How many grams in 1 tola?
1 tola is 11.6638 grams — usually rounded to 11.664 g, and to 11.66 g in many shops. That is the whole answer, but if you buy, sell or inherit gold in Pakistan, the number alone is not enough: you also need masha and ratti, the difference between tola and 10 grams, how karat changes the value, and how a jeweller actually works out a price. This guide covers all of it, with the maths shown, and links to a free calculator that does the whole job for you.
The short answer: 11.6638 grams
The tola is the traditional unit of the gold trade in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, and it is still the unit every Sarafa market quotes in. One tola equals 180 troy grains, which works out to exactly 11.6638 grams — a standard fixed in British India in 1833 and still used by Pakistani jewellers today. In everyday dealing, most people round it: 11.664 g in careful writing, 11.66 g on a shop bill. The tiny rounding difference (four thousandths of a gram) does not matter for a single piece, but it is worth knowing the exact figure when you are converting larger weights, because the rounding adds up.
Two smaller units hang off the tola, and you will meet both on bills and in conversation. 1 tola = 12 masha, and 1 masha = 8 ratti, so 1 tola = 96 ratti. A masha is therefore about 0.972 grams and a ratti about 0.1215 grams. Ratti is also the unit traditionally used for gemstones, which is why you sometimes hear it outside the gold market too.
Tola, masha and ratti conversion table
| Unit | Grams | In tola |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tola | 11.6638 g | 1 |
| 1 masha | 0.9720 g | 1/12 |
| 1 ratti | 0.1215 g | 1/96 |
| 10 grams | 10 g | 0.857 |
| 1 kilogram | 1000 g | 85.735 |
| 1 troy ounce | 31.1035 g | 2.667 |
The 10-gram row deserves attention, because it causes the most confusion. Imported bars and coins are often minted in round gram weights — 10 g, 20 g, 100 g — while the local market quotes per tola. Since 10 grams is less than one tola (11.6638 g), a “10 gram” price is always lower than the tola price for the same gold, and comparing the two directly without converting is a classic mistake. The rule is simple: divide grams by 11.6638 to get tola, or multiply tola by 11.6638 to get grams.
Common conversions, worked out
- 5 tola in grams: 5 × 11.6638 = 58.32 grams.
- 2 tola 3 masha in grams: 2 tola = 23.3276 g, plus 3 masha = 2.916 g, total 26.24 grams.
- 100 grams in tola: 100 ÷ 11.6638 = 8.573 tola.
- 1 kilogram in tola: 1000 ÷ 11.6638 = 85.735 tola.
- Half tola in grams: 11.6638 ÷ 2 = 5.832 grams.
If you would rather not do these by hand, the Gold Value Calculator converts any weight — tola, masha, ratti, grams, kilograms or troy ounces — into all the others instantly, and also works out the value at today's rate.
Karat is purity, not weight
The second confusion after units is karat. Karat does not change how heavy gold is — it changes how much of that weight is pure gold. A 2-tola bangle weighs 2 tola whether it is 24K or 18K. What changes is the pure-gold share, and therefore the value at the 24K rate: 24K is 99.9% pure gold, 22K is 91.7% (22/24), 21K is 87.5% (21/24) and 18K is 75% (18/24). Most jewellery in Pakistan is 22K, because pure 24K gold is too soft for daily wear; bars and coins are usually 24K.
Worked example: 3 tola of 21K jewellery at a 24K rate of Rs 420,000 per tola. The 24K value is 3 × 420,000 = Rs 1,260,000. The 21K value is 1,260,000 × 21 ÷ 24 = Rs 1,102,500. That single multiplication — weight in tola, times rate, times the karat fraction — is the whole maths of gold pricing, and it is exactly what the calculator does for you.
How a jeweller works out your price
When you buy, the bill is roughly: gold value + making charges + any shop margin. Making charges pay for the craft of turning gold into jewellery, and they vary by design complexity. When you sell, the calculation runs the other way: the jeweller pays for the gold content only. Making charges are not refunded, and a deduction may apply for impurities, stones and wear — in market practice, deductions are sometimes quoted in ratti per masha, which is why knowing the ratti matters even if you never buy in ratti. The gap between buying and selling prices for the same piece is therefore normal, not a trick: it is the making charges and the deduction, and this calculator keeps them as separate, visible fields so you can see both cases.
One more figure worth knowing: the commonly cited gold nisab for zakat is 87.48 grams, which is 7.5 tola. If your gold holdings reach that weight and stay with you for a full lunar year, zakat of 2.5% is generally considered due on them. Treat that as a starting point and confirm the details with a scholar you trust, since the rules have conditions around what counts and how it is valued.
Tips before you buy or sell
- Check the weight on the bill. It should state tola, masha and ratti (or grams) and the karat. If any of the three is missing, ask.
- Confirm the karat, not just the weight. Two pieces of the same weight can differ in value by a quarter if one is 18K and the other is 24K.
- Ask about making charges separately. A low gold price with high making charges is not a bargain.
- For selling, ask the deduction up front. Knowing the percentage before you hand over the piece avoids surprises.
- Convert before comparing. Never compare a per-tola price with a per-10-gram price without converting one to the other first.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in 1 tola?
11.6638 grams, commonly rounded to 11.664 g or 11.66 g.
How many masha are in 1 tola?
12 masha. And 1 masha is 8 ratti, so 1 tola is 96 ratti.
Is 10 grams the same as 1 tola?
No. 10 grams is about 0.857 tola — less than a tola — which is why 10-gram prices always look lower than tola prices.
Does karat change the weight?
No. Karat is purity. Weight stays the same; only the pure-gold share — and therefore the value — changes.
How do I calculate my gold's value?
Multiply the weight in tola by today's 24K rate per tola, then multiply by the karat fraction (22/24 for 22K, 21/24 for 21K, 18/24 for 18K). Or use the Gold Value Calculator, which does it all — including deductions and making charges — in one step.
The bottom line
1 tola is 11.6638 grams, equal to 12 masha and 96 ratti. Remember that one line, remember that karat is purity rather than weight, and remember to convert before comparing prices quoted in different units — and most gold maths becomes simple. For the full job, open the Gold Value Calculator: enter any weight, add today's rate, pick the karat, and get the value in PKR.
