A tribal-dominated district of Rajasthan, Banswara is not only known for its lush greenery and folk culture, but also for the heavy and luxurious silver jewelery worn by the families here. Over the years, silver has not only been a metal, but a symbol of social prestige, cultural heritage and emotional connection. But recently, the rising prices of silver have begun to affect these age-old relationships. Tribal families now demand to reduce the weight and size of their jewellery, while traders make jewelery according to their purchasing power. The price of pure silver in the market has more than doubled to ₹250,000 per kg in a year. This is more than double the price of ₹92,000 per kg on the same day last year. The rise is surprising when gold jewelery sellers say the price will touch ₹210,000 per kg before Holi. Jewelery worn by many generations Silver jewelery in Banswara has been passed down from generation to generation. Tribal women proudly wear heavy jewelery like kandora, anklets, anklets and bangles from waist to feet, hands and neck. This jewelry is an important part of their identity. However, the sharp rise in prices has forced these families to compromise on their age-old traditions. There was a time when it was common for a family to have 10 to 15 kg of silver jewelry, but now people buy “low purity” or “light weight” silver jewelry. Sudden rise in gold prices Along with silver, gold prices also experienced a rise. The market price of gold is ₹1,32,500 per 10 grams, which was ₹78,800 per 10 grams on the same day last year. This rising price had a direct impact on jewellery. The number of customers in the local market is decreasing. The jewelery weighed only one kilogram. Tribal community meetings were held in hundreds of villages and hamlets across the district. At the social level, it was decided that no person would exchange silver jewelery weighing more than one kilogram. The motive behind this is to free families from financial burden. The limit of gold is also fixed at one tola i.e. 10 grams. Jewelery worth more than Rs 1.5 lakh: On Tuesday, the price of silver jewelery with 80 per cent purity, which was the most popular in the district, was around Rs 1.55 lakh per kg, while the price of silver with less purity was even lower. Jewelery with a purity of up to 50 per cent is available in the district. The cost of making jewellery, taxes etc. are charged separately.