Kaur has emphasized that her choice isn’t rooted in a lack of faith in Australia. Instead, it’s a means of preserving a vital link to her cultural heritage. For her, this action symbolizes safeguarding something irreplaceable, a sentiment that resonates deeply with her personal history.

The decision was influenced by unsettling stories of burglaries circulating among her community on WhatsApp groups. Coupled with the rising gold prices, these factors have contributed to her growing anxiety about retaining such valuables in her current location.

Her actions reflect a broader sentiment of caution within her community. “People aren’t liquidating — they’re safeguarding,” another community member shared with SBS News, underscoring the protective instincts driving such decisions.

“They see their family vault in India as safer than stowing away gold in obscure corners of the house. Even if they purchase here or in India, they prefer to keep that jewellery with their parents in India.

With working parents and school-going children leaving some homes unoccupied for most of the day, a family vault in India — guarded by relatives — is often viewed as more secure than a home safe in Australia.

Gold as culture, not commodity

“It reflects deep trust in family networks and cultural continuity. It’s not only about financial security but emotional security, anchoring wealth within family ties and the social fabric of the homeland. For many, it represents confidence in kinship rather than in formal systems,” Chavan said.

“Women also tell that the husband stole her jewellery as he left home because of an intervention order. Getting the jewellery back is nearly always impossible. The woman not only loses in terms of wealth, but also loses jewellery which has been handed down her mother’s line for generations.”

Jewellery theft

Between March 2024 and 2025, nearly $29 million worth of jewellery was reported stolen from Victorian properties. The hardest-hit area was Boroondara in Melbourne’s inner-east, with $3.3 million stolen, followed by nearby suburbs such as Hawthorn, Balwyn North, and Kew.

Nearly $29 million worth of jewellery was reported stolen from Victorian properties in the year to June 2025, according to data from the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency. Source: SBS News

CSA data shows there were 30,545 burglaries of Victorian homes in the year to June 2025, up 13.9 per cent from 26,812 the previous year.

“Some of it was heirloom, passed down through generations,” she told SBS News.

Melburnian Simreet Thukral had gold and diamond jewellery worth $8,000 stolen from her former home in Noble Park in south-east Melbourne when she went on a trip to Adelaide. Source: Supplied

Despite filing a police report, the pieces were never recovered.

“When you send jewellery to India through courier companies or similar means, you will have to pay taxes and duties, which is quite a costly affair,” he said.

Ekjot Kaur said sending her gold jewellery to her family in India is about protecting a tangible connection to her roots and cultural heritage. Source: Supplied

But for some, like Kaur, the reassurance of family custody outweighs the logistical hurdles. She said sending her gold home isn’t about distrusting Australia — it is about protecting a tangible connection to her family and her roots.

“Distance makes me feel safer.”

Financial and regulatory considerations

India allows limited quantities of gold to be brought in duty-free, but tighter reporting rules mean families prefer small, discreet transfers rather than large shipments.

Professor Santosh Jatrana (not pictured) from the Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation said factors such as the cost of storage and insurance can play a major role in the decision to transfer gold within migrant communities. Credit: Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Professor Santosh Jatrana from the Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation said policy factors also play a major role in the decisions related to the transfer of gold within migrant communities.