Gold Unit Converter (Tola, Gram, Ounce)
Gold Unit Converter (Tola, Gram, Ounce)
Convert gold weights between grams, kilograms, tola, masha, ratti, troy ounces and sovereigns (pavan), with every factor traced to its definition.
Gold weight converter
1 tola
Every unit through the grain
- tola
- 180 grains = 11.6638038 g
- masha, ratti
- 1/12 and 1/96 of a tola: 0.97198 g and 0.12150 g
- troy ounce
- 480 grains = 31.1034768 g
- pavan
- 8 g, a trade convention rather than a legal unit
Worked example
1 tola
1 tola = 180 grains × 0.06479891 g = 11.6638 g
In troy ounces: 11.6638 ÷ 31.1035 = 0.3750 (three-eighths)
In pavan: 11.6638 ÷ 8 = 1.4580
10 grams, the Indian rate unit, is 0 tola, 10 masha and 2.31 ratti
Gold weight units and their definitions
| Unit | Equals | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tola | 11.6638 g | 180 grains; 3/8 troy ounce; 12 masha; 96 ratti |
| 1 masha | 0.9720 g | 1/12 tola; 8 ratti |
| 1 ratti | 0.1215 g | 1/96 tola (goldsmith’s ratti). The gemstone ‘pakki ratti’ is 1.5 × this, 0.1823 g |
| 1 troy ounce | 31.1035 g | 480 grains; the international bullion unit |
| 1 sovereign / pavan | 8.0000 g | Jewellery-trade unit in Kerala and Tamil Nadu |
| 10-tola bar | 116.64 g | The common Gulf and South Asian bar |
| 1 kilogram | 85.74 tola | 32.151 troy ounces |
Where the units come from, and where sources disagree
Gold is weighed in different units depending on where you buy it. India quotes rates per gram and per 10 grams. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal quote per tola, and bills there still show tola, masha and ratti. The Gulf trades ten-tola bars and grams. International bullion is priced per troy ounce, and in Kerala and Tamil Nadu jewellery is counted in pavan, or sovereigns.
The tola was fixed in British India in 1833 at 180 grains. The grain is defined exactly as 64.79891 milligrams, so a tola is 11.6638038 grams, exactly three-eighths of a troy ounce (480 grains). India replaced it with the metric system in law in 1956, but the trade kept it. There is no separate Gulf tola: the ten-tola bar sold in Dubai weighs 116.64 grams, the same tola. Informally, some Indian sellers call 10 grams a tola because rates are quoted per 10 g; it is not, and the difference is 14%.
Masha and ratti. The standard division is 12 masha to the tola and 8 ratti to the masha, so 96 ratti to the tola: a masha is 0.972 g and a ratti 0.1215 g, the goldsmith’s (sunari) ratti used on gold bills in Pakistan and India. Sources do not all agree. Gemstone sellers use a pakki ratti of 1.5 times that, 0.182 g, and older texts describe a tola as 100 ratti seeds. This converter uses the goldsmith’s ratti; if a seller’s ratti is different, ask what it weighs in grams.
The pavan is 8 grams by trade convention. The British gold sovereign coin it is named after weighs 7.988 g, of which 7.322 g is pure gold, so a coin and a pavan of jewellery are not the same amount of gold. To value a weight, use the gold price calculator. This is arithmetic on the figures you enter, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 tola of gold?
11.6638 grams, usually rounded to 11.664 g. The tola is 180 grains.
How many masha and ratti are in a tola?
12 masha, and 8 ratti to each masha, so 96 ratti. One masha is 0.972 g and one ratti 0.1215 g.
Is the tola in Dubai the same as in Pakistan and India?
Yes. The ten-tola bar sold in the Gulf weighs 116.64 g, ten of the same 11.6638 g tola.
How many grams in a troy ounce?
31.1035 grams. A troy ounce is heavier than the ordinary (avoirdupois) ounce of 28.35 g, and it is the unit international gold prices are quoted in.
Related calculators
References
- The tola and its subdivisions: 1 tola = 180 grains = 12 masha = 96 ratti (British Indian standard of 1833); grain = 64.79891 mg exactly (international yard and pound agreement, 1959); troy ounce = 480 grains.
- Government of India. Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956 (metric system; replaced the tola in law).
- The Royal Mint. Gold sovereign specification: 7.98805 g, 22 carat, 7.3224 g fine gold.