with puffed rice instead of crackers).
Had the showroom started renting out its vast space for
weddings and cultural events?
As I walked through various sections of the multi-level
store looking for assistance, I was politely asked to collect a token from
reception.
The Power of Gold
Gold is the most powerful metal in human history — not because it is the rarest or most expensive, but because it has anchored currencies, influenced economies, and preserved value across civilizations for thousands of years. It has shaped finance, trade, adornment, art, worship, medicine, and, more recently, technology and industry.
Yet gold’s influence is
not limited to empires, trade routes, and financial systems. It also lives
quietly in memory, ritual, inheritance, and family tradition.
My earliest recollection of gold was the long double gold
chain around my grandmother’s neck, holding an oversized pendant that seemed
almost ceremonial in stature. Her heavy gold earrings had stretched her ear
lobes over the years — a familiar sight in many traditional households of her
generation. These were part of her everyday appearance, worn with the ease and
normalcy of ordinary clothing. Other family members owned their own modest
trinkets, but they paled in comparison to my Grande Madre’s Collezione 😊
Why is Gold the All-time favorite - not Rhodium or Diamonds?
Gold’s uniqueness lies in its simplicity and consistency — it can be recognized, valued, and exchanged across time and cultures without requiring transformation.
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| Gold is preferred over other expensive choices like Rhodium and Diamonds |
Of all the metals known to us, gold is one of the few that
is chemically "noble," meaning it refuses to react with almost
anything else, which means that a piece of gold nugget will look the same in
1,000 years as it did when it was first found. This combination of visibility,
stability, and trust makes gold more liquid and universally usable than rhodium
or diamonds.
Measuring Gold
Gold is measured in karats. Pure gold is designated 24 karats. A karat = 4.167 percent gold content. Gold that is lower than 24 karats is alloyed with another metal such as silver, nickel, copper or zinc. The lower the karat, the lesser the gold.
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| Gold is measured in Karats |
Buying Gold
Gold bullion bars can be purchased from banks, from
warehouses like Costco in US, Gold to Go Vending Machines at selected airports
(and the Emirates Hotel in Abu Dhabi). You can also purchase gold coins. You
can also buy gold exchange traded products such as ETFs (exchange traded
funds), CEFs (Closed end funds), SPDR Gold shares, Futures contracts,
derivatives and other financial instruments (please consult your financial
advisor).
Gold’s Role in World Economy
The value of various world currencies was once pegged to
gold. When dollars were fully convertible into gold via the gold standard,
both were regarded as money.
Gold continues to be universally recognized as a reserve
asset and store of value across nations.
Even though a country doesn’t back its currency with an
equivalent amount of gold, the country’s gold reserves continue to influence
perceptions of financial strength and reserve stability
The price of gold has traditionally moved in the same direction as Energy/Oil prices. However, this wasn’t the case in early 2026 when gold prices started falling as oil prices began to skyrocket.
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| Gold & Energy market divergence (2026) |
Why do countries hold Gold reserves?
Central banks hold gold reserves for multiple strategic
reasons: as a hedge against inflation and currency fluctuations, to diversify
their reserve portfolios beyond foreign currencies, for geopolitical security
during economic sanctions or crises, and to maintain confidence in their
monetary systems. Gold's unique properties—limited supply, universal
acceptance, and historical stability—make it an enduring store of value for
nations worldwide.
Gold Inventory, Distribution & Ownership
Here are some figures based on information from World Gold Council and other market sources (as of EY-2025)
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| Stock and distribution of Gold (2025): source: World Gold Council |
Gold isn’t simply stored in vaults. It sits quietly in
temples, wedding lockers, central banks, family inheritances and forgotten
jewelry boxes around the world
Major Gold Ownership
- The Producers >> Australia, Canada, China, Russia, South Africa and USA are the leading producers of gold.
- The Country Reserves >> Amongst countries, as of 2025, US has the largest gold reserves at ~8000 tons, followed by Germany at ~6000 tons. The top 10 countries collectively hold 24,000 tons of gold reserves. India is @ #8 with ~876 tons gold reserves.
- The Golden Ladies >> The World Gold Council estimates that Indian households (or rather Indian women) hold nearly 25,000 tons of gold — roughly 11% of the world’s gold supply. Their holdings exceed the combined gold reserves of the top 10 nations and are valued at more than the GDP of several major economies, including France, the world’s 7th largest economy. Talk about Gold Power!
The Golden Bird
For centuries, India was called Sone ki Chidiya — The
Golden Bird — due to its immense wealth, particularly the vast quantities of
gold and jewels held in temples and by royalty and nobility. This legendary
prosperity is believed to have attracted foreign powers to its shores, many of
whom eventually depleted much of that wealth.
Gold continues to hold deep cultural significance in India,
symbolizing prosperity, purity, and divinity. It is closely tied to traditions,
festivals, and family rituals, and is often gifted during weddings and
ceremonies as a sign of wealth, security, and good fortune. In many households,
families begin saving for a daughter’s wedding jewelry from childhood itself.
Gold is considered auspicious and is associated with
blessings from deities such as Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and
prosperity. During Dhanteras or Lakshmi Puja — celebrated during the Diwali
festival — purchasing gold is considered especially fortunate. Traditionally,
this has been one of the largest annual periods of gold buying in India,
whether in the form of jewelry, coins, or, more recently, bullion bars.
Gold ornaments and gold objects remain widely prevalent in
both public temples and private home shrines. Temples across India are believed
to collectively hold enormous quantities of gold, perhaps rivaling even
household holdings in scale.
Gold also plays a major role in household wealth
preservation. Estimates suggest it accounts for nearly 65% of Indian
households’ non-property wealth.
Gold as a lending instrument
Given gold’s long-standing role as a substitute for
currency, it has served for centuries as a financial lifeline during economic
hardship. Across many parts of the world, families have traditionally used gold
as collateral to secure emergency funds during difficult times.
Unfortunately, this dependence also exposed many households
— particularly in rural communities — to exploitative moneylenders and
predatory lending practices.
In recent years, however, banks and organized financial
institutions in India have expanded gold-backed lending services, offering
households safer and more structured borrowing options. These systems provide
borrowers with greater confidence that their pledged jewelry and collateral
will be securely returned once loans are repaid.
By November 2025, loans against gold and jewelry in India
had reached approximately $26 billion USD, reflecting the growing acceptance of
gold-backed lending as a mainstream retail credit product rather than merely a
distress-driven borrowing mechanism.
Gold and Divinity
Across ancient civilizations and religious traditions — from
the Sumerian, Egyptian, and Greek civilizations to the Indian subcontinent and
the Christian world — gold has symbolized divinity, purity, power, and eternity.
Gold adorned priests’ garments, statues of deities, crowns,
chalices, crosses, and sacred manuscripts, reinforcing associations with
spiritual authority and the divine. Its incorruptibility and resistance to
tarnish made it an especially powerful religious symbol across cultures.
Gold glistens atop iconic structures such as Harmandir Sahib
(The Golden Temple) in India and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It also
features prominently in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Byzantine traditions,
where gold symbolized purity, eternal light, and the unchanging nature of
divinity.
Because gold leaf reflects and amplifies light, artisans
extensively used it in temples, icons, manuscripts, and sacred art to create an
ethereal sense of radiance and divine presence.
Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, India — widely regarded
as the world’s richest temple — is estimated to hold over 10 tons of gold.
Gold in jewelry & art
Jewelry remains the single largest use of gold worldwide.
Because pure gold is relatively soft, it is often alloyed with metals such as
silver, copper, nickel, and zinc to improve strength, durability, and color
variation. Most jewelry typically ranges between 14K and 18K purity, while
higher-purity gold remains especially popular across parts of Asia and the
Middle East.
Gold’s visual brilliance has also made it a favored material
in art and decoration for centuries. Gold leaf has been widely used in
paintings, pottery, stained glass, manuscripts, and religious art to create
luminosity, richness, and symbolic grandeur.
Michelangelo incorporated gold leaf into decorative elements
of the Sistine Chapel, while Gustav Klimt’s celebrated painting The Kiss
used gold leaf to create a shimmering sense of intimacy and opulence inspired
by Byzantine mosaics.
Gold Embroidery
Gold embroidery using gold, silver and copper threads has
existed for centuries across Persia, South Asia and China. Known as Zari or
Zardozi work, these delicate metallic threads were once reserved for royalty,
nobility and ceremonial garments. While real gold and silver threads are now
rarely used due to cost, the art form continues in wedding attire and
ceremonial clothing.
Grandma had gifted me zardozi outfits for my first and
second birthdays. At the time, I had no idea they were embroidered with real
gold and silver threads. Today, they survive only in old photographs — and fond
memories.
Gold Beyond Wealth
- Dentistry:
Gold has been used in fillings, crowns and bridges since 600BC due to its
corrosion resistance and durability.
- Medicine:
Medical gold, or chrysotherapy, has historically been used in treating
rheumatoid arthritis.
- Technology:
Due to its conductivity and resistance to corrosion, gold is widely used
in electronics, semiconductors and high-reliability components.
The Real Powerhouse
5000+ years and counting, the influence of gold continues to
grow. No other material element seems to hold such a powerful grip over
humanity as the golden nugget. Gold has inspired worship and warfare, adorned
kings and commoners, built fortunes and destroyed lives. A tiny piece of gold
can influence emotions, relationships, markets, and major human decisions.
But then, in the current context, who truly holds the power — the gold itself, or, as its largest collective owners, the women of India?
As for my own gold shopping expedition that day in Mumbai? The crowds had already scooped up most of the good designs. Perhaps Goddess Lakshmi had other plans? 🙏🙏
Thanks for reading!
Until next time, folks. Stay sharp, stay curious. 🎯🌍✨
🔔🔔[Thanks for reading this blog! Explore more blogs in the Avantiqa 360 SmartEdge series on the Avantiqa 360 Business & Leadership page, or browse other insightful blogs on Travel, Business & Leadership, AI, Communication, Global Foods & Dining and Lifestyle at Avantiqa 360.]
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