u/Tanhaaanjum

So this happened about 3 weeks ago and I'm still fuming. Posting here because I found out my neighbours got the same treatment and someone needs to call this out.

My wife and I went to a well-known local jeweller in Rajouri Garden (near the main market, you probably know the one, been there for decades, glass display cases, the uncle who sits at the counter and acts like he's doing you a favour) to buy a gold necklace. 22-23 carat, a fairly heavy traditional piece… the kind you buy for a wedding or a big occasion. We were excited. ₹2,95,184 is not a small amount of money. We paid. We came home. We felt good.

Then last month, my mother visited. Context: I had bought her a necklace from Tanishq last year — similar weight range, similar occasion. While comparing the two pieces, she casually mentioned that Tanishq had given her a receipt clearly showing net weight (gold weight minus the clasp, thread, lac filling, any non-gold components). She said, "beta yahan toh sirf sone ka paisa lagta hai."

That's when I pulled out my bill.

Look at the bill.

Gross Weight: 194.200 grams Net Weight: BLANK Rate: ₹15,200/gram Total: ₹2,95,184

They charged me ₹15,200 × 194.2g. On the gross weight. The net weight column, which exists on their own printed bill is just... empty. Like they forgot. Or chose to forget.

For context, a necklace like this with a meenakari clasp, a small gold chain for support, and lac filling in the pendant easily has 15-20% non-gold material by weight. That's potentially 25-30 grams of stuff that isn't gold that I paid gold rate for. At ₹15,200/gram, that's ₹3.8 to ₹4.5 lakh worth of overcharging. Wait, I mean ₹38,000 to ₹45,000. (Sorry, still angry, math went sideways.)

I went back and confronted them. The uncle smiled and said "bete gross weight toh standard hai, sab karte hain."

No. Not everyone does.

Tanishq doesn't. Their bill clearly shows gross weight AND net weight, and you're charged only on net. I've seen it with my own eyes on my mother's receipt. This is why branded jewellers, despite the so-called "making charges premium", often end up being genuinely competitive or even cheaper when you do the per-gram math on actual gold content. And you get a certified receipt, hallmarking, and exchange/buyback at fair value.

I spoke to four neighbours in my building who've bought from this same jeweller over the years. Every single one of them had bills with the net weight column blank. Every single one.

This isn't a mistake. This is a system.

What you should do:

Always ask for net weight explicitly before paying

If the net weight column on the bill is blank, do NOT pay and walk away

Demand BIS hallmarked jewellery with karatage certification

Compare making charges AND net weight, not just the per-gram rate

Branded stores aren't always more expensive do the math

Delhi people, please share this. Wedding season is here. Don't let your family get robbed with a smile and a mithai ka dabba.