If you have ever bought gold jewellery in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh or the Gulf, you have heard the word tola. A jeweller quotes the rate per tola, a customer asks for two and a half tola of bangles, and a family wants to know how much gold they own for zakat. The question that follows is always the same: how many grams is that? The short answer is that one tola equals 11.6638 grams. The longer answer explains where that number comes from, how the smaller units masha and ratti fit in, why shops sometimes round the figure, and how to turn a price per tola into a price per gram so that you can compare offers fairly.
This guide is written for buyers, sellers and families who want to understand the unit rather than just copy a number. It covers the definition of the tola, the full conversion table, the difference between karats, a worked example for pricing, the weights that matter for zakat, and a checklist for buying gold with confidence. You can check any value with the Tola to Gram Converter while you read.
What is a tola?
The tola is a traditional unit of mass that was used across the Indian subcontinent for weighing gold, silver and spices. In 1833 the British administration in India tied the tola to the weight of the silver rupee coin of that time, which was 180 troy grains. Converted to the metric system, 180 troy grains is 11.6638038 grams, usually rounded to 11.6638 grams or, in everyday talk, to 11.66 grams. After independence both India and Pakistan kept the same value for the tola in the gold trade, and it remains the standard unit in jewellery shops, bullion markets and rate boards today.
A useful link to international trade is the troy ounce, the unit in which the world gold price is quoted. One troy ounce is 31.1034768 grams, so one tola is exactly three eighths of a troy ounce. That relationship is why local gold rates move together with international prices: the local market converts the global price per ounce into a price per tola, adds the exchange rate, duties and its own margin, and displays the result.
Tola, masha and ratti: the complete system
The tola is divided into two smaller units that jewellers still use when they talk about light items such as rings, pendants and earrings. Twelve masha make one tola, and eight ratti make one masha, so one tola is 12 masha or 96 ratti. A masha is about 0.972 grams, and a ratti is about 0.1215 grams. The ratti was originally the weight of a seed, the red and black seed of the gunja plant, which people used as a natural weight long before scales were common. The table below lists the values that people ask for most often.
| Quantity | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 ratti | 0.1215 g |
| 1 masha | 0.9720 g |
| 1/4 tola (3 masha) | 2.9160 g |
| 1/2 tola (6 masha) | 5.8319 g |
| 1 tola | 11.6638 g |
| 2 tola | 23.3276 g |
| 2.5 tola | 29.1595 g |
| 5 tola | 58.3190 g |
| 10 tola | 116.6380 g |
To convert any number of tola to grams, multiply by 11.6638. To convert grams to tola, divide by 11.6638. For example, a chain that weighs 35 grams is 35 divided by 11.6638, which is about 3.0 tola. A bangle set of 3.5 tola weighs 3.5 times 11.6638, which is about 40.8 grams.
Why do some shops use a slightly different value?
Most customers are surprised to learn that two shops can quote slightly different gram weights for one tola. There are three common reasons. First, some jewellers round the tola to 11.66 grams, or even to 11.7 grams, to make mental arithmetic easier. Over one tola the difference is a few hundredths of a gram, but over 10 tola the rounding can reach half a gram, which has a real price. Second, a few older traders keep a brass weight that was made by hand and is not exactly the standard value. Third, digital scales show weights to two decimals, so a piece of 1 tola may appear as 11.66 grams or 11.67 grams depending on the calibration of the scale.
None of this means that a shop is cheating, but it explains why you should always ask for the weight in grams on the receipt. A gram is the same everywhere. A receipt that says 12.35 grams can be checked on any scale, while a receipt that only says 1 tola and 1 masha depends on how the shop defines the tola.
Gold purity: how karats change the real gold content
The weight of a piece is not the same as the weight of the gold in it. Pure gold is 24 karat, which is about 99.9 percent gold, but it is too soft for most jewellery. Jewellers mix it with copper, silver or other metals to make it harder, and the purity is described in karats. The gold content equals the karat divided by 24. The table shows what that means for one tola of finished jewellery.
| Karat | Gold content | Pure gold in 1 tola |
|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% | 11.664 g |
| 22K | 91.67% | 10.692 g |
| 21K | 87.5% | 10.206 g |
| 18K | 75% | 8.748 g |
This is why a tola of 22 karat bangles and a tola of 24 karat bullion do not cost the same even when they weigh the same on the scale. When you compare offers, make sure that the weight and the karat are both written on the receipt. If you are buying as an investment, bullion bars and coins carry lower making charges than jewellery, but jewellery is more convenient for family use.
How to convert price per tola to price per gram
Gold rates in Pakistan and India are normally displayed per tola, while international prices and many online shops use grams. To compare them, divide the price per tola by 11.6638. As an illustrative example, assume that the rate board shows 250,000 for one tola of 24 karat gold. This is a made-up number to show the method, not a current price. The price per gram is 250,000 divided by 11.6638, which is about 21,434. The price per masha is 250,000 divided by 12, which is about 20,833, and the price per ratti is 250,000 divided by 96, which is about 2,604.
Now suppose that a jeweller sells a 22 karat necklace of 1.5 tola. The basic gold value at the same rate is not simply 1.5 times 250,000, because 22 karat gold contains only 91.67 percent gold. A fair rate for 22 karat gold is therefore about 250,000 times 0.9167, which is about 229,200 per tola, so 1.5 tola is about 343,800. Then the jeweller adds making charges, usually a fixed amount per tola or a percentage, and sometimes a deduction called wastage for the metal lost during manufacturing. Ask for each of these items to be shown separately so you can compare shops. The Percentage Calculator is useful here, because making charges are often quoted as a percentage of the gold value.
Weights that matter for zakat
Many families use the tola when they work out zakat on gold and silver, because the commonly quoted nisab, the minimum amount above which zakat becomes due, is given in tola. The nisab for gold is 7.5 tola, which is about 87.48 grams, and the nisab for silver is 52.5 tola, which is about 612.36 grams. Zakat is normally 2.5 percent of the value of zakatable wealth that has been held for one lunar year and is above the nisab. Scholars and institutions differ on some details, for example on whether to use the gold or the silver nisab for cash savings, and on how to treat jewellery that is worn regularly. These are questions of religious ruling, so please follow the guidance of a qualified scholar you trust.
What a converter can do is the arithmetic. If you own 4 tola of gold, that is 4 times 11.6638, which is 46.66 grams. That is below the gold nisab on its own, but its value is far above the silver nisab, which is why the choice of nisab matters so much and why you should ask a scholar. The Zakat Calculator on Dekuz totals the amounts that you enter, and our separate guide to zakat explains the steps in detail.
Common mistakes when converting tola
Several mistakes appear again and again. People confuse the tola with the ounce and use 28 grams, which gives an error of more than 140 percent. They confuse the troy ounce of 31.1 grams with the ordinary ounce of 28.35 grams used for food. They forget that a masha is a twelfth of a tola and not a tenth, so a simple decimal shortcut gives the wrong weight. They compare the price per tola of 22 karat gold with the price per tola of 24 karat gold as if they were the same quality. They ignore stone weight, because the weight on the receipt of a ring or a necklace often includes stones or enamel that carry no gold value. And they accept an oral weight instead of a written one.
A good habit is to ask for the net gold weight, the stone weight and the total weight separately, and to check the total on a scale in front of you. Reputable jewellers are happy to do this, and the check takes a minute.
A checklist for buying gold with confidence
- Write down the current rate per tola from at least two sources before you go to the shop, and convert it to a price per gram so that you can compare it with online prices.
- Ask for the karat and the net gold weight in grams, not only in tola and masha.
- Ask how making charges and wastage are calculated, and request that they appear as separate lines on the invoice.
- Watch the piece being weighed on a scale that is calibrated and facing you.
- Keep the invoice, because it is your proof of purchase for resale, insurance and zakat records.
- For investment, compare the buy and sell rates of the shop. The gap between them is the real cost of holding gold.
- If a deal sounds too good to be true, check the karat with an independent assay before you pay.
Other traditional South Asian weights
The tola is part of a larger family of traditional units. In the older system, 5 tola made one chhatak, 16 chhatak made one ser, and 40 ser made one maund, which is why a maund of grain is traditionally 40 ser. The ser used by Dekuz is 933.1 grams, which is 80 tola, and a maund of 40 ser is about 37.32 kilograms. Some traders round the ser to one kilogram, and in metric usage it is often treated as exactly one kilogram, so always ask which one is meant. The Ser to Kg Converter shows both the traditional and rounded values, and the Weight Converter handles kilograms, pounds, ounces and tonnes.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 tola?
One tola equals 11.6638 grams, which is 180 troy grains. Some shops round it to 11.66 grams.
How many masha are in a tola?
There are 12 masha in one tola, and each masha is about 0.972 grams.
How many ratti are in a tola?
There are 96 ratti in one tola, because 8 ratti make one masha and 12 masha make one tola.
How many tola are in a troy ounce?
One troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, which is about 2.67 tola. In other words, a tola is three eighths of a troy ounce.
How many grams is the zakat nisab for gold in tola?
The commonly used nisab is 7.5 tola of gold, which is about 87.48 grams. For silver it is 52.5 tola, which is about 612.36 grams. Ask a scholar which one applies to your savings.
Is the tola the same in Pakistan and India?
For gold and silver the tola is the same, 11.6638 grams, in both countries. Local traders may round the number differently, so ask for the weight in grams on the receipt.
Related tools
- Tola to Gram Converter – Convert gold and silver weight between tola, gram, kilogram and troy ounce.
- Ser to KG Converter – Convert between ser, maund and kilograms for everyday desi weights.
- Zakat Calculator – Estimate annual Zakat due on cash, gold, silver and other assets.
- Weight Converter – Convert mass between metric and imperial units.
- Percentage Calculator – Find a percentage of any number instantly.
Keep reading
- Marla to Square Feet and Kanal Conversion Guide for Pakistan
- How to Calculate Loan EMI: Formula, Worked Example and Tips
- How to Calculate Zakat on Gold, Silver and Savings: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Markup vs Margin: How to Price a Product and Protect Your Profit
- How to Convert CGPA to Percentage in Pakistan: The HEC Formula Explained
This guide is for general information and education. Figures in examples are illustrations, not current prices or advice. Please read our Disclaimer, and confirm important decisions with a qualified professional or an official source.