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Asia Gold-Sky high prices take shine off Indian gold buying festival

Need for physical gold was much lower than normal throughout an essential celebration in India, the world's. secondbiggest consumer, as nearrecord high prices discouraged. retail buyers and forced dealerships to use high discount rates.

Akshaya Tritiya, the second-biggest gold-buying celebration. after Dhanteras, was celebrated on Friday.

Lots of consumers selected token purchases of little. denomination coins. Jewellery demand was very weak compared to. last year, said a Mumbai-based jeweller, who said his sales. throughout the festival totaled up to only about two-thirds of the. numbers seen last year.

We were not anticipating demand to increase or match in 2015's. level. The drop in need was far larger than our. expectations.

Domestic prices were trading around 72,700 rupees per 10. grams on Friday, not far from a record high of 73,958 rupees struck. last month.

Rates have increased more than 21% since the last Akshaya. Tritiya celebration.

Retail purchasers are having a hard time to swallow the current cost. increases, which have actually severely impacted their purchasing power,. stated Prithviraj Kothari, president of the India Bullion and. Jewellers Association.

Indian dealers used discount rates of as much as $7 an ounce over. main domestic costs - inclusive of 15% import and 3% sales. levies - versus last week's $1 premium.

In top customer China, dealers charged premiums. << XAU-CN-PREM > of $26-$ 35 per ounce over benchmark spot costs. , up from $18-$ 20 last week.

Need is a little muted as rates are rather high. If they. fall to $2,250, individuals will buy on dips, stated Peter Fung, head. of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals in Hong Kong.

In Japan, dealerships offered gold << XAU-TK-PREM > at $0.5-$ 1. premiums. Traders stated need got slightly after the. Golden Week vacation.

In Singapore, << XAU-SG-PREM > and Hong Kong << XAU-HK-PREM >,. gold was sold at anywhere in between at par with the benchmark to. $ 2.50 premiums.

(source: Reuters)