Why 21K dominates in Saudi Arabia
21K combines a high gold content with enough hardness for daily wear, and Saudi, Gulf and Egyptian markets have standardized on it for decades, so it is the easiest to resell locally.
21 karat is the most traded karat in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, at 87.5% purity with the "875" hallmark. This page shows the pure gold value of a 21K gram in riyals from the live global price.
21 karat gold is 418.29 SAR per gram, calculated from the 24 karat price of 477.56 SAR multiplied by its purity of 87.5%. A used-gold buyer would typically offer between 355.54 and 397.37 SAR per gram.
above …% of the last 24 months · Change: …
High: … · Low: …| Weight | Raw gold value | Expected scrap offer (90%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 grams | 418.29 SAR | 376.46 SAR |
| 2 grams | 836.57 SAR | 752.91 SAR |
| 5 grams | 2,091.43 SAR | 1,882.29 SAR |
| 10 grams | 4,182.86 SAR | 3,764.57 SAR |
| 20 grams | 8,365.72 SAR | 7,529.15 SAR |
| 50 grams | 20,914 SAR | 18,823 SAR |
| 100 grams | 41,829 SAR | 37,646 SAR |
Raw gold value excludes making charges and VAT at the shop, and is the ceiling scrap buyers work down from.
21K combines a high gold content with enough hardness for daily wear, and Saudi, Gulf and Egyptian markets have standardized on it for decades, so it is the easiest to resell locally.
21K gram price = 24K gram price × 0.875. The shop price adds a making charge by design, then 15% VAT on the total.
Look for the "875" or "21K" hallmark on the clasp or inside the band. Shops must hallmark jewelry and issue an itemized invoice. When in doubt, any licensed shop can test the piece in minutes.
For pure saving, 24K bars are cheapest because they are zero-rated for VAT with a small premium. 21K jewelry suits wearing and gifting, knowing the making charge and VAT are not recovered.
The live price is at the top of this page in riyals and updates with every global price update. It is the raw gold price before making charges and VAT.
Scrap buyers usually pay 85% to 95% of the raw gold value depending on the piece and the shop. Get more than one offer.
22K contains 91.6% gold versus 87.5% in 21K, so it costs about 4.7% more. 22K is common in India and some coins; 21K dominates in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and Egypt.
Yes. Jewelry below 99% purity carries 15% VAT when bought from a registered business. Check ZATCA for details.