Gold the Pakistani way
In Pakistan, people buy gold mostly as jewellery, bars and coins. They price it in rupees per tola, not per ounce or gram. Before you pay, you need to understand three things: the local weight units, the purity (karat) of the piece, and the extra charges the jeweller adds.
The section covers each of these on its own page. You can follow a quote from the international market to the jeweller's counter, then on to zakat and tax.
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Gold rate in Pakistan and "gold price today"
When people search for the gold rate in Pakistan, gold price today or sona rate, they usually want the rupee price of one tola. That price is not the same as the international gold price. The local rate is built from:
- the international gold price in US dollars per troy ounce;
- the US dollar to rupee exchange rate;
- the conversion from ounces to tola or grams;
- the local market's own pricing, which can sit above or below a pure conversion.
How gold rate is set walks through this chain step by step. To do the conversion yourself, use Gold ounce to PKR/gram. For the dollar side, see the US dollar (USD) rate page.
A published rate is a reference, not a guaranteed price. The jeweller quotes the final price, which includes purity and making charges.
Where a beginner starts
If you are new to buying gold, read these pages in this order:
- Tola, masha and ratti: the traditional weight units, how they relate to each other and to grams.
- Karat grades of gold: what karat means, how much pure gold each common grade holds, and why jewellery is rarely pure gold.
- Making charges and resale: how jewellers add labour and wastage charges, and why the resale price is often lower than what you paid.
- Gold tola calculator: enter the rate you were quoted and the weight, and check the total.
These four pages are enough to read a jeweller's bill and see where each part of the price comes from.
What an experienced buyer or trader will find
If you already know the basics, these pages go further:
- Purity maths. The Gold karat calculator converts between karats and finds the pure-gold value of a piece. You enter the price yourself or take it from a source shown with its date.
- Ounce-to-tola conversion. Compare the local rate with the international price and the exchange rate. This lets you see how far the local quote is from a straight conversion.
- Silver. Silver rate per tola applies the same logic to silver.
- Zakat. Zakat on gold explains the nisab in tola and how gold and silver holdings are counted. The Zakat calculator handles the arithmetic.
- Tax. Gold and tax covers how gold relates to wealth statements and taxes in general terms. Check your own case with a tax adviser or the official FBR sources.
Physical gold and gold CFDs are different things
Owning a tola of gold is not the same as trading gold on a chart. Gold CFDs such as XAUUSD are leveraged contracts on the price. You own no metal, and you can lose money fast, including more than you planned if you size positions badly.
Pakistani regulators have also issued warnings about offshore trading platforms. If you are considering gold CFDs, read Metals and Law and regulators first, then Risk management.
How to use the calculators
The tola calculators do not guess a price for you. You either:
- type in the rate you were quoted by a jeweller or market association, or
- use a rate shown on the page together with its source and time.
Always compare the result with the actual quote and bill. The calculator shows the arithmetic. It cannot see the purity, weight or charges of a specific piece.
Frequent questions
What is the gold rate in Pakistan today?
It changes during the day with the international price and the rupee exchange rate. Use a dated source and check it with the Gold ounce to PKR/gram converter. The jeweller's quote is what you actually pay.
Why is the jeweller's price higher than the published tola rate?
Jewellery usually has lower purity than the reference rate assumes, and making charges and wastage are added on top. See Making charges and resale.
What does "sona rate" mean?
It is the everyday Urdu term for the gold rate, usually quoted per tola in rupees.
Is a tola the same as an ounce?
No. A tola is a traditional South Asian unit and a troy ounce is the international unit. Tola, masha and ratti gives the exact conversions.
Do I pay zakat on jewellery I wear?
Scholars differ on this. Zakat on gold explains the common views and the nisab. For your own case, ask a scholar you trust.