What 22k gold is worth per gram today
A gram of 22k gold is worth $129.27, a pennyweight $201.04 and a troy ounce $4,020. That is 91.67% of the gold price, because 22k is 22 parts gold in 24. The benchmark behind it is the London afternoon price set on , and every figure on this page moves with it.
| purity | stamp | per gram | per dwt | per troy oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24k | 999 | $140.88 | $219.09 | $4,381 |
| 22k | 916 | $129.27 | $201.04 | $4,020 |
| 21k | 875 | $123.39 | $191.90 | $3,837 |
| 20k | 833 | $117.52 | $182.76 | $3,655 |
| 18k | 750 | $105.77 | $164.48 | $3,289 |
| 14k | 585 | $82.26 | $127.93 | $2,558 |
| 12k | 500 | $70.51 | $109.66 | $2,193 |
| 10k | 417 | $58.76 | $91.38 | $1,827 |
| 9k | 375 | $52.88 | $82.24 | $1,644 |
| 8k | 333 | $47.01 | $73.10 | $1,462 |
What the 916 stamp means
The stamp is 916, from 22 divided by 24 being 0.91667. In India a hallmarked piece also carries a BIS mark and, since 2021, a six character HUID code, and 916 is such a familiar shorthand there that jewellers advertise the karat by that number alone. A piece marked 916 is 91.67% gold and 8.33% copper, silver or zinc.
At that purity the metal behaves quite differently from Western jewellery gold. It is a rich, deep yellow that no 14k alloy can imitate, it will not tarnish, and it is soft enough that a heavy bangle can be bent out of round by a firm grip. Twenty two karat pieces are usually made hollow or in thick, simple, load bearing shapes for exactly that reason.
Twenty four karat does exist as jewellery in the same markets, particularly in China and Vietnam, but 22k is the practical ceiling for anything with a clasp, a hinge or a stone setting. Pure gold simply will not hold those features.
A worked example: a 22k bangle
Take a 22k bangle weighing 15 grams. Multiply by 0.9167 to get 13.75 grams of pure gold, then multiply that by the gold price per gram. The melt value is $1,939.
That is the metal, not the offer. The same piece at a pawn shop is typically worth $969.52 to $1,163 (50% to 60% of melt), and at a mail-in refiner $1,551 to $1,648. The calculator at the top of the page shows all four kinds of buyer for whatever you enter.
Selling 22k gold
Because 22k is bought by weight, it resells much closer to melt than Western jewellery does. A jeweller who sold you a bangle charged spot plus a making charge, and when you sell it back they deduct a making charge again. The gold content comes back; the labour does not, in either direction. Expect an offer in the region of 90% of melt from an established jeweller in a market where 22k is normal, which is far better than the same weight of 14k would fetch from a scrap buyer in the US.
If you are selling 22k in a country where it is not the norm, price it as scrap and expect scrap percentages. A US pawn shop has no retail market for a 916 bangle and will treat it as metal. Selling it back into a market that wants 22k jewellery, or to a buyer who serves that market, is usually worth the extra effort on a piece of any size.
The percentages above are typical published trade spreads rather than quotes. What buyers actually pay sets out where each band comes from, and how we calculate shows every constant used on this page.
22k gold questions
What does 916 mean on gold?
916 parts gold per thousand, or 91.6%, which is the fineness of 22 karat gold. On Indian jewellery it usually appears with a BIS hallmark and a HUID code. It is the most common jewellery purity in India and the Gulf.
Is 22k gold pure gold?
Nearly. It is 91.67% gold, with the remaining 8.33% copper, silver or zinc added to give the piece enough strength to be worn. Pure gold is 24k, or 999, and is too soft for most jewellery.
Why is 22k gold not used for rings in the West?
It is too soft for a ring worn daily, especially one holding a stone. Western jewellery settled on 14k and 18k, which are hard enough to protect a setting. In markets where gold is bought as a store of value, the purity matters more than the durability, so 22k won instead.
Will I get back what I paid for a 22k bangle?
You get back the gold, not the making charge. If the gold price has not moved, expect roughly 90% of the current melt value from a jeweller who deals in 22k, because your purchase price included labour that is not recoverable. A rise in the gold price since you bought can more than cover that gap.