Selling Gold for Cash or Bitcoin

How Much Is 22k Gold Worth Per Gram Today?

By Michael Tanguma, Founder & CEO of Heirfolio. Reviewed by Diana Cruz, GIA Graduate Gemologist. Updated continuously.

TL;DR. As of today, 22k gold is worth ${{ liveSpot22kPerGram }} per gram at melt — that's the raw metal value, computed on 91.7% gold content. Most U.S. buyers pay 70-90% of that for 22k because the metal recovers cleanly at refining. The number below updates every 60 seconds against the live London gold fix. Below it, the math, the spread, and why 22k pieces from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the Gulf carry specific resale dynamics that most American buyers miss.

Live 22k gold price per gram

${{ liveSpot22kPerGram }} per gram · PER GRAM · 22K · MELT VALUE · Updated at {{ timestamp }} · Source: London gold fix

What this number means

The price above is the pure melt value of 22k gold per gram, computed from the live London gold fix and 22k's gold content of 91.7%. In international markets, 22k is often called 916 gold (916 parts pure gold out of 1,000) — the same metal, different naming convention.

A refinery would pay near this number for clean 22k because the recovery yield is high — much higher than for 14k or 10k. American buyers know this and the spread on 22k is generally tighter than on lower karats. The next sections explain.

→ Get a real quote in 60 seconds

How 22k gold pricing works

Gold purity is measured in karats out of 24. The breakdown:

Karat	Pure gold content	Common markets
24k	99.9%	Bars, coins, ceremonial Asian jewelry
22k	91.7%	India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Gulf states, Singapore
21k	87.5%	Saudi Arabia, UAE, Lebanon
18k	75.0%	European and American luxury designer pieces
14k	58.5%	American workhorse — daily-wear bands and chains
10k	41.7%	American class rings, mass-market chains

To compute 22k gold's melt value per gram:

(spot price of pure gold per gram) × 0.9167 = melt value of 22k per gram

So if pure gold trades at $97.65 per gram (about $3,037 per troy ounce), 22k is worth $97.65 × 0.9167 = $89.51 per gram at melt. The live number at the top of this page runs that calculation every 60 seconds against the London fix.

→ Use the gold melt value calculator

Cultural context: why 22k matters

22k jewelry isn't sold in most American mall jewelry stores, but it's the dominant standard across a huge global diaspora. If you inherited 22k pieces, you're likely part of one of these traditions:

Indian and Pakistani families — Bangles, mangalsutras, jhumkas, kadas, chains, temple-style necklaces. 22k is the wedding standard. A bride's gold is often considered her personal financial reserve, not the family's, and pieces are intentionally bought at high karat so they hold metal value across generations.
Filipino families — Saudi gold, Italian gold, and 22k Filipino-made pieces are common. Often religious medallions, rosary pieces, and heavy chains.
Gulf and Middle Eastern families — 22k (and 21k in Saudi Arabia) bridal sets, especially given at marriage. Designs are often heavier and more ornate than Western pieces.
Bengali, Sri Lankan, and Nepali families — Similar high-karat conventions, often passed mother-to-daughter for generations.

This context matters for resale because:

The piece may have more sentimental weight than market value. Before selling, consider whether the family expectation is that this piece stays.
The buyer base in the U.S. for 22k pieces as jewelry is smaller than for 14k or 18k Western designs. Most 22k pieces sold in the U.S. go to refining, not resale.
The buyer base internationally is enormous. If you have access to a U.S. branch of an Indian or Pakistani jewelry house, they may buy back 22k pieces for re-sale at closer to retail than a generic American gold buyer.

What you'll actually get paid (the spread question)

Melt value is what your gold is worth to a refinery. What you'll be paid is melt minus a spread.

The spread on 22k is generally tighter than on 14k because:

Refining recovery is higher. Less alloy means less waste.
Refinery yield is predictable. Buyers price more aggressively when they're confident in the recovery.
The pure-gold-per-gram value is higher, so the percentage spread translates to a larger dollar payout — buyers can afford a narrower spread.

Typical spreads on 22k by channel:

Where you sell	Typical spread on 22k gold
Direct platform with published spread (e.g., Heirfolio)	6–10%
Indian or Pakistani jewelry house (buyback)	8–18% (often resold, not melted)
Mail-in gold buyer (Express Gold Cash, SellYourGold)	10–22%
Local jeweler buying for melt	15–28%
Pawn shop	30–55%

If the melt value of a 22k bangle is $89.51 per gram and the bangle weighs 30 grams:

30 grams × $89.51/gram = $2,685.30 raw melt value

Channel	What you'd actually be paid
Heirfolio (8% spread)	~$2,470
Indian jewelry house buyback (15% spread, but may pay more if resold)	~$2,282
Mail-in buyer (18% spread)	~$2,202
Local jeweler for melt (25% spread)	~$2,014
Pawn shop (45% spread)	~$1,477

That's a $993 difference between the best and worst legitimate channel for the same bangle. The decision of where to sell often matters more than the karat math itself.

→ Paste any quote into our spread checker — see what's fair

How to verify your gold is really 22k

Many older diaspora pieces aren't stamped — especially handmade temple-style or village-jeweler pieces from decades past. Five tests to verify:

1. Look for the hallmark

22k pieces are commonly stamped: 22K, 22KT, 916, .916, or 22 K. Indian pieces sold after 2000 often carry the BIS hallmark — a triangular mark with "BIS 916" and a jeweler's identification code. Older pieces may not be stamped at all; this doesn't mean fake, but it does mean test.

2. Magnet test (free, 30 seconds)

Gold isn't magnetic. A magnet that sticks rules out solid gold. Necessary but not sufficient — plated copper passes.

3. Acid test ($15 home kit)

A small gold testing kit will tell you the karat reliably. Apply the 22k acid to a tiny scratch in an inconspicuous spot.

4. Electronic gold tester ($60–200)

Reads electrical conductivity. Reliable for plain pieces; less reliable for pieces with stones.

5. XRF testing (professional)

X-ray fluorescence reads the exact composition non-destructively. Most jewelers will do it for free; Heirfolio runs XRF on every piece received.

→ Read the full karat verification guide

Common 22k piece weights

A rough sense of what 22k diaspora pieces typically weigh:

Piece type	Typical weight in 22k	Melt value at today's spot
Single bangle (kada or churi, plain)	10–25 grams	${{ bangle_single_melt }}
Pair of bridal bangles, ornate	60–120 grams (pair)	${{ bridal_bangles_melt }}
Mangalsutra	15–40 grams	${{ mangalsutra_melt }}
Jhumka earrings (pair)	8–25 grams	${{ jhumka_melt }}
Long bridal chain (rani haar)	50–150 grams	${{ rani_haar_melt }}
Filipino religious medallion + chain	15–35 grams	${{ filipino_chain_melt }}
Gulf bridal set (necklace + earrings + bracelet)	80–200 grams	${{ gulf_set_melt }}
Plain 22k wedding band	4–8 grams	${{ wedding_band_melt }}

These are melt values. For ornate pieces that an Indian or Pakistani jewelry house might resell, the payout can exceed melt. For plain pieces, expect 10–20% below melt at most buyers. The gold melt value calculator computes both.

Should you melt a 22k piece or sell it whole?

Two scenarios:

Sell whole if:

The piece is ornate, traditional, and culturally significant — a heavy bridal bangle, a temple-style necklace, an ornate rani haar. A diaspora-focused jewelry house may buy it back and resell.
The piece carries a recognized maker's mark from a known house (Tanishq, Joyalukkas, Malabar Gold, PNG Jewellers, Mehrasons, Tiara, etc.).
The piece is in good condition and the style is currently in demand.

Sell for melt if:

The piece is broken, mangled, or unrepairable.
The design is dated in a way that hurts resale (very specific regional styles from decades ago may not have current demand).
You need cash inside 10 days and don't have access to a diaspora-focused buyer.

If you're not sure, get two quotes: one from a melt buyer and one from a diaspora-focused jewelry house. The gap will tell you the right path.

Why 22k is the global gold-jewelry standard outside the West

A note on why 22k dominates so much of the world while the U.S. settled on 14k.

In India, 22k has been the default for jewelry for centuries because the cultural function of gold is dual: ornament and store of value. A bride's gold is meant to retain near-bullion value through her lifetime. 14k loses too much of that value to alloy; 24k is too soft to wear. 22k sits at the durability-to-purity sweet spot for the use case.

The Gulf, Southeast Asia, and the Filipino market followed similar logic — gold as both adornment and savings. The American convention of 14k emerged from a different cultural function (mainly adornment, with retail markup absorbing most of the value), which is why American jewelry trades at much lower karat than most of the world.

For resale, this matters in three ways:

22k holds value better internationally than within U.S. retail channels. The right buyer matters.
The making charge (the labor cost of crafting the piece, often 8–25% of total cost when bought new) is generally not recovered at resale. Pure melt value plus a small premium for design is the realistic ceiling for most pieces.
Older pieces from village jewelers may assay slightly below 22k (sometimes 91% or 90%) because hand-mixed alloys weren't always exact. Always test before assuming.

What changes the price you see on this page

The number at the top updates every 60 seconds. Spot moves because:

Macroeconomic conditions — inflation expectations, real interest rates, U.S. dollar strength.
Geopolitical events — gold rises during uncertainty.
Central bank buying — India's RBI, China's PBOC, and the Fed all move the market when they buy or sell.
Festival and wedding season demand — Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, Dhanteras, and the Indian wedding season (October–February) all drive heavy retail buying that affects global spot at the margin.
ETF flows — the major gold ETFs hold real gold. Inflows push spot up.

Short-term timing is hard. Pick the right channel first; spot timing is second-order.

Frequently asked questions

How much is 22k gold worth per gram today?

As of the latest London gold fix, 22k gold is worth ${{ liveSpot22kPerGram }} per gram at melt. That's the raw metal value, computed on 91.7% gold content. Buyers typically pay 70–90% of that, with the rest as spread. The number on this page updates every 60 seconds.

What is 916 gold and is it the same as 22k?

Yes. 916 is the international hallmark for 22k gold — 916 parts pure gold out of 1,000, which is 91.6% (often rounded to 91.7%). Pieces stamped 916, 22K, or 22KT are all the same purity. Indian pieces sold after 2000 often carry the BIS 916 hallmark, which adds a jeweler's ID code for traceability.

Is 22k gold worth more than 14k or 18k?

Per gram, yes. 22k contains 91.7% pure gold versus 75% for 18k and 58.5% for 14k. So a gram of 22k has roughly 22% more gold than a gram of 18k and 57% more than a gram of 14k. Melt value per gram tracks that ratio directly. For a piece of the same weight, 22k will always have a higher metal value than lower karats.

Why is 22k jewelry softer than 14k?

Higher gold content means less alloy hardening. 22k bends more easily and scratches more readily than 14k. This is why most American daily-wear pieces are 14k — they hold prongs and resist scuffs better. 22k pieces are often saved for special occasions or designed in heavier construction to compensate for the softer metal.

Where can I sell 22k gold in the U.S. for the best price?

For ornate or traditional pieces, an Indian, Pakistani, or Filipino jewelry house with a U.S. branch (Joyalukkas, Malabar Gold, Mehrasons, Tanishq, PNG, Tiara, and many regional sellers) may pay closer to retail because they can resell the piece. For plain or broken pieces, a direct platform with a published spread (like Heirfolio) or a reputable mail-in buyer will pay closest to melt. Avoid generic pawn shops — they generally pay 30–55% below melt on 22k.

Is the making charge recoverable when selling 22k?

Generally no. The making charge (the labor and design cost added when the piece was purchased) is sunk. Resale value is roughly the melt value plus any premium a buyer is willing to pay for the design intact. For mass-produced pieces, melt is the realistic ceiling. For ornate handmade pieces with current demand, you might recover 20–40% of the original making charge through a diaspora-focused buyer.

How do I verify my Indian or Pakistani gold is really 22k?

Look for hallmarks first: 22K, 916, .916, or the BIS hallmark (Indian pieces). If the piece is unstamped (common for older or handmade pieces), use a $15 acid testing kit to verify the karat. The most accurate test is X-ray fluorescence (XRF), which most jewelers do for free. Older pieces from village jewelers may assay slightly below 22k because hand-mixed alloys weren't always exact.

Should I sell my inherited bridal gold or keep it?

This is a personal and cultural decision more than a financial one. Bridal gold often carries the largest sentimental weight in the family, and in many traditions the piece is intended to pass mother-to-daughter. Before selling, consider: documenting the piece (photo, weight, karat, family history), then deciding. Heirfolio's free tier lets you document without selling, so you can pass the piece down with the file. See the Honest Guide to Selling Inherited Jewelry for the full decision framework.

What's the typical spread on 22k gold?

Direct platforms with published spreads charge 6–10%. Diaspora-focused jewelry houses charge 8–18% (and may resell the piece, which softens the spread). Mail-in gold buyers charge 10–22%. Local jewelers buying for melt charge 15–28%. Pawn shops charge 30–55%. To check any quote: divide the offer by (weight in grams × today's 22k melt value per gram).

Do festival or wedding seasons affect 22k gold prices?

At the margin, yes. The Indian wedding season (October–February), Diwali, Akshaya Tritiya, and Dhanteras all drive heavy retail gold buying. This can lift global spot prices slightly during peak weeks, though the effect is usually overwhelmed by macroeconomic factors. If you're selling and timing matters, peak festival weeks sometimes give you a small tailwind — but the channel choice still matters more than the timing.

Tools mentioned in this article

Gold melt value calculator — input weight + karat, see live melt value
Karat converter — convert between karats and pure-gold percentages
Spread checker — paste any dealer's quote, see what spread they're keeping