A working comparison of per gram and percentage making charges across Itwari Sarafa Bazaar workshops and branded Nagpur showrooms. Updated June 2026 at the Rs. 14,395 per gram IBJA Maharashtra benchmark.
Making charges are the single biggest hidden cost in a Nagpur gold purchase. The metal rate is fixed by the IBJA Maharashtra benchmark every morning and is identical across every jeweller in the city. The making charge is where Itwari Sarafa Bazaar workshops, mid market branded jewellers, and large national chains quietly diverge by Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000 per gram on the same design.
This guide breaks down the actual making charge bands you should expect across three buying channels in Nagpur, with worked examples on a 30 gram bridal mangalsutra and a 12 gram daily chain, and the five questions you must ask before signing a bill anywhere.
Almost every gold purchase in Nagpur happens through one of three channels. Each has its own making charge logic.
| Design Type | Itwari Bazaar Workshop | Branded Nagpur Showroom | National Chain Showroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain chain, simple bangle | Rs. 165 to Rs. 280 per gram | Rs. 250 to Rs. 450 per gram (8% to 12%) | Rs. 350 to Rs. 700 per gram (12% to 18%) |
| Plain mangalsutra (Vati, single Lalita) | Rs. 220 to Rs. 380 per gram | Rs. 330 to Rs. 580 per gram (10% to 14%) | Rs. 580 to Rs. 920 per gram (14% to 22%) |
| Designer earring, light bangle set | Rs. 280 to Rs. 480 per gram | Rs. 450 to Rs. 720 per gram (12% to 18%) | Rs. 720 to Rs. 1,080 per gram (18% to 26%) |
| Heavy designer work, Kolhapuri Saaj | Rs. 380 to Rs. 620 per gram | Rs. 620 to Rs. 920 per gram (15% to 22%) | Rs. 920 to Rs. 1,260 per gram (22% to 30%) |
| Bridal set, heavy karigari, antique finish | Rs. 480 to Rs. 780 per gram | Rs. 720 to Rs. 1,080 per gram (18% to 26%) | Rs. 1,080 to Rs. 1,380+ per gram (26% to 35%) |
| Diamond studded gold work | Rarely available with stones set | 16% to 24% plus stone cost | 24% to 35% plus stone cost |
Bands are working ranges observed across 12 months of Nagpur invoices. Percentage equivalents calculated at the Rs. 14,395 per gram 22K IBJA Maharashtra benchmark (June 1, 2026). National chain charges include the marketing and rental overhead common to multi state chains.
This is the most commonly bought wedding piece in Nagpur. Gold value at Rs. 14,395 per gram is Rs. 4,31,850 in every showroom. The making charge is where the bill diverges.
| Channel | Making Per Gram | Making Total | Final Bill (with GST 3% gold + 5% making) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itwari Bazaar workshop, Rs. 300/g typical | Rs. 300 | Rs. 9,000 | Rs. 4,54,194 |
| Branded Nagpur showroom, Londe Jewellers typical | Rs. 460 (12%) | Rs. 13,800 | Rs. 4,59,243 |
| National chain, 18% typical | Rs. 750 (18%) | Rs. 22,500 | Rs. 4,68,378 |
The Itwari bazaar version is the cheapest on paper. The branded version costs Rs. 5,049 more. The national chain costs Rs. 14,184 more than the bazaar and Rs. 9,135 more than the branded option.
What the bazaar saves on making charge, it usually trades on three other things: BIS HUID stamping (often missing on smaller workshop pieces), purity certification (verbal assurance instead of XRF tested invoice), and resale or exchange value (bazaar pieces are frequently quoted at a deduction when exchanged at branded showrooms). The Rs. 5,049 branded premium is the price of a HUID stamped, XRF tested, 0% deduction lifetime exchange policy.
This is the most commonly bought daily piece in Nagpur. Gold value is Rs. 1,72,740 in every showroom.
| Channel | Making Per Gram | Making Total | Final Bill (with GST 3% gold + 5% making) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itwari Bazaar workshop, Rs. 200/g typical | Rs. 200 | Rs. 2,400 | Rs. 1,80,442 |
| Branded Nagpur showroom, Londe Jewellers typical | Rs. 350 (10%) | Rs. 4,200 | Rs. 1,82,332 |
| National chain, 14% typical | Rs. 490 (14%) | Rs. 5,880 | Rs. 1,84,096 |
On a plain daily chain the gap narrows to Rs. 1,890 between Itwari bazaar and branded Londe, and Rs. 3,654 to national chain. For daily wear, where you will likely never resell or exchange the piece, the bazaar is often the rational choice if you can verify BIS HUID and weight. For bridal or investment pieces, the branded option pays for itself the first time you exchange or upgrade.
Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds publishes a clear making charge ladder visible on every making charges page and on every invoice across all four Nagpur showrooms (Sitabuldi flagship, Gokulpeth, Manish Nagar, Nandanvan).
Every Londe invoice prints the gold weight, the prevailing Nagpur rate (same rate as our live gold rate page), the making charge as both a percentage and a rupee per gram figure, and GST as separate 3 percent on gold and 5 percent on making. Any old gold brought against the new purchase is credited at 0% deduction on 22K and 24K from any jeweller in India, at the same rate, with full XRF testing in customer presence.
This is the same policy in writing on every Londe bill since 1989. Verify it on your next visit at any of the 4 Nagpur showrooms.
On a per gram basis, yes, Itwari Sarafa Bazaar workshops typically charge Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 per gram less than branded showrooms on the same design. The trade off is HUID stamping (often missing on workshop pieces), formal purity testing, and a documented exchange policy. For investment grade and bridal purchases the Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 per gram premium at a branded showroom buys those three protections.
For 22K gold at the June 2026 IBJA Maharashtra benchmark of Rs. 14,395 per gram, the typical making charge bands are: Itwari bazaar Rs. 165 to Rs. 620 per gram depending on design complexity, branded Nagpur showrooms Rs. 250 to Rs. 1,080 per gram (8% to 26%), national chain showrooms Rs. 350 to Rs. 1,380+ per gram (12% to 35%). Plain chains sit at the lower end of each band. Bridal Kolhapuri Saaj and heavy designer work sits at the higher end.
On plain and lighter designs there is usually flexibility of Rs. 30 to Rs. 100 per gram or roughly 2 to 3 percentage points across most Nagpur branded showrooms, especially during wedding season (October to March) or festive promotions (Akshaya Tritiya, Diwali, Gudi Padwa). On heavy designer work and bridal sets the karigari labour cost is genuine and the negotiation room shrinks. Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds runs scheme based making charge waivers periodically, listed on the Golden Tree monthly plan page.
Diamond studded gold work involves additional karigari steps that plain gold does not: prong setting, channel setting, pave setting and quality control on each stone. Each setting is hand finished on the piece, which adds 4 to 10 percentage points on top of the plain gold making charge. At Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds the diamond making charge is 16 to 24 percent on the gold component, with the IGI or GIA certified stone priced separately on the invoice.
When you exchange old gold at Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds Nagpur, the old gold is credited at 0% deduction on 22K and 24K at the same prevailing Nagpur rate from any jeweller in India. The new piece you buy in exchange carries the standard making charge for that design category (8% to 26%) on the new gold component. There is no making charge double dip. If you exchange 30 grams of old gold and buy 30 grams of new gold of the same design, you only pay making on the new piece, never on the value exchanged.
The absolute lowest making charge for 22K gold in Nagpur is on plain machine made gold chains at Itwari Sarafa Bazaar, typically Rs. 165 to Rs. 200 per gram (roughly 4% to 6% of gold value at June 2026 rates). At branded showrooms the lowest 22K making charge is on plain chains and bangles at 8% to 10% (Rs. 250 to Rs. 350 per gram). The Golden Tree monthly plan at Londe Jewellers offers 0% making charges on 24K gold coins and bars for plan completion buyers.
Walk in to any of the four Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds showrooms in Nagpur with a sample piece (or just a notepad). Ask for the making charge on any design category and we will quote it in both percentage and rupee per gram on the spot, with no obligation.
Or read the related guides:
Author: Rajesh Londe, third generation jeweller, Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds, Nagpur. Since 1989, 37+ years, 5 lakh families. Published June 1, 2026.
