Pakistani Bridal Gold: How Many Tola, and What It Costs Today

A Pakistani bride's gold is counted in tola (11.66 g) of 21K or 22K, and custom has long expected at least 10 tola (about 117 g) for the bridal set, though record prices have pushed many families toward lighter sets, lower karats or artificial jewellery. At today's price, a typical set of 117 g (10 tola) of 22K and 21K gold contains Rs 36,32,105 of gold, before making charges (about Rs 37,41,069 with 3% sales tax).

Prices Oct 30, 2026, 21:55 UTC · Typical weights, not rules · Customs checked October 2026

Modest set · 47 g · 4 tola

Rs 14,59,051

gold value · with tax, before making charges Rs 15,02,822

Typical set · 117 g · 10 tola

Rs 36,32,105

gold value · with tax, before making charges Rs 37,41,069

Lavish set · 350 g · 30 tola

Rs 1,08,65,273

gold value · with tax, before making charges Rs 1,11,91,231

The pieces, and your own set

Starts at a typical 117 g set · change any weight; nothing leaves your browser

Piece	Typical weight	Purity	Gold value
Bridal necklace set (har / choker with earrings) ہار / چوکر سیٹThe main set, roughly 3–10 tola; usually from the bride's family as part of the jahez.	35–117 gabout 5 tola	22K	—
Long haar / rani haar رانی ہارSecond, longer necklace layered under the set (about 2–8 tola); mainly in larger sets.	23–93 gabout 4 tola	22K	—
Jhumar (side head ornament) جھومرFan-shaped ornament worn on one side of the head, typical of Pakistani and Muslim North Indian brides.	6–23 gabout 1 tola	22K	—
Maang tikka ماتھا ٹیکاForehead pendant; often matches the jhumar.	4–15 gabout 0.7 tola	22K	—
Jhumkas / earrings (separate pair) جھمکےExtra earrings beyond those in the main set.	8–30 gabout 1.3 tola	22K	—
Bangles / kangan (set) چوڑیاں / کنگنSet of choorian or a pair of heavy kangan, about 2–8 tola; commonly 21K.	23–93 gabout 4 tola	21K	—
Nath (nose ring) نتھBridal nose ring, often with a chain to the hair.	2–8 gabout 0.3 tola	22K	—
Rings انگوٹھیEngagement (mangni) ring from the groom's side plus the bride's rings.	3–12 gabout 0.5 tola	21K	—
Haq mehr in gold (if fixed in gold) حق مہرDower the groom owes the bride, often written in the nikahnama as tola of gold (about 1–10 tola); separate from the jewellery and hers alone.	12–117 gabout 3 tola	21K	—

Making charge (%)

Currency

No survey exists: set sizes come from press reports, and piece weights are estimates.

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Pakistani jewellers price gold per tola at the daily sarafa (bullion market) rate for the karat, then add making ('banwai' or 'mazdoori'), usually a percentage of the metal value or a fixed amount per tola that rises with handwork such as kundan, polki and meenakari; named houses charge more than bazaar jewellers. When selling back, shops deduct for alloy and loss ('kaat'), so check the karat and net weight on the bill. No reliable published range for making charges was found. The estimate adds 3% sales tax on the bill (see VAT on gold).

Who gives what: jahez, bari and the mehr

Gold reaches a Pakistani bride from three directions. Her own family's jahez (trousseau, often called dowry) traditionally includes the main bridal set and bangles, and families save for it for years, sometimes through rotating savings 'committees'. The groom's family sends the bari: wedding outfits and jewellery for the bride, which in many families includes a gold set or kangan, plus the mangni (engagement) ring. The groom also owes the haq mehr, the dower written into the nikahnama, which is frequently fixed in tola of gold. Work out a gold mehr in today's money with our Haq Mehr calculator.

All of the bride's jewellery and her mehr are her own property. Pakistani law (the Dowry and Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Act, 1976) treats dowry and bridal gifts as vesting in the bride.

How much gold: the tola count

Gold is weighed and priced in tola (11.664 g), and the weight matters as much as the design: in-laws or their jeweller may check purity, and gold-plated pieces traditionally don't count. A widely repeated custom is that a bride's family should give at least 10 tola (about 117 g). Well-off families in places like Swat once gave 30–50 tola, falling to 15–20 when prices jumped; poorer families give 1–3 tola. Mehr amounts of 3–5 tola were customary in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until a 2023 Lower Dir jirga capped them at one tola because of prices.

21K or 22K?

Pakistani bridal jewellery is made mainly in 21K or 22K: heirloom sets and heavy necklaces are often 22K, while bangles and everyday pieces are commonly 21K. Sarafa markets publish daily per-tola rates for 24K, 22K and 21K. Diamond and polki work, increasingly popular, is usually set in lower-karat gold.

Record prices: lighter sets, lower karats, artificial jewellery (2025–26)

With 24K gold passing Rs 4 lakh per tola in 2025 and reaching around Rs 5.4 lakh in early 2026, traders told Al Jazeera that gold jewellery sales had fallen about 50% in a year and that customers were moving to 18K or even 12K. Many brides now wear a gold-plated or zircon bridal set (costing Rs 15,000–60,000) or rent one, and keep a smaller real-gold set, bangles or the mehr gold as the bride's lasting wealth. Proposals to cap dowry and bridal gifts at four tola were floated in 2020 but have not become law nationally.

Pakistani wedding gold: FAQ

How much does a Pakistani wedding gold set cost today?

At today's gold price, a modest set of about 47 g contains Rs 14,59,051 of gold, a typical 117 g set Rs 36,32,105 and a lavish 350 g set Rs 1,08,65,273. Jewellers add making charges on top.

How many grams is one tola?

One tola is 11.664 grams. Pakistani gold rates are quoted per tola and per 10 grams for 24K, 22K and 21K.

How much gold is in a Pakistani bridal set?

There is no official figure. Custom long expected at least 10 tola (about 117 g) for the bride's gold; modest weddings may manage 3–5 tola and wealthy families 30 tola or more, often in 21K or 22K.

What is the difference between jahez and bari?

Jahez is what the bride's family sends with her, traditionally including the main gold set. Bari is what the groom's family gives the bride: her wedding outfits and jewellery. Both, plus the mehr, are the bride's property.

Can haq mehr be fixed in gold?

Yes. Many nikahnamas fix the mehr as a number of tola of gold, which keeps its value better than a cash amount. Use the Haq Mehr calculator to see what a gold mehr is worth today.

Is Pakistani bridal jewellery 21K or 22K?

Both are common. Heavy sets and heirloom pieces are often 22K; bangles and lighter pieces are frequently 21K. With record prices some buyers are choosing 18K.

Are Pakistani brides wearing less gold now?

Yes. Traders report jewellery sales down about half in a year, with families buying fewer tola, lower karats, or gold-plated and rented bridal sets for the wedding day.

Sources (7)

Wedding gold in other cultures Gold price in Pakistan VAT on gold in Pakistan Jewellery price calculator Haq mehr calculator Gold hallmarks decoded ID and cash limits

Weights are typical ranges reported by jewellers, industry bodies and the press, not rules; families vary widely. Gold values use the international price at today's exchange rates; shop prices differ.