Gold Rate Calculator
Live gold, silver and platinum prices, with a calculator for what your jewellery or bullion is worth at any purity and weight.
Live spot prices from a public market data feed, converted with current exchange rates. Jewellers add making charges and GST/taxes on top of the metal rate — treat this as a reference, not a quote.
Value calculator
Work out what a piece of gold jewellery or bullion is actually worth from its weight, purity and the current rate — the same arithmetic a jeweller does, laid out so you can see each step rather than being handed a final number.
Purity is the part most people get wrong. A 22K chain is not 22/24 of the quoted 24K rate by coincidence — it is 91.6% pure gold by weight, and the remaining 8.4% is alloy that nobody should be paying gold prices for.
Karat, fineness and what you're really buying
| Karat | Purity | Hallmark | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% | 999 | Coins and bars; too soft for jewellery |
| 22K | 91.6% | 916 | Traditional Indian jewellery |
| 18K | 75.0% | 750 | Studded and designer jewellery |
| 14K | 58.5% | 585 | Everyday Western jewellery |
| 9K | 37.5% | 375 | Budget jewellery; legal minimum in the UK |
Look for the fineness number stamped on the piece. An unhallmarked item's purity is a claim, not a fact.
The charges added on top of metal value
- Making charges — the labour of turning metal into a piece, quoted either per gram or as a percentage. This is the most negotiable component and varies enormously between shops for identical work.
- Wastage — an allowance for metal lost in manufacturing, often folded into making charges. Ask whether you're being charged both.
- Stones — the weight of any gemstones should be deducted before gold is priced, then charged separately. Confirm the net gold weight on the invoice.
- Tax — applied on the total, and unavoidable.
- When selling back, expect metal value less a deduction, with no making charges returned. That's why jewellery is a poor short-term investment compared with coins or bars.
Checking a jeweller's quote
- Ask for the net gold weight in grams, excluding stones and any non-gold components.
- Confirm the karat and check it against the hallmark stamped on the piece.
- Multiply net weight by the per-gram rate for that purity — that's the metal value, and it's what this calculator gives you.
- Ask for making charges as a separate line rather than bundled into a single price.
- Add tax last, on the combined total.
- Compare the making-charge percentage across two or three shops — the metal rate barely differs between them, but the labour charge does.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is 22K gold priced at 91.6% of the 24K rate?
- 22 parts in 24 is 91.67%. The remaining portion is alloy metal — usually copper and silver — added for hardness, and it isn't worth gold prices.
- What do the numbers 916, 750 and 585 mean?
- They're fineness marks: parts of pure gold per thousand. 916 is 22K, 750 is 18K and 585 is 14K. They should be stamped on any hallmarked piece.
- Does this include making charges and tax?
- No — it calculates the metal value of the gold itself. Making charges and tax are added by the seller on top, and they vary widely between jewellers.
- Why do I get less than this value when selling jewellery back?
- Buyers deduct a margin, and making charges are never refunded. Selling an old ornament typically returns the metal value less a percentage, which is why coins and bars hold resale value better.
- Is the gold rate the same everywhere?
- The international spot price is global, but local retail rates differ with import duty, taxes, currency and dealer margin. Use a current local rate rather than the international one for a realistic figure.