01 · Quick answer
- Plain pieces (chains, bangles, bands): expect ₹250-500 per gram or 5-10% wastage.
- Hand-set bridal pieces: 12-22% wastage is fair given the labour.
- Jadau / meenakari heritage work: 18-30% wastage reflects the genuine craft hours.
- Always demand a line-itemised bill — net gold weight, gold rate, making, GST, all separately.
- Walk away if the bill is "all-inclusive" with no making-charge breakdown — it's the standard hide-the-margin tactic.
02 · What "making charges" actually means
Making charges (also called ghadai, banwai, or simply "labour") cover four things bundled into a single line on the bill:
- Design fee — the karigar's time to draft and prototype the piece.
- Manufacturing labour — the actual hand-finishing or machine-finishing hours.
- Wastage allowance — the small amount of gold lost to filings, polishing, and re-melting during fabrication. Genuinely irrecoverable in some cases.
- Workshop overhead and margin — rent, utilities, the jeweller's profit on the labour component.
The gold metal itself is priced separately at the daily rate. Making charges are a separate line precisely because gold rate fluctuates daily but labour cost is stable.
03 · The two formulas you'll see on a bill
Per-gram flat rate
e.g. ₹400 per gram
Used for plain pieces — chains, bangles, plain bands, daily-wear earrings — where labour is predictable per gram. Most transparent for the buyer because total making cost is straightforward to compute. Fair range: ₹250-500/g for 22K plain work.
Wastage percentage
e.g. 12% of gold value
Used for intricate or hand-set pieces — bridal sets, jadau, meenakari — where actual labour is harder to quantify per gram. Quoted as a percentage of the gold value at current rate. Fair range: 8-22% for 22K work depending on craft intensity.
Both formulas are legitimate. The buyer's question is not which formula but whether it's within the fair range for that piece type.
04 · Fair ranges by piece type (2026 India)
| Piece type | Typical formula | Fair range (22K) |
|---|---|---|
| Plain gold chain | Per gram | ₹250-450/g |
| Plain bangle / kada | Per gram | ₹300-500/g |
| Daily-wear gold ring | Per gram or 5-10% wastage | ₹350-600/g |
| Mangalsutra | 8-15% wastage | 10-15% |
| Hand-set bridal necklace | 12-22% wastage | 12-22% |
| Bridal trousseau set | 15-22% wastage | 15-22% |
| Jadau-only piece | 18-25% wastage | 18-25% |
| Jadau + meenakari heritage | 22-30% wastage | 22-30% |
| Diamond ring (18K base) | 10-18% wastage | 10-18% |
Numbers are typical 2026 Rajkot and broader Saurashtra retail. National chains tend to fall at the upper end; family jewellers in the lower-to-middle. Anything above the upper end on a plain piece warrants a question.
05 · Sample bill walkthrough
A 22K gold bangle, gross weight 25g, with light stone-setting. Here's what an honest bill looks like:
| Line item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gross weight | — | 25.000 g |
| Stone weight (deducted) | — | −1.500 g |
| Net 22K gold weight | — | 23.500 g |
| Today's 22K rate | — | ₹6,800 /g |
| Gold value | 23.5 × 6,800 | ₹159,800 |
| Making charges (12% wastage) | 12% of 159,800 | ₹19,176 |
| Stone value (separately invoiced) | — | ₹12,000 |
| Sub-total | — | ₹190,976 |
| GST @ 3% (gold) | 3% of 178,976 | ₹5,369 |
| GST @ 3% (stone) | 3% of 12,000 | ₹360 |
| Total payable | — | ₹196,705 |
Of the ₹196,705 total: ₹159,800 (81%) is the gold metal itself, ₹19,176 (10%) is making, ₹12,000 (6%) is stones, ₹5,729 (3%) is GST. The buyer can audit every line.
07 · How and when to negotiate
Making charges are negotiable; gold value is not. Practical rules:
- Plain pieces: ask for the lower end of the fair range. Most jewellers accept a 5-15% reduction on the quoted making for plain work, especially for repeat customers.
- Bridal commissions: negotiate the wastage % at design-conversation stage, not after the piece is made. Quoted ranges of 22% can often come down to 18% for established customers.
- Bulk purchases (multiple pieces in one transaction): expect 5-10% reduction across all making charges.
- Chain stores: less flexibility — making is set by corporate. Independent jewellers can adjust per relationship.
- Don't negotiate down to silly margins — a karigar earning ₹150/g on a piece can't deliver heirloom-grade hand-finishing. The lower-end of the fair range is the floor.
Bring this checklist to any jeweller
These rules apply to any gold purchase in India. For the broader buyer's framework, read our guide to choosing a jeweller in Rajkot, and our BIS hallmark guide for verifying purity.