How to Buy Gold in Pakistan: Sarafa Rate & Buying Tips

Pakistan's gold rate is set daily by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), from the international spot price and the USD/PKR exchange rate, and published by sources such as HamariWeb. The rate is quoted per tola (11.6638 grams) for 24K gold, with 22K, 21K and 18K derived from it.

Before you buy, check the day's rate — the live rate strip at the top of this page shows it. A jeweller's price should track the APGJSA rate closely. The rate is the same across Pakistan — what differs between shops is making charges, not the metal price.

Pakistan quotes gold per tola, not per gram or per 10 grams. One tola is 11.6638 grams, and the tola is the unit of the sarafa market: jewellers quote in tolas, bills are written in tolas, and wedding gold is measured in tolas. Per-gram prices are derived by dividing the tola rate by 11.6638.

When comparing prices — with India (per 10 grams) or internationally (per ounce) — convert to a common unit. Per gram in US dollars is the cleanest comparison, and the rate table on this site shows it alongside the tola rate.

Making charges in Pakistan are fully negotiable — bargaining is the bazaar tradition, and the first quote is rarely the best. Plain pieces (chains, bangles, bands) should carry low making charges; intricate bridal work carries higher ones. There is no fixed rate, and it varies by design, by city and by jeweller.

Always ask for the making charge separately from the gold value, compare it between two or three shops in the same bazaar, and negotiate. The gold rate is fixed by the sarafa association; the making charge is set by the jeweller — and it is where you win or lose money.

Pakistan does not have a mandatory hallmarking system of the kind India has, so the jeweller's reputation is your main protection. Buy from established shops with a long local history — a sarafa jeweller whose family has traded in the same bazaar for decades has more to lose from selling under-karated gold than a new shop does.

Ask for the karat in writing on the receipt (22K, 21K or 18K), check the weight on the shop's scale, and for a large purchase, consider having the piece tested at an independent assayer. If a deal looks too good to be true — gold far below the day's rate — it is.

Lahore's Akbari Mandi and Liberty Market, Karachi's Tariq Road and Kharadar, Rawalpindi's Sarafa Bazaar and Faisalabad's Katchery Bazaar are the heart of Pakistan's gold trade — dense concentrations of jewellers where competition keeps making charges honest. Buy in the bazaar, where you can compare three shops in ten minutes, rather than from a single isolated shop.

For investment gold, bars and coins from established jewellers are the simplest choice: the premium over the tola rate is low, and resale is straightforward in any bazaar. Keep the receipt and the original packaging — they make resale easier and faster.