What an XRF test tells you about old gold
How the machine reads purity in a minute, why nothing is melted, and how your old gold credit is worked out.
Visiting Big Bazaar Street: a practical guide
Parking, the quietest hours, where to eat and what else to see around Town Hall in Coimbatore.
Big Bazaar Street has been Coimbatore’s gold street for well over a century, and on a busy Saturday it can feel like the whole city is there. A little planning makes a jewellery visit much easier, especially with older relatives.
The best time to come is a weekday between 10.30 am and 1 pm. The morning gold rate is set by then, the street is not yet crowded and our staff have time to take pieces out of the vault one by one. Saturday evenings and the weeks before Deepavali and the wedding months of Thai and Vaikasi are the busiest.
Parking is the main difficulty. Two-wheelers can usually find space along the side lanes, but cars are easier to leave near the Town Hall or Raja Street and walk the last few minutes. If you are bringing an elderly family member, call ahead and one of our staff will meet your car at the corner and walk with you. Wear comfortable footwear; the pavements are uneven.
The area around the shop is worth an extra hour. The old Town Hall building and the clock tower are a short walk away, the textile shops of Oppanakara Street are one turn from us, and the Koniamman temple sits just behind. For lunch, there are good vegetarian meals houses on the same stretch that serve until 3 pm. If you prefer to avoid the street altogether, the home try-on service brings up to six pieces to you anywhere in Coimbatore.
