India’s jewellery market is going digital — but with clear limits. A new industry report by Deloitte India shows that while discovery has decisively moved online, trust-heavy transactions are still firmly anchored in physical stores. The result is an ‘affordable luxury’ sweet spot where e-commerce is scaling fast, even as big-ticket purchases resist the shift.
According to Deloitte’s consumer survey, over 80% of online jewellery purchases are priced at Rs 50,000 or below. These tend to be lightweight, standardised pieces — often bought for low-involvement gifting or self-purchase. High-value jewellery, especially wedding-related buying that accounts for more than half of the market, remains predominantly offline.
Trials Make It Better?
“Online jewellery is already working—but mainly at low ticket sizes,” said Praveen Govindu, Partner, Deloitte India. “Wedding jewellery is one of the highest-involvement purchases, typically made by couples and families together. The store experience — trials with wedding attire, bespoke customisation, and collective decision-making — makes offline far more engaging and productive.”
That dynamic explains why digital platforms, despite rising traffic, struggle to convert big baskets. Deloitte’s data shows digital channels increasingly act as discovery and lead-generation engines, while stores remain the core conversion hubs for high-trust purchases. The pattern mirrors consumer behaviour in apparel — casual wear online, wedding attire offline.
So, What’s The Occasion?
Still, the report argues the online ceiling is not fixed. Between low-involvement gifting and high-involvement weddings lies a growing opportunity: milestone-driven purchases such as anniversaries, promotions, graduations and self-reward moments. These occasions involve emotional significance but not the same ceremonial intensity as weddings — making them more amenable to online buying.
“The unlock is a stronger digital trust and convenience stack,” Govindu said. “Verifiable authenticity, transparent product information, and hassle-free returns — ideally including return-to-store—can eliminate the fear of making a wrong decision.”
A Word Of Advice
Importantly, Deloitte cautions brands against expecting jewellery e-commerce to behave like fashion retail. “Consumers are comfortable buying low-value pieces online, but for high-value, high-involvement purchases they prefer stores,” Govindu noted. “That’s why many retailers are building digital primarily as a brand-building and discovery layer, while keeping physical retail as the closing channel.”
For India’s jewellery brands, cracking the online code may not mean moving weddings to the web. Instead, the near-term prize lies in scaling affordable luxury — lightweight, design-led jewellery that blends digital convenience with offline assurance, and turns discovery clicks into long-term trust.
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