How gold jewellery pricing works
The total cost of gold jewellery has three components: the gold value (weight × per-gram rate at your chosen purity), making charges (the jeweller's craftsmanship fee), and 3% GST on the combined amount.
Making charges vary widely — from 8% for machine-made items like plain chains and bangles to 20-25% for handcrafted designs like temple jewellery, kundan sets, and polki necklaces. Some jewellers quote a flat per-gram making charge instead of a percentage.
Some jewellers also charge wastage (1-7%), which accounts for gold lost during the manufacturing process. When comparing quotes, always ask for the breakup: gold value, making charges, wastage, and GST.