Most customers come to the counter knowing they want gold. Fewer know which gold. The karat decides the colour, how the piece stands up to wear, what it can hold, and how much gold comes back when you exchange it. This is how we explain it at Shop No. 6.
Karat measures purity, not quality
Pure gold is 24 karat. Every karat below that says how many parts in 24 are gold; the rest is alloy, usually copper, silver and zinc. The hallmark gives the same figure in parts per thousand: 999 or 999.9 for 24K, 916 for 22K, 875 for 21K and 750 for 18K.
Every wrought gold piece sold in the UAE must carry a recognised hallmark under Federal Law No. 11 of 2015; in Dubai the testing and shop inspections are done by Dubai Municipality’s Dubai Central Laboratory, and pieces under one gram are exempt from stamping. The stamp is a legal baseline; the question is which number suits what you want the piece to do.
The four karats side by side
| Karat | Fineness mark | Gold content | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 999 or 999.9 | 99.9% | Coins and bars |
| 22K | 916 | 91.6% | Indian bridal and traditional sets |
| 21K | 875 | 87.5% | Gulf bridal sets and daily-wear chains |
| 18K | 750 | 75% | Diamond settings, white and rose gold, Italian chains |
24K: for coins and bars, not for wearing
Pure gold is too soft for jewellery; a 24K ring bends and scratches with ordinary wear. Bars and coins of 99% purity or more are zero-rated for VAT under UAE law and sell at a small premium over the gram rate with no making charge, so nearly all you pay is gold.
Jewellery of any karat, and 22K coins, carry 5% VAT on gold value plus making charge. Visitors wanting that VAT back on departure should ask whether the shop is registered for tax-free shopping and read the Federal Tax Authority’s tourist refund page.
22K: the Indian bridal standard
22K, stamped 916, has long been the most common karat in Dubai’s trade and the one Indian families expect for a bridal set. At 91.6% gold it keeps a deep yellow, with enough alloy to take filigree, casting and engraving.
It is the karat of our Indian collections, and of Singapore work: Kolkata, Rajkot, Temple, Antique and Singapore are made in 22K. The pieces are on our gold jewellery and necklaces pages. For a piece worn at weddings and festivals and kept as family gold, 22K is the default. The trade-off is softness: a 22K bangle worn daily dents and loses its edges sooner than 21K or 18K.
21K: the Gulf choice
In shops that serve Emirati, Saudi, Kuwaiti and Egyptian customers, 21K is the karat quoted first. It is a long-standing Gulf tradition: 87.5% gold, stamped 875, used for the wide bangles, tiered necklaces, chains and rings of an Arab bridal set.
Gulf jewellery is bought by weight and worn in full, so the extra alloy buys durability without giving up much colour or much gold. The colour difference from 22K is slight; put the two side by side under the counter light to see it. Gulf and Turkish pieces are generally made in 21K; ask what we have in the Kuwait and Turkish collections on the day. For a Gulf wedding, or a heavy bracelet that will be worn hard, ask for 21K.
18K: where the diamonds live
18K is 75% gold, stamped 750, and the hardness standard for diamond-set jewellery. The prongs holding a diamond, the channel walls around small stones and the hinge on a tennis bracelet all need metal that will not bend; 22K is too soft for a prong or a channel wall. That is why our Diamonds collection is set in 18K. Gemstone pieces go either way: 22K for traditional sets, 18K where the setting needs strength. White and rose gold are made in 18K; the larger alloy share is what gives the colour.
It is also the usual karat for Italian-style work: the flat chains, curb bracelets and collars in our Italian collection are mostly 18K, with even, machine-finished links.
Colour and wear in plain terms
More gold means a deeper yellow and a softer piece: 24K is almost orange, 22K a rich yellow, 21K a shade lighter, plain 18K paler again. Finish matters too: Turkish work sets sand-blasted matte against polished bright, which makes a lighter alloy read richer. Earrings kept for functions can stay 22K for decades; a ring knocked on desks daily looks better for longer in 21K or 18K.
Resale and exchange value by weight
Gold is bought back for its gold content, not its design; the making charge is not part of what comes back. The terms, and how an old piece is weighed and tested, are on our gold exchange page.
So a 10 gram 22K bangle holds more gold than a 10 gram 18K bracelet. At an example rate of AED 460 per gram for 22K and AED 380 for 18K, before making charge and VAT, the gold in the two differs by AED 800. Those are round numbers for the arithmetic, not live prices; the gold rate page has today’s figure for each karat.
Choosing by purpose
Daily wear. 21K or 18K for rings, bracelets and chains worn hard; 22K for occasion pieces.
Gifts. 22K pendants and children’s bangles hold their value and exchange easily; a 24K coin is the simplest gift of all.
Bridal sets. 22K for Indian weddings, 21K for Gulf weddings: what the family expects and the local market trades in.
Diamond settings. 18K for prong, claw and channel settings. Polki and kundan work in our Antique collection is the traditional exception, set in 22K. How we test diamonds, and when a grading report comes with one, is on our promise page.
Investment. 24K bars and coins. To wear something that also holds value, choose plain 22K or 21K with a low making charge, the part you do not get back.
Custom work. We also make custom pieces; weight, karat and making charge are agreed in writing before work begins.
Send a photo of what you have in mind on WhatsApp and we will suggest the karat and quote on the day’s rate. Or visit a branch and compare the karats side by side under the counter light.