Herstellungskosten, Abfall und Katt: Was Sie wirklich für Goldschmuck bezahlen

Two people can buy the same weight of 22K gold on the same day and pay very different amounts. The difference is almost always in the charges on top of the metal. Understanding them is the easiest way to save money.

1. The gold value

This is the weight multiplied by the day's rate for that karat. For 22K gold today that is Rs 374,360 per tola, or Rs 32,096 per gram.

2. Making charges (mazdoori / banwai)

The jeweller's charge for crafting the piece. It is quoted in one of three ways:

• Per tola or per gram — a fixed rupee amount for each tola.
• A percentage of the gold value — common for machine-made chains and bangles.
• A fixed price for the whole piece — often for intricate handmade or designer work.

Simple machine-made chains carry low charges; detailed handmade bridal sets carry high ones. Always ask how making is calculated and have it written separately on the bill.

3. Wastage

Some jewellers add a percentage for gold lost during cutting, soldering and polishing. It may be shown separately or included in making. If you are charged both a high making charge and a large wastage percentage, ask why.

4. Katt: the deduction when you sell or exchange

When you sell old jewellery or exchange it for new, jewellers commonly deduct a percentage from the gold value — known as katt. It covers melting loss and impurities (solder, stones, enamel) and gives the jeweller a margin. The percentage varies by shop and by the piece, so it pays to ask two or three shops.

Worked example

A 2 tola 22K necklace with making charged at 8% of the gold value:

• Gold value: 2 × Rs 374,360 = Rs 748,721
• Making at 8%: Rs 59,898
• Total: about Rs 808,618

If you sold the same necklace back the next day with a 5% katt, you would receive about Rs 711,285 — so jewellery bought today and sold tomorrow loses roughly the making charge plus the katt. That is why bars and coins, with little or no making charge, are often preferred purely as savings.

Tipps

• Compare the making between shops, not just the design — the gold rate is the same everywhere.
• Ask for the net gold weight excluding stones.
• Keep your receipts; many jewellers offer better exchange terms on their own pieces.

Our gold calculator has fields for making charges (per gram, per tola, percentage or fixed), wastage, tax and sell-back deduction.