22K vs 24K vs 18K Gold in India: Which Should You Buy?

Three numbers, three completely different purposes. The answer isn't which karat is "best" — it's whether you're buying metal to hold, or an ornament to wear. Here's how 24K, 22K and 18K really compare in India.

The core difference: purity

Karat measures how much of the metal is pure gold. The rest is alloy — usually copper, silver or zinc — added to make the metal hard enough to survive being worn. In India the same idea is stamped on the piece as a fineness number in parts per thousand, which is why 22K jewellery is so often just called "916".

How the per-gram prices relate

This is the part that makes the whole thing click. Because you're paying for gold content, the price per gram of each karat tracks its purity — roughly in proportion. If you know today's 24K rate per gram, you can sanity-check the others:

• 22K ≈ 24K rate × 0.916 — it's 91.6% gold, so it costs about 91.6% as much per gram
• 18K ≈ 24K rate × 0.75 — 75% gold, so about three-quarters the price per gram

Two caveats. First, this is a sanity check, not a formula to quote at a jeweller: published 22K and 18K rates are quoted in their own right and rounded, so they'll land near these numbers rather than exactly on them. Second, and more importantly, it tells you nothing about the final bill — the making charge on an intricate 22K necklace can dwarf the per-gram difference between karats. Always compare the finished quote, not just the rate.

It's also worth noticing what this arithmetic implies: a gram of gold costs the same whichever karat it's wrapped in. Buy 10g of 18K and you're buying 7.5g of gold plus 2.5g of cheap alloy. The lower per-gram price isn't a discount on gold — it's just less gold.

When to choose 24K

If the goal is to store value, 24K is the answer: coins and bars, at 999 fineness, with minimal making charges. More of your money sits in the metal itself and less in labour you can't recover. What 24K is not is jewellery metal — at 99.9% purity it's soft enough to bend and scratch in ordinary wear, which is exactly why Indian ornaments aren't made from it.

When to choose 22K

For jewellery you'll actually wear, 22K is the Indian standard and has been for generations. That ~8% of alloy is enough to hold detailed work, survive daily knocks and keep the deep yellow colour people want, while still being high enough in gold content to carry strong resale value. Most chains, bangles, rings and wedding jewellery in India are 916.

When to choose 18K

18K trades gold content for strength. At 75% purity it's the hardest of the three, which is why it's the usual choice for diamond and stone-set pieces — the setting has to grip the stone and not give way — and for lighter, contemporary designs. It's cheaper per gram, but remember why: you're buying less gold. As a way to own gold it's the weakest of the three; as a way to hold a diamond securely it's the strongest.

One practical note: the app publishes 18K at the national level only. Per-city rates cover 24K and 22K, which reflects what Indian city markets actually quote day to day.

The resale angle

When you sell or exchange gold, you're paid for its gold content at that day's rate — so a gram of 22K returns more than a gram of 18K, and 24K more than either. Making charges are generally not returned to you. That's the whole case for checking the published rate against a quote before you buy: the closer your purchase sits to the metal value, the better your position when you come to sell.

Whatever you buy, check the hallmark

Purity you can't verify is just a claim. Every karat above should come with a BIS hallmark and a 6-digit HUID you can look up yourself — see BIS Hallmarking and the 6-Digit HUID, Explained.

Related reading

• Today's Gold Rate in India: How It's Set
• BIS Hallmarking and the 6-Digit HUID, Explained
• Gold Making Charges in India, Explained