India, May 15 -- A fter Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to avoid buying gold, the Centre on Wednesday raised customs duty on gold and silver from 6% to 15% to curb imports and conserve foreign exchange amid the ongoing US-Iran crisis. The move has now pushed many families and couples to repurpose heirloom jewellery instead of investing in new gold. "Gold price is already skyrocketing, so I have planned to repurpose old heirloom jewellery," says Devika, a 28-year-old Delhi-based communications professional. Jewellers across Delhi say they are seeing a sharp rise in exchange requests, even as fresh purchases slow down. "Most buyers coming to the store now are bringing old gold instead of buying new jewellery," says Gagan Aneja from Sajdaa Diamonds. "Karigar roz aake kaam mang rahe hain par naye buyers hi aana band ho gaye hain," he says, adding that many stores are now "offering redesigns using customers' existing gold without major deductions after melting". "People have realised they can use the gold lying in their lockers and help the national interest at the same time," says Bhavesh Gaba from Manoharlal Jewellers. Echoing the shift, Rajat Jain from Naulakha Fine Jewels says, "The mindset has changed, and the conversation has started... buyers who once considered old gold untouchable are now more open to recycling family jewellery."...