What Is a Tola?

How much is one tola?

In the traditional system, 1 tola = 12 masha and 1 masha = 8 ratti, so a masha is about 0.972 g and a ratti about 0.1215 g. Older jewellers in Pakistan and north India still describe small weights this way, for example "2 tola 3 masha".

Where the tola comes from

The tola has been used across the subcontinent for centuries, but its value varied between regions. Under British rule it was standardised at 180 grains troy, the weight of the silver rupee coin, which is how it came to equal exactly 3/8 of a troy ounce. That standard spread through the territories that used the rupee, including present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Gulf trading ports, where Indian rupees once circulated.

India moved to the metric system after independence, and Indian jewellers now quote gold per gram and per 10 grams. Many families still think in tolas, and some older jewellers will tell you the weight of a set in tolas when asked, but the invoice and the BIS hallmark system are metric.

Where gold is priced in tolas today

• Pakistan. Sarafa (bullion) associations publish a daily rate per tola and per 10 grams for 24K, with 22K and 21K derived from it. See gold rate in Pakistan, Karachi and Lahore.
• Nepal. The fine and hallmark gold rate is quoted per tola in rupees. See gold rate in Nepal.
• Bangladesh. The unit is called a vori (bhori) and equals one tola, 11.664 g. See gold rate in Bangladesh.
• The Gulf. Retail jewellery is priced per gram, but the 10-tola bar, often called a TT bar, is a standard investment product in Dubai and across the GCC, reflecting long trade links with South Asia. See gold rate in Dubai.
• India. Officially grams, informally tolas, especially in Punjab, Gujarat and among older buyers.

The 10-tola bar

A 10-tola bar weighs 116.638 g, or exactly 3.75 troy ounces, and is usually 999 or 999.9 fine. Its price is therefore 3.75 times the ounce price plus the dealer's premium. With an illustrative spot price of US$4,150 per ounce, the gold content is worth $4,150 × 3.75 = $15,562.50, and a single tola $4,150 × 0.375 = $1,556.25. The bar is popular with overseas South Asian workers because it is a familiar size and easy to resell in Karachi, Lahore, Kathmandu or Dhaka.

When buying one, check the refiner's name, the fineness and the serial number stamped on the bar, and keep the receipt. Bars from widely recognised refiners resell with fewer questions. The premium over the gold value is usually lower per gram on a 10-tola bar than on a 1-tola bar or a small coin, because the fabrication cost is spread over more metal.

Tola conversion table

Going the other way, 10 grams = 0.8574 tola and 1 troy ounce = 2.6667 tolas. The gold unit converter handles any amount.

Converting a tola rate to grams and karats

To turn a tola rate into a per-gram rate, divide by 11.6638; for a 10-gram rate, divide by 1.16638. Suppose a Pakistani market quotes 24K at Rs 435,000 per tola (illustrative):

Sarafa markets sometimes publish their own 22K and 21K figures that differ slightly from straight purity arithmetic; the jeweller's quoted rate is what you will be billed.

Common mistakes with tola prices

• Rounding the tola to 12 g or 11.7 g. A 12-gram tola overstates the weight by almost 3%. Use 11.6638 g.
• Comparing a tola price with a 10-gram price. Pakistani rates are often quoted both ways; the tola price is about 16.6% higher than the 10-gram price because a tola is 1.16638 times 10 g.
• Expecting local rates to match international parity. The live table shows spot equivalents. Pakistani and Nepali tola rates include import duties, taxes and the local market premium, so they normally sit higher.
• Applying 24K to jewellery. Jewellery is usually 22K or 21K. A 21K tola contains 87.5% gold, so it is worth 0.875 times the 24K tola rate before making charges.