916 Gold Singapore: Today's Price, Meaning, Purity & Value

916 gold is gold with a fineness of approximately 91.6%. It is commonly described as 22-karat gold (22K) and is one of the gold purities widely sold as jewellery in Singapore.

If you are checking the price of 916 gold, start with the value of the gold itself. The amount you pay for jewellery, or receive when selling it, can be quite different.

Today's 916 gold price in Singapore

The 916 figure above estimates the value of the gold content. It is not a jewellery retail price and it is not a guaranteed buy-back offer.

What does 916 mean on gold?

916 is a fineness mark. It means approximately 916 parts gold out of every 1,000 parts of the alloy. In percentage terms, that is about 91.6% gold. The remaining 8.4% is made up of other metals in the alloy, which generally makes 916 gold more practical for jewellery than near-pure gold.

Singapore consumer guidance commonly maps the main jewellery purity descriptions as:

• 999 = approximately 24K
• 916 = approximately 22K
• 750 = 18K

CASE material produced with the Singapore Jewellers Association uses these same purity relationships.

Is 916 gold the same as 22K?

For normal jewellery purposes, they refer to the same purity class, but they are not mathematically identical. The two systems express purity differently:

• 22K means 22 parts gold out of 24.
• 916 means approximately 916 parts gold out of 1,000.

Twenty-two divided by 24 is approximately 91.67%, while 916 means 91.6%. In everyday jewellery use they refer to the same purity class, but the fineness mark is the more precise figure for an actual stamped item. If an actual piece is stamped 916, use that stated fineness when calculating its gold content.

Is 18K gold the same as 916?

No.

18K gold is normally about 75% gold and is commonly marked 750. 916 gold is approximately 91.6% gold and corresponds to about 22K.

Because each gram of 916 contains more gold, its underlying gold-content value is higher when both are calculated from the same gold reference price. A finished jewellery price can still differ for other reasons, including design, workmanship, retailer pricing and GST.

This matters when comparing prices. One gram of 916 contains more gold than one gram of 750, and substantially more than one gram of 585. For more on 18K gold, see What Is 18K Gold?

Why is 916 widely used for jewellery?

Very high-purity gold is relatively soft. Adding other metals creates a harder alloy while retaining a high gold content. That is one reason 916 is widely used for jewellery. Jewellery and investment bullion still have very different pricing and resale economics.

How much is my 916 gold worth?

A simple estimate is: weight × 0.916 × current pure-gold reference value per gram

For example, if you have 20 grams of 916 gold: 20 × 0.916 × current pure-gold reference price gives an estimate of the underlying gold value.

916 gold value calculator

This is a reference calculation. A buyer's actual offer can differ because of assessed purity, payable weight, stones or other non-gold components, refining requirements and the buyer's spread.

Why does 916 jewellery cost more than the gold value?

Jewellery is a finished retail product, not gold sold only by weight. The final price can include the gold itself, workmanship or labour charges, design, stones or other materials, retailer margin, GST, and promotional discounts. So a retailer's displayed 916 rate does not necessarily tell you the final price of a bracelet, necklace or ring.

For accredited jewellery businesses under the CaseTrust-Singapore Jewellers Association framework, receipts can include details such as the retail gold price, labour charges, net gold weight and fineness. Those figures are useful when comparing jewellery prices.

How can I check whether jewellery is really 916?

Start with the markings on the item. Look for a fineness marking such as 916. You may also see a jeweller's or responsibility mark. A full assay-office hallmark is a separate form of verification and should not be assumed from the fineness stamp alone.

Singapore Standard SS 581:2020 covers the description, fineness and marking of precious-metal articles, including sampling plans, assay methods and hallmarking. A fineness mark is useful, but it is not the same thing as independent verification. If authenticity materially affects the transaction, professional testing or assay provides stronger evidence than appearance or a stamp alone.

When buying 916 jewellery

It is sensible to check:

• the purity marking
• the net gold weight
• whether removable tags have been excluded from the stated weight
• the invoice or receipt
• workmanship or labour charges
• the retailer's trade-in or buy-back policy

CASE's jewellery guidance also recommends checking weight, purity markings and sales documentation.

What is 916 gold worth when I sell it?

The value of the gold content and the amount a buyer will pay are not the same thing. Your first benchmark is weight × 0.916 × current pure-gold reference. Then compare that benchmark with the buyer's actual offer.

A gold buyer may assess:

• purity
• payable gold weight
• stones and other components
• refining requirements
• market price
• its buying margin

That is why a buyer's offer can be below the calculated reference value.

Before accepting an offer

Ask the buyer:

• What purity are you using?
• What weight are you paying for?
• What rate per gram are you applying?
• Are there any deductions?
• What is the final amount I receive?

Then compare that final number with another buyer where practical. See where to sell gold in Singapore or compare dealers.

Selling 916 gold vs trading it in

A cash sale and a jewellery trade-in are different transactions. With a cash sale, you give up the item in return for money. With a trade-in, the old jewellery is used as part of a new jewellery purchase.

Singapore has specific GST rules for gold-jewellery trade-ins. From 1 January 2025, an IRAS administrative concession may apply where a jeweller chooses to use it and the customer is not GST-registered. The detailed tax treatment belongs in the dedicated GST guide rather than being inferred from the headline trade-in value.

Is 916 gold GST-free in Singapore?

Ordinary 916 jewellery should not be treated as GST-exempt Investment Precious Metal simply because it is gold. Singapore's Investment Precious Metals exemption applies only to qualifying products.

For gold bars, ingots and wafers, one of the requirements is a purity of at least 99.5%, together with additional conditions relating to bullion-market tradability, markings and product form. Jewellery is specifically listed among products that do not qualify as IPM. 916 jewellery therefore sits in a different GST category from qualifying investment bullion. For the full explanation, see Is Gold GST-Free in Singapore?

916 vs 999: which is better?

There is no universal answer because 916 and 999 are often used for different purposes.

If you are buying jewellery, design, wearability, workmanship and price all matter. If you are buying investment bullion, the relevant questions are different: fineness, product premium, refiner, resale market and GST/IPM qualification. See 999 gold price for the fuller comparison.

What does "emas 916" mean?

Emas is the Malay word for gold. So "emas 916" refers to 916 gold, or gold of approximately 91.6% fineness. In Singapore jewellery usage, this is commonly described as 22K gold.

Buying 916 gold as an investment

It is worth being precise about the word "investment". A 916 jewellery item contains valuable gold, but jewellery economics are different from standard investment bullion. Part of the purchase price may be for design, workmanship and retailing, and those costs may not be recovered if the piece is later sold mainly for its gold content.

If your objective is specifically investment exposure to gold, compare jewellery with physical bullion and other gold investment formats before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

Useful next steps

• Check today's 916 gold value
• Calculate the value of your jewellery
• Compare 916 with 999 gold
• Understand where to sell gold
• Compare gold dealers
• Read about GST and investment gold