24 carat is pure gold — 99.9% fine. 22 carat is 91.67% gold with the remaining 8.33% made up of copper, silver or zinc. That single difference explains everything else: why one is used for coins and the other for jewellery, why they are priced differently, and why "which is better" is the wrong question.
| 24 Carat | 22 Carat (916) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gold content | 99.9% | 91.67% |
| Hallmark | 999 | 916 |
| Price per tola | Rs 469,639 | Rs 430,502 |
| Price per gram | Rs 40,264.63 | Rs 36,909.26 |
| Hardness | Very soft — marks easily | Hard enough for daily wear |
| Typical form | Coins, bars, biscuits | Jewellery, ornaments |
| Typical making charge | Minimal (1–3%) | 8–25% depending on work |
| Colour | Deep, slightly orange yellow | Slightly paler, alloy-dependent |
The price gap is not arbitrary — it is exactly the 8.4% of metal that is not there. At today's rate that is Rs 3,355.37 per gram, or Rs 39,136 per tola. Any shop quoting a 22 carat rate that is not 91.67% of their 24 carat rate is pricing something other than the metal, and should be able to say what.
Why pure gold is not used for jewellery
Gold is one of the softest metals in commercial use. Pure 24 carat gold can be marked with a fingernail, bends under hand pressure, and will not hold a claw setting around a stone. A 24 carat ring worn daily loses its shape within months and its detail within a year.
Alloying fixes that. Adding copper and silver at 8.4% raises the hardness enough for the metal to survive normal wear while keeping the colour recognisably gold. This is not adulteration — it is the reason wearable gold jewellery exists at all. Every major jewellery tradition alloys: 22 carat across South Asia and the Gulf, 18 carat across most of Europe, 14 carat in much of the United States.
Which holds its value better?
Both are valued on gold content when you sell, so per gram of actual gold they are identical. What differs is how much of your original purchase price was gold in the first place.
| One tola | 24K coin | 22K jewellery |
|---|---|---|
| Metal value | Rs 469,639 | Rs 430,502 |
| Making charge | Rs 9,393 (2%) | Rs 64,575 (15%) |
| You pay | Rs 479,031 | Rs 495,078 |
| Resale value today | Rs 469,639 | Rs 430,502 |
| Immediate loss | Rs 9,393 | Rs 64,575 |
The making charge percentages above are illustrative, not quotes — they vary by shop and by how intricate the piece is. The point the table makes is structural: what you lose on resale is the labour, not the karat.
What about 21K, 20K and 18K?
The same logic scales down. Each grade is simply a different ratio of gold to alloy, and each has a market that prefers it:
- 21 carat (875) — the Gulf standard. Slightly harder than 22 carat, and the default in Saudi, UAE and Kuwait showrooms.
- 20 carat (833) — used in parts of Pakistan for heavier traditional work where extra rigidity matters.
- 18 carat (750) — the international standard for stone-set and designer jewellery. Hard enough for tight settings, and the grade most European brands work in.
- 14 carat (585) — common in the US and for everyday western jewellery. Durable, but only 58.3% gold, so its resale value is proportionally lower.
Choosing between them
- Buying for investment: 24 carat, in coin or bar form, from a dealer who buys back. Skip jewellery entirely.
- Buying to wear regularly: 22 carat, and negotiate the making charge harder than you negotiate the rate.
- Buying stone-set or intricate work: 18 carat. The setting will hold, and the piece will survive.
- Buying for a wedding or gift: 22 carat, plain designs. It carries the cultural weight and keeps making charges reasonable.