Ratlam’s gold standard: Inside India’s swarn nagri and the legacy of Kataria Jew |
In India’s deeply embedded gold economy, certain cities have evolved into trust capital destinations where purity is not merely promised but expected. Ratlam, a city in Madhya Pradesh, is often associated with its famed sev yet holds a far more enduring identity within the jewellery trade. For over a century, it has been recognised as Swarn Nagri, the City of Gold, where craftsmanship, consistency, and credibility converge to create one of the country’s most reliable gold markets.
What sets Ratlam apart is its unwavering commitment to purity. Across India, 22-karat gold, standardized at 91.6% purity, became the norm following the introduction of BIS hallmarking in 2000. Ratlam, however, has long operated at a slightly higher benchmark. For nearly 125 years, jewellers in the city have worked with approximately 92% pure gold, establishing a legacy that predates formal certification systems. This practice, passed down through generations of karigars and traders, has embedded a culture where........