Two chains can hold the exact same weight of 22K gold and still ring up at very different totals. The gap is almost always the making charge — the part of the bill that pays for turning raw metal into a finished piece.
Two ways shops quote it
- Per gram: a flat amount for every gram of the piece. Common for chains and bangles. Easy to compare across shops.
- Percentage: a share of the gold value. Common for intricate or studded pieces. It rises with the gold price even if the work is the same.
Why the number swings so much
Making charges track effort and finish, not just weight:
- Machine-made, simple designs sit at the low end.
- Handmade, filigree, or heavily detailed work costs far more.
- Branded and boutique pieces carry a design premium.
- Lightweight hollow designs can carry a high per-gram charge because the labour-to-metal ratio is higher.
Keeping it fair
Ask for the making charge as its own line, separate from the gold value. Compare like for like — a per-gram quote at one shop against a per-gram quote at another, for a similar design. If a shop only quotes one all-in number, ask them to split it. A fair making charge is one you understood before you paid it.
The resale catch
When you sell gold back, you are usually paid for the metal content at the day's rate — the making charge is rarely recovered. That is fine for jewellery you will wear for years, but it is the main reason heavily worked pieces are poor short-term investments. For pure value storage, bars and coins carry almost no making premium.
