A working comparison of per gram and percentage making charges across Itwari Sarafa Bazaar workshops and branded Nagpur showrooms. Every rupee figure on this page is recalculated from the live Nagpur 22K counter rate, today Rs. 13,810 per gram.
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 | 4% to 8% (Rs. 552 to Rs. 1,105 per gram) | 8% to 12% (Rs. 1,105 to Rs. 1,657 per gram) | 12% to 18% (Rs. 1,657 to Rs. 2,486 per gram) |
| Plain mangalsutra (Vati, single Lalita) | 6% to 10% (Rs. 829 to Rs. 1,381 per gram) | 10% to 14% (Rs. 1,381 to Rs. 1,933 per gram) | 14% to 22% (Rs. 1,933 to Rs. 3,038 per gram) |
| Designer earring, light bangle set | 8% to 14% (Rs. 1,105 to Rs. 1,933 per gram) | 12% to 18% (Rs. 1,657 to Rs. 2,486 per gram) | 18% to 26% (Rs. 2,486 to Rs. 3,591 per gram) |
| Heavy designer work, Kolhapuri Saaj | 11% to 18% (Rs. 1,519 to Rs. 2,486 per gram) | 15% to 22% (Rs. 2,072 to Rs. 3,038 per gram) | 22% to 30% (Rs. 3,038 to Rs. 4,143 per gram) |
| Bridal set, heavy karigari, antique finish | 14% to 22% (Rs. 1,933 to Rs. 3,038 per gram) | 18% to 26% (Rs. 2,486 to Rs. 3,591 per gram) | 26% to 35% (Rs. 3,591 to Rs. 4,834 per gram) |
| Diamond studded gold work | Rarely available with stones set | 16% to 24% plus stone cost | 24% to 35% plus stone cost |
Percentage bands are the fixed quantity here and every rupee figure is derived from the live Nagpur 22K counter rate of Rs. 13,810 per gram, recalculated daily, so the two can never drift apart. Branded bands are not Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds rates; Londe making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5%, depending on the design and the product. Itwari bazaar is shown as the branded band less 4 percentage points, which is Rs. 552 per gram at today's rate, the working discount observed across 12 months of Nagpur invoices. National chain charges include the marketing and rental overhead common to multi state chains.
A 30 gram Vati mangalsutra is the most commonly bought wedding piece in Nagpur. At today's Nagpur 22K counter rate of Rs. 13,810 per gram the gold value is Rs. 4,14,300 in every showroom, bazaar or branded. The making charge is the only line where the bill diverges.
| Channel | Making Per Gram | Making Total | Final Bill (with GST 3% on total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itwari Bazaar workshop, 8% typical | Rs. 1,105 | Rs. 33,150 | Rs. 4,60,874 |
| Branded Nagpur showroom, 12% for illustration | Rs. 1,657 (12%) | Rs. 49,710 | Rs. 4,77,930 |
| National chain, 18% typical | Rs. 2,486 (18%) | Rs. 74,580 | Rs. 5,03,546 |
The Itwari bazaar version is the cheapest on paper. The branded version costs Rs. 17,056 more. The national chain costs Rs. 42,672 more than the bazaar and Rs. 25,616 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. 17,056 branded premium is the price of a HUID stamped, purity tested, 0% deduction lifetime exchange policy.
A 12 gram plain chain is the most commonly bought daily piece in Nagpur. At Rs. 13,810 per gram the gold value is Rs. 1,65,720 in every showroom.
| Channel | Making Per Gram | Making Total | Final Bill (with GST 3% on total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itwari Bazaar workshop, 6% typical | Rs. 829 | Rs. 9,948 | Rs. 1,80,938 |
| Branded Nagpur showroom, 10% for illustration | Rs. 1,381 (10%) | Rs. 16,572 | Rs. 1,87,761 |
| National chain, 14% typical | Rs. 1,933 (14%) | Rs. 23,196 | Rs. 1,94,583 |
On a plain daily chain the gap narrows to Rs. 6,823 between Itwari bazaar and a branded showroom, and Rs. 13,645 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 & Diamonds states its making charge basis on its making charges page and prints the exact figure on every invoice across all four Nagpur showrooms (Sitabuldi, 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 a separate line at 3 percent on the total invoice value. 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 sit about 4 percentage points below branded showrooms on the same design, which is Rs. 552 per gram at today's Nagpur 22K rate of Rs. 13,810 per gram. The trade off is HUID stamping (often missing on workshop pieces), formal purity testing on a karat meter, and a documented exchange policy. For investment grade and bridal purchases that Rs. 552 per gram premium at a branded showroom buys those three protections. At Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds, making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5%, depending on the design and the product, at all four Nagpur showrooms, 11 AM to 8:30 PM.
At today's Nagpur 22K counter rate of Rs. 13,810 per gram the typical making charge bands are: Itwari bazaar 4% to 22%, which is Rs. 552 to Rs. 3,038 per gram; branded Nagpur showrooms 8% to 26%, which is Rs. 1,105 to Rs. 3,591 per gram; national chain showrooms 12% to 35%, which is Rs. 1,657 to Rs. 4,834 per gram. Plain chains sit at the lower end of each band. Bridal Kolhapuri Saaj and heavy designer work sits at the higher end. Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5%, depending on the design and the product; ask for the exact figure at Modi Number 2, Opposite Datta Mandir, Sitabuldi, Nagpur, open 11 AM to 8:30 PM.
On plain and lighter designs there is usually flexibility of roughly 2 to 3 percentage points, which is Rs. 276 to Rs. 414 per gram at today's rate, 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 & Diamonds the making charge on the gold component depends on the design and the product and is confirmed in store, 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 making charge for that design on the new gold component, which starts from 5% and depends on the design and the product. 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, roughly 4% to 8% of gold value, which is Rs. 552 to Rs. 1,105 per gram at today's rate of Rs. 13,810 per gram. At branded showrooms the lowest 22K making charge is on plain chains and bangles at 8% to 10%, which is Rs. 1,105 to Rs. 1,381 per gram. The Golden Tree monthly plan at Londe Jewellers rewards plan completion buyers with a bonus month, 11+1 on gold and 11+2 on diamond, toward gold or diamond jewellery at the gold rate on the redemption day. The bonus does not apply to 24K gold coins, bars or 24K gold jewellery.
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, Managing Partner, Londe Jewellers Gold and Diamonds, Nagpur. Since 1989, 37+ years, 5 lakh families. First published 1 June 2026. Every rupee figure on this page is recalculated from the live Nagpur 22K counter rate, read today at Rs. 13,810 per gram.
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