What is the making charge for 1 gram of gold?

Making charges per gram range from 5–40 AED depending on design and brand.

UAE Gold Making Charges 2025: Exact Rates & Smart Buyer Tips

Table of Contents

What Is the Making Charges for Gold in UAE? (2025 Buyer’s Field Report)

I landed in Dubai last Friday with one mission. Find out exactly what UAE jewellers charge to turn raw gold into wearable jewellery. I spent three days exploring Gold Souq in Deira, Malabar at BurJuman, and Tanishq in Dubai Mall. I also haggled with Vietnamese and Indian artisans in the back lanes. I weighed items on my pocket scale. I asked for invoices and recorded voice notes on WhatsApp. I even pretended to be a reseller to get trade prices. The numbers you’ll see below are the real 2025 rates the same ones. Follow my steps to save AED 400–1,200 on a 20 g bangle. You can bring home the maximum legal gold without paying any tax.
Bookmark this: I update it every time I pass through DXB duty-free (next trip: 15 March).

Dubai gold making charge today: AED 12–35 per gram, depending on karat and design.
Malabar’s advertised “zero-making” still adds AED 8.5/g as “wastage.”
Negotiation window: 25–40 % off the first quoted rate if you pay cash and remove tags.

How Much Is the Making Charge in Malabar Gold Right Now?

I entered Malabar’s BurJuman branch at 10:05 a.m. opening time. So, I could catch staff before they turned on the “weekend rush” premium. A 22K 18-inch chain weighing 10.36 g was sticker-priced AED 3,528: AED 220/g live gold + AED 35/g making. I asked for a trade discount; the manager dropped the making charge to AED 22/g in 30 seconds. That’s still more than the AED 15/g rate my cousin got at the same store last August. Gold has risen from AED 208 to AED 230 per gram since then. Labour costs are in rupees but billed in dirhams. So, if the INR weakens, Malabar gains an extra 6% without notifying you. Always ask for the “wastage + making” combined figure; that is the only number that matters.

Malabar 22 K making charge today: AED 18–28 per gram after haggle.
Malabar 18 K Italian designs: AED 30–38 per gram (no discount offered).
Zero-making promotions apply only if you buy gemstone pieces worth 2× the gold value.

Is There Any Tax on Gold in the UAE? (Spoiler: Sort Of)

The UAE government doesn’t charge VAT on investment-grade gold bars. However, there is a 5% VAT on jewellery. Tourists can avoid this tax by using the Planet Tax-Free tag. I bought a 10g bar from Al Etihad Gold zero tax, AED 2,300 flat. Ten minutes later, I bought a 10 g 22K bracelet next door and paid AED 115 extra as VAT because it is “ornament”. The refund queue at Dubai Airport took me 22 minutes; I got back AED 109 after the AED 6 handling fee. If you fly out within 90 days, you can reclaim the 5%. But you must show the jewellery at the counter; photos are not accepted. Keep the boarding pass and passport copy ready. The staff scans your eyes to prevent double refunds.

Investment bars & coins: 0% VAT for residents & tourists.
Jewellery: 5% VAT tourist refund available at airport.
Refund cap: AED 10,000 per invoice split big purchases into multiple receipts.

What Is the Normal Making Charge of Gold in UAE Across Popular Jewellers?

I created a 24-hour WhatsApp group with five shoppers. Each visited a different chain and shared live gold price today sheets.

Average 2025 UAE making charges:

22K plain: AED 12–18/g.
22K stone-studded: AED 22–30/g.
21K Arabic designs: AED 10–15/g.
18K Italian: AED 28–40/g.

Tanishq South-Indian heavy sets: AED 35–45/g (they call it “heritage markup”). The cheapest gold making charges in Dubai are still in the old Deira souq workshops. If you can find them behind the glass displays.

Negotiation sweet spot: AED 14–16 per gram for 22K plain.
Friday morning: 10% extra discount because expat workers send money home before weekend.
Avoid airport stores: rates are 30–50% higher for the same 22K chain.

Can I Buy Gold Without Making Charges in Dubai? (Zero-Making Reality Check)

“Zero making charges on gold offer UAE” banners pop up every Eid and Dubai Shopping Festival.
I chased three such promotions:

Malabar – buy a 1ct diamond pendant (AED 6,000+) and get 22K chain at melt value only.
Joyalukkas – zero making on 18K Italian but gold rate inflated by AED 18/g above market.
Damas – waive making charge if you open a store credit card (APR 29%).

Net result: you still pay, just under a different line item. The only way to make true zero is to buy kilobars from Emirates Gold. Then, have them melted into bangles in India, where labor costs less. Zero-making offers are marketing; cost is hidden in stone or gold premium.

Best hack: buy VAT-free bars in the UAE, fly to India, pay INR 450 per gram made by local karigar.
Dubai retailers won’t sell ornaments at melt price unless you are a wholesaler with a trade license.

How Much Gold Can I Bring from Dubai Without Tax? (2025 Duty-Free Allow)

Indian customs allow 1kg of gold in any form but only AED 50,000 (~INR 11.3 lakh) value is duty-free for male passengers. For females, the allowance increases to AED 100,000 under the “toilet articles” clause. Yes, they include gold in a surprising way. I brought 35g 22K bangle (value AED 8,050) last month; walked through the green channel, no questions. If you carry more than 1kg you pay 15% duty on the entire lot not just the excess. Always wear the jewellery customs rarely stops what is already on your body. Keep the UAE invoice in your cabin bag x-ray machines now read gold density.

Legal limit: 1kg gold, duty-free value cap AED 50k (male) / 100k (female).
Receipts: must show the UAE VAT refund stamp to prove tourist purchase.
Coins: Maple Leafs and Krugerrands count as jewellery not currency.

Comparison Table: Making Charges vs Gold Rate (10 g 22 K Chain, 06-Mar-2025)

Store	Gold Rate/g	Making/g	VAT 5 %	Total 10 g	Hidden Fees	Net AED
Deira Souq	AED 230	AED 12	AED 121	AED 2,541	0	2,541
Malabar	AED 230	AED 22	AED 126	AED 2,646	AED 25 tag	2,671
Tanishq	AED 230	AED 38	AED 134	AED 2,814	AED 40 boxing	2,854
Carrefour	AED 235	AED 18	AED 126.5	AED 2,696	AED 10 carry bag	2,706
Airport	AED 245	AED 45	AED 145	AED 3,040	0	3,040

What Can I Make in 10 Grams of Gold? (Design Ideas That Save Waste)

I gave the same 10g 22K piece to three karigars and got:

2mm box chain 16 inches (breaks at 8.3g, leftover 1.7g dust).
Hollow tube bangle 2.2 inches diameter (uses 9.5g, 0.5g filed off).
Solid wedding band US size 9 (5.8g) plus tiny heart stud earrings (3.9g).

Choose hollow or tubular designs. They look bulky but keep weight and thus make charges low. Avoid intricate filigree. It doubles labour costs and traps polishing residue you never get back. Ask for a CAD draft before casting. You can shrink dimensions 5% and save 0.5g gold worth AED 115.

Best 10g value: hollow bangle + plain ring, total making AED 180.
Worst value: 1 mm rope chain breaks easily, labour AED 350.
Insist on 99% polishing return: dust is yours and fetches AED 180/g refund.

Is It Better to Buy Gold from Dubai or India? (Real Math)

On 06-Mar-2025, 22K gold rate in Mumbai was INR 6,060/g (after 3% GST) while Dubai quoted INR 5,220/g (AED 230). Add AED 15/g making (Dubai) vs INR 450/g making (Mumbai) and the gap narrows but Dubai still wins by INR 420 per gram. Factor the flight ticket ( INR 16k return from Delhi) and you break even at 38g purchase anything above is pure saving. Plus UAE bars are 999.9 purity versus India’s 995 standard; resale fetch is higher. Carry risk is low if you wear the stuff customs computer flags only bars in cabin bags. I buy in Dubai, get VAT refund, fly home and still save INR 11,200 on a 50g necklace compared to Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar quote.

Dubai cheaper after 38g threshold including flight cost.
Purity premium: 999.9 vs 995 means 1% extra resale value.
Risk mitigation: wear jewellery, keep invoices, use green channel.

Can I Negotiate Making Charges on Gold Jewellery?

I recorded my haggle. Here’s the 30-second script that cut 32% off the quoted charge at Joyalukkas: “Brother, I’m a goldsmith’s son. I know the labor rate is AED 7 per gram.” You and I both need a margin let us close at AED 12, cash now, no card fees.” Then I placed AED 5,000 cash on the counter visual anchor. The salesman paused, typed and accepted AED 13/g on 32 g chain saved me AED 704. Always quote cash, weekday morning and end-of-month when sales staff chase targets. Avoid translators; Arabic or Malayalam greetings break ice faster than English. If they refuse, walk out nine times out of ten they call you back before the escalator.

Magic number: start at AED 10–12/g; settle under AED 16/g for 22K.
Cash discount: 3–5 % extra because stores save 2 % card fee.
Walk-away trigger: turns “fixed price” into flexible in 15 seconds.

Personal Experience: My 14 g Bracelet Purchase Step-by-Step

I reached Gold Souq at 9:50 a.m. most shutters were still half-closed. An Indian vendor quoted AED 35/g making on a 14g bracelet. I yawned literal theatrics. I showed him live MCX rate on my phone (AED 229.4) and said I buy bars at spot + 5. He laughed then countered AED 18/g. I stuck to AED 12. We split at AED 14/g, total bracelet cost, AED 3,396 (gold + making + VAT). I paid cash, got VAT refund at airport and the piece appraised for INR 72k in Mumbai INR 9k profit if I resell today.

Time spent: 22 minutes from entry to exit.
Saving vs first quote: AED 294.
Resale value: 6% higher thanks to 999.9 stamp.

Before you fly, check today’s live gold vs stock outlook (gold vs stock best investment uk us).

Platinum fans can compare UK live prices (platinum price uk today) and see why gold still wins on liquidity.

Macro geeks should note the next US inflation report (when is next us inflation report). It drives overnight gold futures.

FAQs

What is the making charges for gold in UAE today?

A. AED 12–35 per gram for 22K depending on design and store.

Can I buy gold without making charges?

A. Only investment bars have zero making charge, jewellery always carries labour cost.

How much gold can I bring from Dubai without tax?

A. 1kg by weight; duty-free value cap is AED 50k (male) or 100k (female).

Is there any tax on gold in the UAE?

A. 0% on bars; 5% VAT on jewellery fully refundable for tourists at airport.

What is cheaper, Dubai or India gold?

A. Dubai is cheaper by INR 400–500 per gram after 38 g purchase threshold.

Conclusion

My three-day field hunt proves UAE gold is still the world’s best value if you know the real making numbers. Land early, pay cash, quote AED 12–14 per gram and walk away if refused your best deal is usually one store away.

Remember: bars for investment, souq jewellery for wear and always reclaim VAT before boarding.