Silver Lakshmi Ganesh idols: weight, purity, size and what to look for
How to choose a silver Lakshmi Ganesh idol: what the weight tells you about size, what 999, 995 and 925 mean on an idol, and the ten pairs held in Melbourne, from 22.5 g to 147.5 g, hallmarked and posted the next business day.
ARKH · 10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Silver idols are bought for Diwali and Dhanteras, for a mandir, for a housewarming, a wedding or as a gift, and the occasions come round every year. The question is the same each time: which one. A listing that says “silver Lakshmi Ganesh idol” and nothing else cannot answer it. What answers it is a weight you can compare, a purity that is stated rather than implied, and a photograph that shows how big the piece really is.
The ten pairs we hold in Melbourne
Each is a pair, one Lakshmi and one Ganesh, and the weight is for both together. Each is hallmarked, with its purity and weight on its page. Light to heavy, as held on 10 November:
- Lakshmi & Ganesh on Lotus, 22.5 g: 925 sterling silver, $290.
- Lakshmi & Ganesh on Lotus, 33.9 g: 995 silver, $365.
- Lakshmi Ganesh Pair with Jaali Arch, 38.8 g: 925 sterling silver, $395.
- Lakshmi Ganesh Idol Pair, 42.6 g: 925 sterling silver, $435.
- Lakshmi & Ganesh on Lotus, 51.7 g: 995 silver, $555.
- Lakshmi & Ganesh with Peacock Arch, 52.2 g: 925 sterling silver, $560.
- Lakshmi Ganesh Idol Pair, 63.8 g: 925 sterling silver, $650.
- Lakshmi & Ganesh, 73.3 g: 999 fine silver, $810.
- Lakshmi & Ganesh on Lotus, 144.6 g: 995 silver, $1,545.
- Lakshmi & Ganesh on Chowki, 147.5 g: 925 sterling silver, $1,350.
The in Melbourne shelf is always the current list, because each of these is one piece or a few, and a sold piece comes off the page. The idols shelf has the rest, including pieces that are held at our counter in Meerut.
Weight is the size
Weight is the one number on a listing you can carry to any other seller and compare. For an idol it also tells you how big the piece is, which a photograph on a black background cannot. A pair of 34 g and a pair of 145 g can be the same design, as the two below are: the heavier one is simply larger. That is why we show the weight on every page, and why the pages say the same thing about heights: we do not quote them, we show them, with the piece against a ruler and in the hand. The last photographs on each page are those.
Two things to know when you read the number. First, it is the two figures together, so each is roughly half. Second, it is measured on the finished piece, and the page says it varies very slightly between castings. When we hold more than one of a design, the page says the weight can differ by a gram or two at the same price.
Purity: 999, 995 or 925 on an idol
The number is parts of silver in every 1,000, so 999 is 99.9% silver, 995 is 99.5% and 925 is 92.5%. Our guide to how to tell real 925 silver explains the scale and how to check a stamp, and it is not repeated here. What matters on an idol is that purity and weight are two separate numbers and you need both. Weight says how much; purity says how fine. A listing that gives one and not the other has left out half of what you would compare.
Among the pairs in Melbourne, one is 999 fine silver, three are 995 and six are 925 sterling. Heritage purity varies from piece to piece, so we state each piece’s own on its page and do not give one figure for the range. Purity does not set the price on its own. The 51.7 g pair on lotus is 995 and $555, and the 52.2 g pair with a peacock arch is 925 and $560, which says that the design counts as well.
The formats: lotus, arch and chowki
On a lotus
The most common way to seat the pair. Three of the ten are the same design at 33.9 g, 51.7 g and 144.6 g, which makes them the easiest way to see what weight does to size. The 22.5 g pair and the 73.3 g pair are different designs, also on lotus bases.
On a lotus
With an arch
An arch behind each figure gives the pair a frame. The four arched pairs run from 38.8 g to 63.8 g: one with a jaali arch, one with peacock arches, and two with carved seats and arches, one of them under a canopy. In the photographs each figure stands on its own base.
With an arch
On a chowki
A chowki is the low raised seat. The Lakshmi & Ganesh on Chowki is the heaviest pair in Melbourne at 147.5 g, in 925 sterling silver, with each figure on its own carved seat.
On a chowki
We do not quote heights, we show them.
Buying one, and what arrives
The ten above are held in Melbourne, priced and posted the next business day. Within Australia, delivery is $7.95 and free over $100, so every pair here ships free (the shipping page has the rest). The piece arrives boxed, with an authenticity card that states what it is and what it is made of. We also ship worldwide; import duty and taxes in the receiving country are paid by the receiver.
Our counter in Meerut holds more Lakshmi Ganesh idols, from 17.9 g to 291.3 g, and some that add Saraswati. They are price on request. Write to us on WhatsApp to check what is available, in which size and how long it will take, before you plan around a date. One example is the 120 g Lakshmi Ganesh idol, 925 sterling silver. If the size you want is not listed, ask: counter pieces can be made in other sizes, and we quote the weight and price first.
Looking after a silver idol
Silver darkens over time, and a soft anti-tarnish cloth restores the shine. Go gently on carved detail, and keep the piece dry and away from rubber, wool and perfume.
Questions people ask
How much does a silver Lakshmi Ganesh idol cost?
The ten pairs we hold in Melbourne are $290 for the 22.5 g pair to $1,545 for the 144.6 g pair. Price follows weight, though not in a straight line: the 147.5 g pair on a chowki is $1,350, below the 144.6 g pair on lotus at $1,545, because the pieces are different in purity and design. Compare the weight and the purity first, then the price.
What is the difference between 999, 995 and 925 in an idol?
The number is parts of silver in every 1,000: 999 is 99.9% silver, 995 is 99.5% and 925 is 92.5%. Each page states its own, along with the weight, and every Heritage piece is hallmarked. For the scale in full, see how to tell real 925 silver.
How do I know how big it will be?
Use the weight for a first idea and the photographs for the rest. The last pictures on each page show the pair against a ruler and in the hand, and we do not quote heights. If you are choosing between two weights, look at both ruler photographs.
Is a Lakshmi Ganesh idol one piece or two?
Two, sold as a pair: one Lakshmi and one Ganesh. The weight on the page is the two together.
Can I return an idol?
Not for a change of mind. A murti that has gone into a home and been placed before a deity is not something we resell, so idols are not returned for that reason. If a piece arrives damaged, has a fault or is not what its page described, you are entitled to a refund, replacement or repair under Australian Consumer Law. The returns policy sets it out.
Can I buy an idol as a gift?
Yes. A pair arrives boxed, with its authenticity card, and the weight and purity on the page mean the person receiving it can check what it is. For ideas under $100, see our silver gifts guide, which includes two Heritage diyas.
Weighed, hallmarked, with its purity stated, and in Melbourne.
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