Gold Making Charges: Per Tola or Percent, Which Costs More?
Four making charges on the same 22K set compared, tola-masha-ratti in grams, and why the making charge is lost when you sell.
By the TurantTools PK team · Updated 28 October 2026 · 3 min read
A jewellery bill has two parts: the gold and the making charge (banwai). Shops quote the making charge either per tola or as a percentage, and the two are hard to compare.
A 2 tola 6 masha set in 22K
With an example 24K rate of Rs 400,000 a tola, the gold in this set is worth Rs 916,667 (29.16 grams).
| Making charge | Making cost | Total price | Added to the gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 6,000 a tola | Rs 15,000 | Rs 931,667 | 2% |
| Rs 12,000 a tola | Rs 30,000 | Rs 946,667 | 3% |
| 8% of the gold value | Rs 73,333 | Rs 990,000 | 8% |
| 15% of the gold value | Rs 137,500 | Rs 1,054,167 | 15% |
Tola, masha and ratti
- 1 tola = 11.664 grams = 12 masha
- 1 masha = 8 ratti ≈ 0.972 grams
- 1 ratti ≈ 0.121 grams
Before you buy
- Get the making charge in writing, and make sure the bill shows the weight clearly in tola, masha, ratti or grams.
- When you sell, shops usually pay for the gold weight and purity only; the making charge doesn't come back.
- If the shop mentions a deduction (kaat) for impurity, ask how much and work it into your sums.