Gold Jewellery Buying Tips: Wastage Charges, Making Charges, VA, Karat, 916 and more... - ajithprasad.com (2024)

Planning to buy some Gold jewellery in India and confused about how the whole thing works? Well, I was equally puzzled by all those terminologies and promises that you get to hear in Jewellery shop commercials until I decided to dig out some information.

So here’re some tips and education that might help you in the future.

What is Karat, 916, BIS Hallmark etc?

Karat (NOT Carat) is a measure of the purity of gold. 24 carat is considered pure gold.

Since pure gold is too soft (and hence would easily bend) to make any jewellery out of it, there has to be certain other metals such as copper, silver, cadmium etc added to make it strong, shine and with the desired shade. Based on how much extra metals are added, the Karat value of the gold reduces to 22Kt, 18Kt, 14Kt or even 10Kt.

For example, 18K gold is 75% pure gold (i.e. 18/24) where as 14K gold has only 58% real gold in it.

In India, 22K gold is considered the most valuable for jewelries and hence it has more resale value as well. 22Kt gold jewellery means it has 22/24 percent pure gold in it or in other words 91.6% purity.

And this is what is called 916 gold (symbolizes 91.6%).

Gold Jewellery Buying Tips: Wastage Charges, Making Charges, VA, Karat, 916 and more... - ajithprasad.com (1)
In order to make sure that the jewellers actually sell 91.6% pure gold (when they claim to sell 22Kt gold), the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) made it mandatory to emboss a hallmark on all standardized gold jewellery. And such a jewellery is known as a BIS Hallmark jewellery. Before this standardization, many jewellers and goldsmiths used to cheat people with below 22Kt gold while they claimed to sell good quality 22K gold. I figured this out while selling some old gold jewellery recently.

[BIS Hallmark is NOT just for 22Kt gold. You may take a look at the BIS site for all BIS components]

Making Charges, Gold Wastage charges etc

As I mentioned earlier, there has to be certain metals added to pure gold to make it tough and good enough to make jewellery. This is the first level of added cost to the making process followed by the actual making charges to convert the gold bars or blocks into beautiful jewellery patterns.

The making charges (‘Panikkooli’ for Malayali friends) is the cost of converting raw gold into jewellery. This is usually expressed in Rupees per gram of gold. In most cases, the making charges per gram of gold vary from 25 to 35 rupees. Compared to the price of gold today, this is a negligible number.

However, there is another scary number called the ‘wastage charges’ (‘Panikkuravu’ as Keralites call it). In the good old times, the goldsmiths used to make gold jewellery by melting gold, cutting and shaping it into tiny pieces and join them together to make great handmade gold jewellery. In this process they ‘claimed’ that certain quantity of gold go wasted though these goldsmiths are actually smart enough to collect or retrieve most of the gold without wasting any. Nowadays, the gold ornaments are made in advanced machines and nothing really go wasted. However, this tradition of calculating ‘wastage’ continues and this is expressed in terms of ‘percentage’and they charge that to the customers.

The amount charged to the customers for the ‘wastage’ caused is known as the ‘wastage charges’. It’s quite ridiculous that there’s no norm for this wastage charge component and that’s exactly where your jeweller cheats you. The wastage charges typically vary from 10% to 18% in most shops while it’s quite possible to have it as high as 20% or 24% or even as low as 8%. Unfortunately, nobody knows why certain ornaments has to have more wastage than some others as claimed by the jeweller.

Hence the actual cost burden on you while purchasing gold jewellery is:

Actual cost of gold as per the day’s rate + Wastage charges + Making Charges + VAT if any. In addition, if your jewellery has any precious stones, that cost will be added up as well.

Cost of Gold Jewellery = Making Charges + Wastage Charges + Cost of Stones, if any + VAT

For example, assume that the gold rate is at Rs.2500/- per gram for 22 Karat gold. When you buy a 10 gram gold chain with the making charges at 35 rupees per gram and wastage charges at 12%, the following will be the calculation to arrive at the final price:

(1) Cost of gold alone = 10 * 2500 = 25,000/-

(2) Making charges = 10 * 35 = 350/-

(3) Wastage charges = 12 * 25,000 / 100 = 3,000/-

The total cost before VAT = 28,350/-

If the VAT is at 1% that becomes 28,633.50/-

Recently the jewellers have started representing the Wastage Charges and Making charges together as VA or ‘Value Addition’.

Gold Jewellery buying tips for Indians

As a smart buyer, you may keep the following things in mind when you deal with jewellery shops.

  • First, if you are exchanging gold (selling old ornaments and buying new) make sure that you are getting the full price of what you are selling. i.e. As long as you are selling 22K gold, the shop may not reduce any price but give you the actual market price of the 22K gold by its weight. There are some jewellers who charge melting charges, handling charges or whatever they may call it but never ever fall into that trap
  • Each and every piece has to be weighed separately and tested for purity using the electronic purity tester while selling. i.e. if you have a pair of ear rings, test them separately
  • Ask for the current gold price on your purchase day and their standard making charges before commencing your shopping
  • Check for the BIS hallmark on the inner or back side of each of the pieces you are buying
  • Ask for the ‘wastage charges’ for each of the pieces that you are picking and be prepared for the negotiation
  • You may start by asking the ‘BEST wastage charge’ as per the salesman. Negotiate with him and tell him that you are serious about the purchase if he’s forthcoming in terms of a reduced rate. He will mostly give one percent less. Take it to the store manager or supervisor at the next level to get 2-3% negotiation done. You WILL definitely get 2-3% discount if you are making bigger purchases. If you are gone there just to pick a little 2gm earring or so, you better not negotiate much. But if you are on wedding or engagement shopping, you may save a lot by negotiating


Further tips:
There may be some sales people who may try to belittle you on your miserliness and even might raise their voice. You may remind such people that you know this business and it’s your money that is at stake. Further, you may ask them why there’s no norm for this so-called wastage charges (Hopefully at some point the government will normalize this as well).

Most jewellers may offer you a discount of 40 or 50 rupees per gram on the prevailing rate as if they are doing you a great favour. Please note that your REAL saving comes from the wastage charge negotiation. The ‘special discount valid only for today’, or ‘pick a chit and get your lucky discount’ etc are the gimmicks that they play to preempt further negotiation. Don’t fall for those tricks.

You may advise your respective wives to stop exchanging jewellery too often. Because, every time you exchange, all those value addition charges come into play and you lose a lot of money.

If investment is your goal, avoid buying jewellery but go for gold coins or even Exchange Traded Funds on Gold (ETF Gold Funds).

That’s pretty much for now. I just thought of jotting down these points after coming back from a minor purchase at Chemmanur Jewellers – not that I was hugely successful in negotiating this time. But I have certainly seen my relatives, in-laws, friends etc negotiating big time and making a huge difference in the final bill.

Gold Jewellery Buying Tips: Wastage Charges, Making Charges, VA, Karat, 916 and more... - ajithprasad.com (2024)

FAQs

Is making and wastage charges on gold? ›

As a result, the making charges will vary from 5% to 7%. With technology and modernised methods of making gold jewellery, the wastage has reduced to an extent. Therefore, while purchasing gold online or offline, make sure to keep these points in mind.

What is the normal wastage in gold jewellery? ›

'Wastage' is often expressed as a part of the costs by traditional jewellers in terms of 'percentage'. And the wastage charges typically vary from 3% to 35% with most traditional jewellers in India.

Which jewellery has more making charges? ›

High making charges: Most studded ornaments involved intricate patterns and designs. Hence, the making charges are usually higher compared with a pure gold piece. Check for purity: No matter from where you buy your gold jewellery, get a purity check done.

What is the percentage of making charges for gold jewellery? ›

Making charges on gold jewellery in India range from 3% to 25%, or a flat rate per gram of gold.

Is wastage and making charges same? ›

While moulding gold into an intricate ornament a lot of gold will be wasted while cutting, shaping, melting the gold into the desired design. A lot of gold is wasted while making an ornament and jewellery makers charge a fee for the gold wasted in the process of making the ornament known as wastage charges.

Why gold making charges are high? ›

Usually, a fine intricate design will have more wastage as compared to a simple design. Thus, the more delicate and intricate the gold jewellery design, higher will be the making charges.

Which carat gold is best for daily use? ›

Which type of gold is ideal for daily use? Daily usage requires you to wear jewellery that is durable and sturdy in nature for which 22-karat gold is ideal because of the presence of alloys like copper, zinc, and silver in it. 22-karat gold is 91.6% gold and the rest metal alloys, which ensures its hardness.

What is wastage in Lalitha jewellery? ›

For the accumulated gold weight, no wastage charges will be applicable for up to 14% on the selected jewellery. If the weight exceeds, normal wastage charges apply on the extra weight. Value Added Taxes applicable will be borne by Lalithaa.

How is gold jewellery making charges calculated? ›

Weight of gold in jewellery you purchase= 20 gram and making charge is Rs 300/gram. So, the total price of jewellery would be calculated as, Rs 3K x 20 gram + (20 gm x Rs 300) = Rs 66000 + (Rs 66K x 3%)= Rs 67980.

How much tanishq take making charges? ›

Each Tanishq piece is crafted to give it a signature finish. Yet, you get a wide range of gold jewellery choices with the making charge starting at 8% only.

How can I buy gold smartly? ›

Seeing that we are already buying huge quantities of gold, here are a few tips to buy gold smartly:
  1. Check the Prevailing Gold Rate in Your City. ...
  2. Hallmarked Gold is the Way to Go. ...
  3. Read through the Fine Print. ...
  4. Check the Resale/Exchange Value. ...
  5. Indulge in Transparent Buying.

Is second hand jewellery cheaper than new? ›

Better value for money

This makes second-hand jewellery better valued than new items. You'll be able to buy a piece of jewellery with higher-value metals and gemstones second-hand than you would if you spent the same money on a brand new item.

What is wastage charge gold? ›

Hence, the charges will differ accordingly and can range anywhere between 5-7%. However, modern methods and technology used are generally more efficient in using the gold in jewellery production, minimising the wastage that occurs while crafting the designer pieces.

What is the making charges in Kalyan jewellers? ›

If we consider 3% GST (VAT system not in practice now), they charges 21.733% as making charges, which accounts to Rs. 642.88 per gram and Rs. 2725.82 for this 4.24 gram jewelry.

Can we bargain on making charges in tanishq? ›

The discount percentage is 30% if your monthly investment is ₹50,000 or more. On your ninth installment, you can avail a discount of 25% on the making charges of your gold jewellery, if your monthly installment is between ₹20,000 and ₹49,000. The discount percentage is 35% if your monthly investment is ₹50,000 or more.

What is the making charge of 1 gram gold? ›

The cost of these can range between Rs 30 and Rs 60 per gram. Hence, the retail price for 22 kt gold will be Rs 3025 + Rs 60 = Rs 3085 per gram. Making charges vary depending on the type of gold jewellery you are buying.
...
Synopsis.
Gold purity in jewelleryFineness Number
18KT18K750
14KT14K585
1 more row
10 Oct 2017

How do you bargain gold jewelry? ›

To give you an idea about how to calculate the price of gold, discount the purity of gold from the price of the bullion. Negotiate the Making Charges: Another important step while buying gold jewellery is to negotiate the making charges. Making jewellery involves a labour cost, which jewellers pass on to the buyers.

What is the making charges in Malabar gold? ›

From the completion of the 11th month, the customer will be eligible to purchase the jewelry at the prevailing gold rate and the customer will not be charged any kind of making charges of 12 percent (the rule is an exception for selected special ornaments).

Which jewellery brand is best? ›

List of the Top 15 Famous Jewellery Brands in India
  • Tanishq.
  • Malabar Gold & Diamonds.
  • Kalyan Jewellers.
  • PC Jewellers.
  • Bhima Jewellers.
  • Senco Gold Limited.
  • PC Chandra Jewellers.
  • Kisna.
12 Sept 2022

What is the purity of 916 gold? ›

916 Purity is gold that is 22 Karat gold. This is largely used to make gold ornaments as pure as possible and is common for making jewelry in India.

What affects gold price the most? ›

Supply, demand, and investor behavior are key drivers of gold prices. Gold is often used to hedge inflation because, unlike paper money, its supply doesn't change much year to year. However, the investment growth rate of gold over the past 2,000 years has not been meaningful, even as demand has outpaced supply.

Which type of gold is best to buy? ›

In the case of jewellery, 22K gold is favoured. As a result, most people prefer 22K gold to 24K gold because it has a higher resale value. Apart from checking the purity of a gold coin, it's also a good idea to see if it's hallmarked.

Which gold quality is best? ›

The most pure type of gold is 24k gold. This highest karat of gold is not used in jewelry as much as one may think due to the 24k gold's ability to bend easily because of its softness. This quality makes it less desirable in jewelry that you want to wear daily, such as an engagement ring or bracelet.

Which gold is best 22K or 916? ›

916 gold is good for making intricate jewellery as pure gold is too soft. Delicate craftsmanship is not possible in 100% pure gold. As such, you should look for <916 purity gold when making purchases of jewelleries as 22 karat is considered to be the best quality of gold purity for making jewelleries and ornaments.

How is jewellery waste calculated? ›

When you buy a 10 gram gold chain with the making charges at 35 rupees per gram and wastage charges at 12%, the following will be the calculation to arrive at the final price: (1) Cost of gold alone = 10 * 2500 = 25,000/- (2) Making charges = 10 * 35 = 350/- (3) Wastage charges = 12 * 25,000 / 100 = 3,000/- The total ...

What is minimum wastage? ›

Waste minimisation is a set of processes and practices intended to reduce the amount of waste produced. By reducing or eliminating the generation of harmful and persistent wastes, waste minimisation supports efforts to promote a more sustainable society.

What is wastage cost? ›

Definition. The amount of money incurred for the action of removing or getting rid of refuse or unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process.

What is the wastage percentage in GRT? ›

14. If plain gold jewellery bought has higher than 18% wastage (VA), the difference in wastage (VA) between the actual and 18% on the gold weight accumulated under this scheme together with VAT plus the actual jewellery wastage on the excess weight together with VAT will be paid by the customer.

What is the formula to calculate gold price? ›

The jewellers' formula for gold rate calculation is: Final price of the jewellery = Price of (22 ct or 18 ct) gold X (Weight in grams) + Making charges + GST on (Price of jewellery + making charges). From this, the only difference arises. The making charges range from 6% to 14% of the total price of gold.

Why gold in Tanishq is expensive? ›

The business model of Tanishq is predominantly around 'making charge' levied over cost of gold. It varies from 8.5% (on coins) to as high as 35% of the value of gold (on ornaments like necklace or bangles).

Is it better to buy gold coins or jewellery? ›

Buying gold coins is relatively more accessible and cheaper in comparison to buying gold jewellery. They offer the option to purchase the purest form of gold in the lowest weight of 0.5 grams with lower making charges as compared to ornaments that mostly have higher making charges depending on their craftsmanship.

Which is better Malabar gold or joyalukkas? ›

JOYALUKKAS INDIA PVT LTD is most highly rated for Compensation and benefits and Malabar Gold And Diamonds is most highly rated for Culture.
...
Overall Rating.
Overall Rating4.34.0
Compensation and benefits4.23.4
Job security and advancement4.13.8
Management4.03.7
Culture4.13.8
1 more row

Is It a Good Time to Buy gold 2022? ›

Gold is down big off its high in a matter of months.

For part of 2020 to 2022, the inflation hedge story rang true as gold passed $2,000 per ounce for the first time in history in 2020 and then reached an all-time high of $2,074.60 per ounce in March 2022.

What is the cheapest way to get gold? ›

The Cheapest Type of Gold to Buy

As mentioned before, gold bars generally have the lowest premiums over spot. The premium is the cost above a gold item's melt value. You might think of the premium like a "mark-up."

Why is Malabar gold so cheap? ›

The brand is able to offer this price advantage because it subscribes to a fair price policy which allows for transparent and reasonable pricing of products. Apart from assigning making charges starting from mere 2.9 per cent onwards, Malabar Gold and Diamonds charges the exact same rate for gold across the country.

Does jewelry lose value after purchase? ›

In most cases, the value of jewelry is measured by its quality, rarity, and age. For example, high-quality jewelry does lose its value as time goes by, but at a slower rate than artificial or cheaper jewelry. On the other hand, low-priced imitations and fake gemstones aren't very valuable, to begin with.

How much value does jewelry lose after purchase? ›

Much like when you purchase a new car, the value of jewelry drops the moment you step out of the store. While the 20% to 50% range is fairly standard for pre-owned jewelry prices, there is, of course, much variation within this range.

Do Jewellers negotiate on price? ›

Walk into that jewelry store and think like you are buying a new car and get ready to haggle. In some jewelry stores, the retailer's markup can be as high as 70 percent. That means that more often than not, there is lots of room to negotiate on the asking price.

Why should we pay for wastage in gold jewellery? ›

Why do I have to pay Wastage Charges? Crafting jewellery pieces out of a gold bar requires melting gold, cutting it and shaping it into the jewellery piece, in the process it's possible that some amount of gold gets 'wasted'. Studded jewellery created also could result in a small amount of gold getting wasted.

Which is better Malabar or Kalyan Jewellers? ›

Kalyan Jewellers is most highly rated for Compensation and benefits and Malabar Gold And Diamonds is most highly rated for Culture.

Which is better Kalyan or PC jewellers? ›

PC Jeweller is most highly rated for Job security and advancement and Kalyan Jewellers is most highly rated for Compensation and benefits.
...
Overall Rating.
Overall Rating3.54.0
Work/life balance3.13.6
Compensation and benefits3.13.9
Job security and advancement3.53.8
Management2.93.2
1 more row

Is GST charged on making charges of gold? ›

The goldsmiths will charge for their service known as making charges which will attract GST of 5%. If these goldsmiths or specialists are not registered under GST, the gold merchant or jeweller must pay GST at 5% on a reverse charge basis.

Does gold coin has making charge? ›

Unlike jewellery, gold coins do not attract making or wastage charges. So, it saves a lot of money for investors. The availability of gold coins in denominations as small as 1 gram makes it accessible even for a small investor.

What is making charges on gold biscuit? ›

price breakup
ComponentGold Rate(24KT)Final Value
Making Charges-Rs 17195.33
Sub Total-Rs 281738.83
GST-Rs 8452.16
Grand Total-Rs 290191
2 more rows

What is the GST on gold 2022? ›

The GST on gold jewellery 2022 translates to 5% levied on making charges. Typically, GST on gold jewellery is either in the form of a fixed charge or as a fixed percentage on gold value.

How do you calculate gold with GST and making charges? ›

They use a fixed formula for particular purity with a fixed weight, GST and making changes. Then also, prices differ. The jewellers' formula for gold rate calculation is: Final price of the jewellery = Price of (22 ct or 18 ct) gold X (Weight in grams) + Making charges + GST on (Price of jewellery + making charges).

Does gold have 12% GST? ›

Gold Rate After GST

While the overall price of gold has risen, this has been due to the import duty associated with the metal, which has been retained. As a result, gold continues to attract an import duty of 10%, in addition to the 3% GST and 5% making charges GST.

Which type of gold is best to buy? ›

In the case of jewellery, 22K gold is favoured. As a result, most people prefer 22K gold to 24K gold because it has a higher resale value. Apart from checking the purity of a gold coin, it's also a good idea to see if it's hallmarked.

What is the making charges in Kalyan jewellers? ›

If we consider 3% GST (VAT system not in practice now), they charges 21.733% as making charges, which accounts to Rs. 642.88 per gram and Rs. 2725.82 for this 4.24 gram jewelry.

Is it better to buy gold coins or jewellery? ›

Buying gold coins is relatively more accessible and cheaper in comparison to buying gold jewellery. They offer the option to purchase the purest form of gold in the lowest weight of 0.5 grams with lower making charges as compared to ornaments that mostly have higher making charges depending on their craftsmanship.

What is making charges in tanishq jewellery? ›

Each Tanishq piece is crafted to give it a signature finish. Yet, you get a wide range of gold jewellery choices with the making charge starting at 8% only. We charge only for the actual weight of gold, after subtracting the weight of stones from the total weight of the piece.

Why buying and selling price of gold is different? ›

Price volatility, supply, external market circ*mstances, and other variables all influence the spread. This is why the cost of buying and selling gold coins differs by 8-10%. Because of the making charges, the difference is significantly greater for jewellery.

What is the making charge of 1 gram gold? ›

The cost of these can range between Rs 30 and Rs 60 per gram. Hence, the retail price for 22 kt gold will be Rs 3025 + Rs 60 = Rs 3085 per gram. Making charges vary depending on the type of gold jewellery you are buying.
...
Synopsis.
Gold purity in jewelleryFineness Number
18KT18K750
14KT14K585
1 more row
10 Oct 2017

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