Every Independence Day, my dadaji used to hoist our tiranga on the shop shutter at 8 a.m. sharp. He’d say something I’ve never forgotten "Beta, sona bhi ek tarah ki azadi hai. Aisi azadi jo aane wali generation ke liye rakhi jaati hai." Gold is also a kind of freedom. A freedom you keep for the next generation.

That line has stayed with me. And every year on 15th August, at Satva Gold, we try to pass on a little of that thought to our customers.

This year we’re doing something we’ve never done before.

Let’s talk about making charges first

The word "making charges" gets thrown around so much that most customers just nod and pay whatever the bill says. But it’s worth understanding because if you don’t understand it, you can’t tell whether an offer is real or just noise.

When you buy a gold ornament, you’re not just paying for the gold. You’re paying for three separate things:

• The gold itself — based on that day’s rate per gram.
• The making charges — the karigar’s craft, the design, the hours of hand-work that turned a plain gold biscuit into that necklace.
• GST — the government’s share, 3% on the total.

Making charges usually sit between 8% and 25% of the total bill, depending on the piece. On a heavier bridal set or an antique-work necklace, this can easily be ₹40,000 to ₹1,50,000 just in labour cost.

So when we say flat 80% off making charges we’re literally cutting that portion by four-fifths. If your making charges would have been ₹50,000, you pay ₹10,000. That’s not a marketing line. That’s the math.

Why we’re doing this

Somebody in the shop asked me last week, "Dhruv bhai, itni badi discount kyun? Kuch to catch hoga." Why such a big offer, there must be a catch.

There’s no catch. There’s a reason.

August in Ahmedabad is quiet. Shraddh comes right after Independence Day, and traditionally we don’t do sona shopping in that period. So the two weeks before Shraddh are the last real window for anyone thinking about Diwali, wedding season, or a gift for the house. We wanted our customers to walk in during that window without hesitating over the making charge slab. That’s the whole reason.

"We wanted our customers to walk in without hesitating over the making charge slab. That’s the whole reason."

What I’d honestly suggest you buy

If you’re planning to come in on 15th, here’s how I’d think about it piece by piece.

For yourself: A daily-wear chain, bracelet, or ring you’d actually use. Making charges on these are usually 12–18%, so the savings show up clearly. Also antique-work jhumkas or chandbalis. These carry the highest making charges (often 20–25%), which means the 80% cut hits hardest here.

For the family: A bangle set for your wife or mother. Bangles are one of those pieces where the karigari cost is genuinely high, and the finish makes all the difference. If it’s for a specific occasion anniversary, birthday, house-warming this is the day to lock it in.

For gifting: Kids’ gold nazariya, small rings, first-birthday sets. Perfect if you have a naming ceremony or first birthday coming up in the next few months. Also worth thinking about: Rakshabandhan is on 28th August this year. If you buy the rakhi kada or bracelet on 15th, you save the making charges on it too.

The fine print — in plain English

One small request

If you can, please come between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The evening gets crowded every year on offer days, the shop fills up around 6 p.m., and I don’t want any customer standing and waiting for a chair. Choose your piece calmly. Ask questions. Weigh it in your hand.

This 15th August, we’re not asking you to celebrate freedom by buying gold. Celebrate it however you want hoist the flag, sing the anthem, spend the day with your family. And if somewhere in that day, you were already planning to buy sona for someone you love do it with us. We’ll make sure the labour isn’t what stops you.

See you at the shop.