Direct answer. Ask for the making charge as its own line on the invoice, separate from the gold value and separate from GST. Then check whether it is quoted as a percentage of the gold value or as a flat rupee amount per gram, and convert one into the other before comparing two shops. At Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds, making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5 percent and depend on the design and the product. At the live 22K Nagpur rate of Rs 14,240 per gram on 22 September 2026, 5 percent works out at Rs 712 per gram, and the all in cost of a plain 22K piece starts from about Rs 15,401 per gram after a flat 3 percent GST. More detail is on the gold making charges in Nagpur page.
By Rajesh Londe, Managing Partner, Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds, since 1989. Published 10 June 2026, last reviewed 22 September 2026. Every rupee figure on this page is calculated from the live Nagpur 22K rate at the moment you load it, so it cannot go stale between updates.
The making charge is the labour, design and overhead cost added on top of the raw gold metal price. In Nagpur, the calculation has two parts. First, the metal value is calculated by multiplying the karat rate by the net weight, for example Rs 14,240 per gram for 22K on 22 September 2026 multiplied by 20 grams equals Rs 2,84,800. Second, the making charge is added either as a flat per gram rate or as a percentage of the metal value. The making charge funds the karigar wages, the design tools, the polish, the stone setting, the photo lighting and the retail overhead.
This is not a hidden fee. It is the only honest way the trade pays for human work. The problem in Nagpur is that the per gram rate quietly varies between Itwari sarafa shops, Sitabuldi branded retailers, mall corporate chains and online portals by as much as 3x. This guide breaks the structure open.
The table below is a dated market survey, not a current price list. We recorded it on 8 June 2026 across 4 Itwari sarafa shops and 3 Nagpur mall counters, alongside the Londe Jewellers Sitabuldi workshop, when the 22K rate stood at Rs 14,160 per gram. It is kept here as primary evidence of how wide the spread between the three ends of the Nagpur market actually is, which is the point of the exercise. Use it to judge a quote against the market, and read the rupee figures as a snapshot of that day. Londe Jewellers making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5 percent, depending on the design and the product; see the gold making charges in Nagpur page. All figures below are per gram of finished 22K jewellery, GST exclusive.
| Design type | Itwari sarafa (Rs per gram) | Branded Nagpur (Rs per gram) | Mall corporate (Rs per gram) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain 22K chain | 220 to 320 | 280 to 420 | 450 to 650 |
| Plain bangle pair (Patlya) | 280 to 380 | 340 to 520 | 560 to 780 |
| Daily wear earrings (jhumka) | 320 to 480 | 380 to 580 | 620 to 880 |
| Designer mangalsutra (Vati) | 380 to 720 | 480 to 920 | 780 to 1280 |
| Bridal necklace set | 580 to 1020 | 720 to 1280 | 1180 to 1750 |
| Antique Vidarbha kundan / Thushi | 820 to 1280 | 950 to 1450 | 1450 to 2200 |
| Diamond solitaire ring (18K) | not common | 920 to 1820 | 1480 to 2580 |
Two observations. The first observation. Itwari sarafa pricing looks cheaper at the headline but in 73 of 100 random invoices we audited in May 2026, the Itwari piece either lacked a BIS hallmark stamp, lacked an HUID number, or showed a per gram metal rate Rs 30 to Rs 80 higher than the IBJA Mumbai benchmark for that day. So the "saving" on making was eaten back on the metal column.
The second observation. Mall corporate pricing is honestly higher because the rent in a Mihan or VR Mall mall counter is Rs 18 lakh a month, and that overhead lives inside the making charge. Branded Nagpur retailers like Londe Jewellers, Karan Kothari, Rokde, Sathe and Tanishq sit between the two ends. Most Nagpur families pay between the Itwari and branded columns.
A finished piece of jewellery sold across the counter is a composite supply, so GST is charged at a flat 3 percent on the total invoice value, gold and making together. That is how every Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds bill is raised. The 5 percent figure you will see quoted elsewhere is the job work rate, which applies when a customer supplies their own gold and pays only for labour. Either way the gold value, the making charge and the GST must each appear as their own line. If your bill folds them into one round number, the breakdown is being hidden.
Here is the math for a 20 gram plain 22K chain on 22 September 2026, using a 10 percent making charge for illustration.
If you are quoted one round all in figure per gram without seeing the making line and the GST line, that quote is incomplete. Always insist on the line by line breakdown. The gold bill verification checklist for Nagpur walks through every line in detail.
Itwari sarafa is the cluster of 200+ family run jewellers in the old market quarter near Mahalqasab Chowk. The shop layout, the pricing model and the workshop trust system in Itwari are 80+ years old and still serve the bulk of Vidarbha gold buying. Branded retailers in Sitabuldi, Dharampeth and Gokulpeth are the second wave, with BIS hallmark certification, HUID tracking and ISO compliant workshops.
The honest comparison is not "which is cheaper". The honest comparison is "what are you paying for and what are you giving up".
| Feature | Itwari sarafa typical | Londe Jewellers branded |
|---|---|---|
| Headline making charge | Flat per gram, varies shop to shop, Rs 220 to 320 on plain 22K in our 8 June 2026 survey | From 5%, by design, which is Rs 712 per gram at today's rate |
| Metal rate accuracy | Rs 30 to 80 over IBJA in 73 of 100 audited bills | Pegged to IBJA Mumbai daily rate, published on /todays-gold-rate-nagpur |
| BIS hallmark | Sometimes | Every piece, every gram |
| HUID number | Often missing | Stamped on every piece and printed on the invoice |
| Buyback guarantee | Verbal, varies | Lifetime, 0 percent deduction, same prevailing Nagpur rate |
| Exchange policy | 15 to 25 percent deduction common | 0 percent deduction gold exchange Nagpur |
| Valid GST invoice | Sometimes | Always |
| Insurance | No | Yes on bridal sets above Rs 5 lakh |
For a deeper side by side, see the dedicated Itwari vs branded making charges guide.
22 karat (91.6 percent) gold is the Nagpur workshop default. Most chains, mangalsutra, bangles and earrings are made in 22K. The karigar tools, the polish standard and the alloy are optimised for 22K. So 22K making charges in Nagpur per gram are the lowest.
18 karat (75 percent) gold is harder. It is used mainly for diamond settings because the higher alloy content holds the prongs without bending. Making charges run 12 to 35 percent higher per gram than 22K equivalents because the workshop needs precision casting and stone work.
14 karat (58.5 percent) gold is rare in Nagpur retail outside specific brand collections. When used, it carries the highest making per gram because the alloy is imported and the casting precision is highest.
Nagpur is the cultural seat of Vidarbha craftsmanship. The designs below carry higher making charges because they require months of karigar specialisation. Each design is briefly described with its typical weight band. At Londe Jewellers, making charges start from 5 percent and depend on the design and the product, so the exact figure for each of these pieces is confirmed in store. More detail is on the gold making charges in Nagpur page.
Typical weight band 18 to 28 grams. The hollow karigari Vati pendant is unique to Vidarbha. Full Vati weight and price breakdown.
Typical weight band 22 to 36 grams per pair. Worn during the Vat Savitri vrat and at weddings. Patlya weight and price breakdown.
Typical weight band 40 to 75 grams. The labour intensive granulated bead work cannot be machine made. Thushi necklace guide.
Typical weight band 80 to 140 grams. The most labour intensive Vidarbha bridal piece. Kolhapuri Saaj guide.
Typical weight band 6 to 14 grams. Small piece but extreme detail work. Nath nose ring guide.
Typical weight band 12 to 22 grams. Mundavalya guide.
Branded jewellers in Nagpur discount making charges on stock collections during three windows each year. The discount band is typically 10 to 30 percent off the listed per gram making rate. Custom bridal orders and full set purchases get a deeper band of 25 to 40 percent.
Outside these windows, custom orders still get a 10 to 20 percent negotiation band especially when the total invoice exceeds Rs 3 lakh.
A valid Nagpur gold invoice shows seven distinct lines. If any one is missing or rolled into another, ask the jeweller to reprint.
Optional but useful lines include stone value (with stone weight and clarity), antique design surcharge, and any wastage or refining loss adjustment. Wastage is increasingly rare in branded invoices. Itwari sarafa still uses wastage in 30 to 40 percent of bills, typically 0.5 to 2 percent of net weight.
Three tactics deliver a real saving in our 37 year experience as Sitabuldi jewellers.
One. Walk in with the IBJA Mumbai morning rate on your phone. Politely ask the jeweller to match it on the metal column. This alone shaves Rs 30 to Rs 80 per gram off the metal line, equivalent to a Rs 600 to Rs 1600 saving on a 20 gram chain.
Two. Ask for the per gram making rate in writing before you choose a design. Then compare the same design type at a second jeweller within 48 hours. The competition will quietly drop the making rate by 8 to 15 percent if you walk back.
Three. Combine multiple pieces into one invoice. Buying a full set on one invoice lets the making charge be quoted as one order rather than piece by piece, so ask for a combined quote before you pay.
The IBJA Mumbai morning rate is published daily at /todays-gold-rate-nagpur with a downloadable per gram dataset and a graph of the last 30 day movement. Cross reference any jeweller's quoted metal rate against this. Nagpur typically runs Rs 20 to Rs 55 per gram premium over Mumbai because of transit and insurance. Anything beyond Rs 80 per gram premium is a red flag.
Combining the above, here is the all in per gram cost for a plain 22K chain on 22 September 2026, using a 10 percent making charge for illustration.
At Londe Jewellers, where making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5 percent, the all in figure starts from about Rs 15,401 per gram. Anything quoted below the bare metal rate of Rs 14,240 per gram is not a finished jewellery price, and anything quoted as a single round number with no making line and no GST line is a quote you cannot check.
Our making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5 percent and depend on the design and the product. What goes into them is not arbitrary. Three structural reasons.
Karigar wages. Our Sitabuldi workshop pays karigars at the certified upper band so the BIS hallmark and HUID are consistent on every piece. Itwari sarafa runs cheaper because karigar pay is older and HUID is optional. Mall corporate pays karigars below Sitabuldi rate but adds Rs 18 lakh monthly rent.
Lifetime exchange. Our 0 percent exchange deduction policy is funded out of the making charge. Itwari exchange deducts 15 to 25 percent. Mall corporate exchange deducts 10 to 18 percent and only against same brand.
HUID tracking and audit. Every piece sold from Londe Jewellers is HUID stamped and tracked in BIS database. The compliance overhead is Rs 12 to Rs 24 per gram. Itwari does not carry this cost. Mall corporate marks it up further.
The workshop is open to walk in audit during festive months. You can see the karigars at work, weigh your own piece on the BIS certified scale and verify the HUID stamp against the BIS app on your phone. No appointment needed. Sitabuldi store, open 11 AM to 8:30 PM, 7 days a week.
Find the Sitabuldi store on our store page, or visit the Gokulpeth, Manish Nagar or Nandanvan stores.
Ask for the making charge as its own line on the invoice, separate from the gold value and separate from the GST line. Then check three things. First, whether it is quoted as a percentage of the gold value or as a flat rupee amount per gram, because a percentage rises every time the gold rate rises and a flat rate does not. Second, whether the percentage is fair for the design: at Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds making charges on 22K jewellery start from 5 percent and depend on the design and the product, and the exact figure is printed on the invoice at all four Nagpur showrooms. Third, that GST is a single flat 3 percent on the total invoice value and not 3 percent on the gold plus another 5 percent on the making.
Itwari sarafa shops list lower per gram making but exclude HUID, GST audit and certification. Branded retailers in Nagpur run Rs 320 to Rs 520 for plain 22K with full BIS hallmark and HUID. Compare the all in cost, not the headline making rate.
Yes, making charges are taxable, but not on a separate line at Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds. A finished piece is a composite supply, so GST is a flat 3 percent on the total invoice value, gold and making together. The 5 percent rate quoted in some places is the job work rate, which applies when you supply your own gold and pay only for labour.
Itwari sarafa pricing is older flat per gram with no compulsory HUID and no documented audit. Branded retailers in Nagpur charge slightly more but include BIS hallmark certification, HUID tracking, certified weighing and a lifetime exchange guarantee.
Yes. 22K making charges are typically lower per gram than 18K and 14K making charges because 22K is the workshop default in Nagpur. 18K and 14K need extra alloy precision and often imported stone settings, so charges run 12 to 35 percent higher per gram.
Yes, especially during Akshaya Tritiya, Dhanteras and year end. Branded retailers in Nagpur often discount making by 10 to 30 percent on stock collections during these windows. Custom orders and full sets get a wider discount band.
On 22 September 2026 the all in cost per gram of a plain 22K gold piece in Nagpur at Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds starts from about Rs 15,401. Breakdown: Rs 14,240 metal rate, a making charge from 5 percent which is Rs 712 per gram, and a flat 3 percent GST on that subtotal. The exact making percentage depends on the design and the product, so more intricate pieces carry a higher all in figure.
Last reviewed by Rajesh Londe, Managing Partner Londe Jewellers Gold & Diamonds, 22 September 2026. The Sitabuldi store has been certifying Vidarbha gold purchases since 1989. 5 lakh families served.
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