Grams, Pennyweights, Troy Ounces & Tola: Gold Weight Units
Published June 19, 2026 · updated June 19, 2026
If you have ever weighed a gold ring and been quoted a price in a unit you did not recognize, you are not alone. Gold is measured in several different units depending on who is buying, where they are, and how the item was made. Understanding these units is the single most important step in knowing whether an offer is fair.
The core idea is simple: gold value equals the live spot price multiplied by the purity of your gold multiplied by its weight. Get the weight unit wrong and the whole number collapses. Here is a plain-English breakdown of the four units you are most likely to see.
Grams (g)
Grams are the most common unit for jewelry in the United States and worldwide. A gram is a metric unit, and most digital scales sold to consumers read in grams by default. The key fact to remember is that one troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams. So if a buyer says your item weighs “half an ounce,” ask whether they mean a troy ounce and then multiply by 31.1 to check the gram weight yourself. For a 14K piece, you can see the per-gram math in action on our 14K gold price per gram page.
Pennyweights (dwt)
Pennyweights are mostly used by coin dealers and pawn shops in the US, and they often confuse first-time sellers because they are heavier than a gram. One pennyweight equals 1.55517 grams, and there are 20 pennyweights in one troy ounce. A common trick is quoting a price per pennyweight that sounds high but is really just a price per roughly 1.5 grams. Always convert any pennyweight quote into a gram quote before comparing offers.
Troy Ounces (ozt)
Troy ounces are the standard unit for gold bullion, bars, and coins worldwide. A troy ounce is about 9.7 percent heavier than the everyday (avoirdupois) ounce used for groceries. One troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams. When you see the gold spot price on the news, it is quoted per troy ounce. Our gold calculator uses the live spot price per troy ounce as its starting point.
Tola
The tola is a traditional South Asian unit still used across India, Pakistan, and the Gulf, and you will encounter it in diaspora communities and on older jewelry paperwork. One tola equals 11.6638 grams, so there are roughly 2.67 tolas in a troy ounce. If a family heirloom is documented in tolas, multiply by 11.66 to get the gram weight before valuing it.
How Purity Fits In
Weight tells you how much metal you have, but purity tells you how much of that metal is actually gold. A 22K piece (91.67 percent gold) is worth more per gram than an 18K piece (75 percent gold), and far more than 10K (41.67 percent). Always confirm both the weight and the karat before accepting any number a buyer gives you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a troy ounce the same as a regular ounce? No. A troy ounce (31.1034768 g) is heavier than a standard US ounce (28.35 g). Gold is always weighed in troy ounces.
Why do some buyers use pennyweights? Pennyweights are a long-standing trade unit in the US coin and scrap industry. They are legitimate, but because each dwt is worth more than a gram, a per-dwt price can look bigger than it is. Convert to grams to compare honestly.
Which unit should I ask for? Ask for grams. Grams are the easiest to verify at home and the hardest to obscure, which makes them the friendliest unit for sellers.