Gold Weight Units Explained — Tola, Gram & Ounce
By Arjun Mehta | Published | Updated
A complete reference guide to all gold weight units used for weighing gold and precious metals — from the ancient tola and ratti to the modern troy ounce and kilogram.
Gold Weight Units Conversion Table
All values converted relative to 1 gram for easy reference.
| Unit | In Grams | Region/System | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratti | 0.1215 g | South Asia | Gemstones, smallest gold unit |
| Masha | 0.972 g | South Asia | Small jewelry pieces |
| Gram | 1.000 g | Metric (SI) | Universal standard |
| Tola | 11.6638038 g | South Asia, Gulf | Gold in India, Pakistan, UAE |
| Troy Ounce (ozt) | 31.1035 g | International | Global bullion markets |
| Baht | 15.244 g | Thailand | Thai gold jewelry |
| Chi (Vietnam) | 3.75 g | Vietnam | Vietnamese gold |
| Don (Korea) | 3.75 g | Korea | Korean gold |
| Liang (Tael) | 37.9 g | China/Hong Kong | Chinese gold trade |
| Ounce (avoirdupois) | 28.3495 g | US/UK | General (not for gold) |
| Kilogram | 1000 g | Metric (SI) | Large bullion bars |
Tola vs Troy Ounce
The two most important gold weight units in the world.
Tola
11.6638038 grams
The traditional unit of gold
measurement across South Asia and the Gulf. Used in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, UAE,
Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. A 10-tola bar is a common investment format.
Troy Ounce
31.1034768 grams
The international standard
for precious metals used by the LBMA (London Bullion Market Association), COMEX, and all
major global exchanges. One troy ounce = 2.666 tola.
| Conversion | Exact Value |
|---|---|
| 1 Tola in Troy Ounces | 0.375 ozt |
| 1 Troy Ounce in Tola | 2.6666 tola |
| 1 Tola in Grams | 11.6638038 g |
| 1 Troy Ounce in Grams | 31.1034768 g |
| 10 Tola Bar in Grams | 116.638 g |
| 10 Tola Bar in Troy Ounces | 3.75 ozt |
| 100 Tola in Kilograms | 1.16638 kg |
Traditional Indian Weight Units for Gold
Before the British standardization and metrication, Indian gold was measured in a hierarchical system:
| Unit | Equivalent | In Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ratti | 1 ratti seed | ~0.1215 g |
| 1 Masha | 8 Ratti | ~0.972 g |
| 1 Tola | 12 Masha = 96 Ratti | 11.6638 g |
| 1 Seer (historical) | 80 Tola | ~933 g |
| 1 Maund (historical) | 40 Seer | ~37.3 kg |
Why Gold Uses Troy Ounces (Not Avoirdupois)
Precious metals use the troy weight system, not the more common avoirdupois system. This is a crucial distinction, rooted in the metric system standardization by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM):
- Troy ounce = 31.103g (used for gold, silver, platinum)
- Avoirdupois ounce = 28.35g (used for everyday goods)
- A "pound" of gold is a troy pound (373g), NOT the 453g avoirdupois pound
When someone says "the price of gold per ounce," they always mean the troy ounce. This distinction matters for accurate gram to tola to troy ounce conversions.
Choosing the Right Unit
The appropriate unit depends on your context:
- Buying jewelry in India/Pakistan → Use tola (or grams)
- International gold trading → Use troy ounce
- European gold markets → Use grams or kilograms
- Thai jewelry (Bangkok) → Use Baht
- Chinese markets → Use Tael/Liang
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Sources & References
- Wikipedia — Troy Weight — History and definition of the troy weight system used for precious metals
- BIPM — International Bureau of Weights and Measures — Official SI unit definitions and metric system standards
- LBMA — London Bullion Market Association — Global authority on precious metals trading standards and Good Delivery rules
- Wikipedia — Metric System — Overview of the international decimal system of measurement