The jewellery tola
In modern jewellery tables the tola is 11.6638038 grams. That figure is 180 troy grains, the British Indian standard that trade converters still print. It is not a guess at today’s gold price, and it is not a karat.
Shop boards sometimes round it to 11.66 grams. The difference is a few thousandths of a gram per tola, which matters more as the pile grows. If a family note says “tola” and a shop receipt says 11.66, ask which rounding they used before you argue about a tenth of a gram.
A “metric tola” of 10 grams shows up in some conversations. It is a different convention. Do not convert a 10 gram tola with the 11.6638038 gram factor, and do not convert an old note with 10 grams unless the note says so. This page uses 11.6638038 grams and labels the 10 gram version as something else.
Conversion table
| Tolas | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 | 11.6638 |
| 2 | 23.3276 |
| 5 | 58.3190 |
| 10 | 116.6380 |
Take the gram column into the gold weight calculator if you need pennyweights or troy ounces. The calculator’s troy ounce is 31.1034768 grams, the same factor as the rest of the site.
Masha and ratti
The traditional teaching is 1 tola = 12 masha = 96 ratti. On the 11.6638038 gram tola, one masha is 0.9720 grams and one ratti is 0.1215 grams. That is arithmetic from the tola, not a claim that every historical seed weighed the same. If a note is in ratti, divide by 96 to reach tolas, then multiply by 11.6638038.
| Unit | In one tola | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Tola | 1 | 11.6638038 |
| Masha | 12 | 0.9720 |
| Ratti | 96 | 0.1215 |
A tael is not a tola
“Tael” is a translation of liang, and the gram weight depends on the market. The Hong Kong gold tael is widely published as 37.429 grams. A mainland Chinese jewellery liang is often quoted as 50 grams. Those two numbers do not describe the same object. Neither number is a tola.
If a invoice says tael and does not say which market, do not convert it on this page. Ask. A wrong tael is a much larger error than rounding 11.664 to 11.66.
Use the grams
Weight is only half of a melt value. A 22K bangle and a 24K coin of the same tola weight are not the same gold content. After the grams are known, read the stamp on the Indian purity marks page, then run the grams and the karat through the scrap value guide. This page does not store a gold price.
Questions
How many grams are in one tola?
The jewellery tola used in modern conversion tables is 11.6638038 grams, which is 180 troy grains. Some shop boards round that figure. A 10 gram “metric tola” is a different convention and should not be mixed with the 11.66 gram tola.
Is a tael the same as a tola?
No. A tola is the South Asian jewellery weight above. A tael (liang) depends on the market. The Hong Kong gold tael is a different, heavier unit, and a mainland jewellery liang is often quoted as 50 grams. Convert only after you know which one the note means.
How do masha and ratti fit in?
The traditional chain is 1 tola = 12 masha = 96 ratti. Dividing 11.6638038 grams by 12 and by 96 gives the gram figures on this page. Older markets weighed a ratti from a seed, so treat the gram line as the table value, not as a historical seed.
Can I put tolas straight into the melt formula?
Convert to grams first, then use karat ÷ 24 and the spot price per gram. The gold weight calculator accepts grams. The melt formula does not know the word tola.
Does this page set a gold price?
No. It only converts weight. The price stays in the calculators, labelled Live, Sample or Custom.
This is a melt-value estimate, not an appraisal or an offer.