Twenty two karat is 22 parts gold in 24, so 91.67% of the weight is gold. It is the standard for jewellery across India, the Gulf and much of South East Asia, where gold is bought by weight in the first place.
Spot gold$4,133.30 a troy ounce.
Spot price as of 10 November 2026.
What a buyer would actually pay
a pawn shop
$913.61 – $1,096
a local jeweller
$1,187 – $1,370
a cash-for-gold buyer
$1,004 – $1,279
a mail-in refiner
$1,461 – $1,553
Ranges are typical published trade spreads, not an offer. A buyer takes refining,
assay and margin out of melt before paying you, so nobody pays spot.
Troy ounces (31.1 g) are the metals ounce, not the 28.3 g ounce a kitchen scale shows.
What 22k gold is worth per gram today
A gram of 22k gold is worth
$121.81,
a pennyweight
$189.44
and a troy ounce
$3,788.
That is 91.67% of the gold price, because 22k is
22 parts gold in 24. The price behind it is the gold spot
price as of , and every
figure on this page moves with it.
Gold price by karat, at the current benchmark. 22k is highlighted.
purity
stamp
per gram
per dwt
per troy oz
24k
999
$132.76
$206.46
$4,129
22k
916
$121.81
$189.44
$3,788
21k
875
$116.28
$180.83
$3,616
20k
833
$110.74
$172.22
$3,444
18k
750
$99.67
$155.00
$3,099
14k
585
$77.52
$120.55
$2,411
12k
500
$66.44
$103.33
$2,066
10k
417
$55.37
$86.11
$1,722
9k
375
$49.83
$77.50
$1,549
8k
333
$44.30
$68.89
$1,377
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
$1,827.
That is the metal, not the offer. The same piece at a pawn shop is typically worth
$913.61
to
$1,096
(50% to 60% of melt), and at a mail-in refiner
$1,461
to
$1,553.
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.
Recommended Gold Testing & Smelting Equipment
Laboratory-grade scales, non-destructive electronic testers, and digital melting furnaces for accurate scrap valuation and refining.
Digital Electric Gold & Silver Melting Furnace (1kg to 3kg, 1150°C / 2100°F)
Commercial digital smelting furnace with high-density graphite crucible, insulated heating chamber, and heavy-duty crucible tongs. Heats up to 2100°F (1150°C) with precise digital PID temperature control to cleanly melt scrap gold jewelry, sterling silver, and brass into tradeable bullion bars in under 45 minutes.
Laboratory-grade electronic gold analyzer that instantly determines karat purity from 10K to 24K and verifies platinum without messy acid drops or destructive scratching. Rapid self-calibration ensures quick, reliable scrap valuation without damaging collectible jewelry.
0.001g High-Precision Analytical Milligram Jewelry Scale (50g x 0.001g)
Laboratory-grade analytical milligram balance measuring down to 0.001 grams, 0.005 carats, and 0.0001 troy ounces (ozt). Features a clear protective draft shield, tare function, and stainless steel calibration weights to catch fine weight fractions before smelting.
Multi-Cavity High-Density Graphite Ingot Mold for Bar Casting
Machined high-purity fine-grain graphite mold designed for pouring clean 1 oz, 2 oz, 5 oz, and 10 oz gold and silver bars. Delivers high thermal stability, rapid heat dissipation, and a smooth cavity finish for effortless ingot release.
Master Gold & Silver Chemical Acid Scratch Assay Kit with Touchstone & Loupe
Complete precious metal appraisal kit featuring 10K, 14K, 18K, and 22K gold testing acids, silver testing solution, a genuine dense testing touchstone, and an illuminated triplet jeweler loupe to distinguish solid karat gold from heavy plating.
Kevlar-reinforced split-cowhide foundry gloves rated for temperatures up to 2000°F with extended gauntlet forearm protection, paired with a high-impact anti-glare face shield designed for safe scrap metal handling and pouring.
Compare essential equipment specifications for establishing an efficient scrap gold testing and melting workstation:
Equipment Type
Primary Purpose
Capacity / Accuracy
Key Advantage
Electric Smelting Furnace
Melting scrap jewelry, dental gold, and coins into bullion
1 kg to 3 kg crucible capacity
Clean flameless PID temperature control up to 2100°F
Electronic Karat Tester
Instant purity check on intact jewelry and high-end watches
10K to 24K gold and platinum ranges
Non-destructive testing with no acid stains or scratches
Analytical Milligram Scale
Precise scrap weight measurement before refining
50g capacity at 0.001g (0.0001 ozt)
Catches fine weight margins standard kitchen scales miss
Multi-Cavity Ingot Mold
Casting molten scrap metal into tradeable bullion bars
1 oz, 2 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz bar cavities
High-density graphite prevents sticking and oxidation
Acid Touchstone Assay Kit
Distinguishing solid karat alloy from heavy vermeil or plate
10K, 14K, 18K, 22K acid standards
Time-tested chemical confirmation for scrap buyers
Scrap Valuation Pro Tip: Melt Loss & Non-Destructive Testing
When melting scrap jewelry lots, expect an average 1% to 3% melt loss due to burn-off of non-precious solder joints, skin oils, and enamel. Before melting high-value items, verify karat content using a non-destructive electronic tester. Acid scratch testing can leave noticeable etch marks and may read false positive on heavy gold-filled or rolled gold plate items (such as 1/10 10K RGP or vermeil).
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