SWABI, Dec 15: More and more people are turning to use of artificial jewellery, even for brides, and this practice is gaining ground due record increase in prices of gold during the current year.

Local people and goldsmiths here admitted that the new trends in gold prices had changed the whole scenario for people.

Local gold price on Wednesday hit a new peak of Rs46,350 per tola and the goldsmiths did not rule out more increase in its price. Nooral Hadi, president of goldsmith association, said that the persistence decline in Pakistani currency against dollar and rise in the gold price at the global markets were the reasons for the upward trend in local gold prices.

Local jewellers said that so far the sale of both gold and silver was extremely low compared to last year and people were no longer taking interest in making gold ornaments or buying gold. In past, they were having long-term investments in mind.

The jewellers confessed that the new trend of use of artificial jewellery was the product of increasing gold prices, which had badly affected their business.

People from different walks of life told this correspondent that the rise in gold prices in the national and international markets had forced a number of couples to abandon their marriage plan, hoping that either their financial position would improve or prices of gold would fall.

However, some people opted for marrying in the current year using artificial jewellry. “It was not possible for me to meet the demands concerning gold jewellery and my father had clearly told my father-in-law that arranging for expensive gold jewellery would be quite difficult for us to manage. Finally the two families settled for artificial jewellry,” said Hamid Khan of Pabini.

“I was too lucky to buy some jewellery for my sister last year. She is getting married in the last week of December. The current price of gold was out of our reach,” said Aslam Khan of Swabi.