Which karat is best for jewellery in Pakistan?

21K and 22K are the most common. 21K is stronger for daily wear; 22K has more gold and a richer colour. 18K is used for stone jewellery.

What does 916 mean on gold?

916 means the piece is 91.6–91.7% gold, which is 22K.

How much do jewellers deduct when buying old gold?

It varies by shop and by the piece. Ask several jewellers and compare their offer with the gold value from our calculator.

Is it better to buy gold bars or jewellery?

Bars have lower making charges and resell closer to the market rate. Jewellery has making charges that you do not get back when selling.

Gold Buying Guide for Pakistan

Everything you need to check before you buy or sell gold in Pakistan, from karats and stamps to making charges and how much a jeweller will deduct when you sell. Prices below use today’s rate (5 November 2026).

1. Know the karat and its stamp

Karat	Gold content	Common stamp	Used for	1 tola today
24K	99.9%	999	Bars, biscuits, coins	Rs 435,636
22K	91.7%	916	Bridal and traditional sets	Rs 399,333
21K	87.5%	875	Everyday jewellery	Rs 381,182
18K	75%	750	Diamond and stone jewellery	Rs 326,727

Ask the jeweller to write the karat on the receipt. If a shop only quotes “the gold rate” without naming the karat, ask whether it is for 24K, 22K or 21K. The difference on one tola can be tens of thousands of rupees.

2. Know your units

The standard tola used for the national rate is 11.664 grams. One tola has 12 masha and one masha has 8 ratti. Some dealers, especially in older markets, may quote prices for a slightly different tola size, so if a price looks unusual, ask which weight it is for. Our tola, masha and gram converter helps you check.

3. Ask for making charges separately

The final price of jewellery is the gold value plus making charges (banwai). Some jewellers charge a fixed amount per tola, others a percentage of the gold value, and intricate designs cost more. Get the gold weight, karat and making charges written separately so you can compare shops. The gold price calculator adds them up for you.

4. Stones are not gold

For jewellery with stones or beads, ask for the net gold weight without stones. You should pay the gold rate only on the gold.

5. Keep the receipt

A proper receipt shows the date, weight, karat, gold rate used, making charges and the shop’s details. You will need it to sell or exchange the piece later and, in many cases, for buy-back at a better rate from the same shop.

6. Selling or exchanging old gold

When you sell, the jeweller pays for the pure gold content and usually deducts a percentage for impurities, wear and melting (often called khaad or kaat). The deduction differs between shops, so ask two or three jewellers. Exchanging old gold for new jewellery at the same shop often gets a lower deduction than selling for cash. Use the “Selling old gold” mode in our calculator to see what to expect.

7. Ways to own gold

Jewellery: useful and traditional, but making charges are not recovered when you sell.
Bars and biscuits (24K): lower making charges and easier to resell close to the market rate. Buy from a well-known dealer with a receipt.
Gold funds and exchange contracts: some Pakistani asset managers offer gold-linked funds, and gold contracts trade on PMEX. These avoid storage but carry their own fees and risks.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Prices change daily; always confirm with the seller.

8. Zakat on gold

If your gold, silver and savings together are above the nisab for a full lunar year, zakat is 2.5% of their value. Work it out with our zakat calculator.