Workmanship is charged on top of the metal. Our most recent recorded snapshot, for 2026-09-10, put the 21K gram at 6,306.9 EGP to buy and 6,206.9 EGP to sell back — that is the metal alone, before any workmanship.
| Reading | Sell | Buy-back |
|---|---|---|
| 24K gram | 7,207.8 | 7,107.8 |
| 22K gram (derived at 22/24 from the recorded 24K) | 6,607.2 | 6,507.2 |
| 21K gram | 6,306.9 | 6,206.9 |
| 18K gram | 5,405.9 | 5,305.9 |
| Gold pound — 8 g of 21K (derived) | 50,455 | 49,655 |
| Silver 999 gram | 108.2 | — |
| USD/EGP | 51.30 EGP per dollar | — |
These are the figures this site recorded for 2026-09-10: each is the average of the prices we sampled across that day, stored as-is and never rewritten afterwards. They are reference metal prices — a shop adds workmanship and its own margin on top, and workmanship is not recovered when you sell.
The buy-back column is this site's own reference, not a dealer quote: we set it a fixed 100.0 EGP per gram below the recorded sell price on every karat, because we do not observe what individual shops bid. What a particular dealer pays you may be more or less.
The 22K row is derived: the recorded 24K gram multiplied by 22/24, with the same 100.0 EGP per-gram gap applied to its buy-back, because our series does not record 22K separately.
Each row below is the recorded reference metal value for that weight — what the gold alone is worth at the figures above, excluding workmanship and dealer margin. The buy-back column applies this site's own fixed reference gap rather than an observed dealer bid, and no dealer is bound to transact at either figure.
| Weight | At the recorded sell price | At the recorded buy-back |
|---|---|---|
| 1 g | 6,307 | 6,207 |
| 5 g | 31,535 | 31,035 |
| 10 g | 63,069 | 62,069 |
| 20 g | 126,138 | 124,138 |
| 50 g | 315,345 | 310,345 |
| 100 g | 630,690 | 620,690 |
The live price this page shows once JavaScript loads is a separate, current figure that refreshes about every five minutes. The tables above are a fixed daily record and do not change after the day is recorded.
The 21K pure gram price is shown live at the top of this page. Workmanship — masna'iya — is the jeweler's charge for turning metal into a finished piece, and in Egypt it is quoted per gram rather than as a flat fee. The full quote works out as: (gram price × weight) + (workmanship × weight) + stamp tax.
What moves the rate. Workmanship typically runs 4–8% of the gram price, and where a piece lands in that range is mostly about labour, not about the shop. Plain wedding bands, simple chains and solid bangles sit at the bottom; filigree, hollow, engraved, or multi-part sets sit at the top, because they take more hours and waste more metal in production. Imported and branded pieces carry more again. The figure most often quoted as an Egyptian market average is around 4.45%, but the range is what actually matters when you are pricing a specific piece.
It is not recovered when you sell. This is the single most important thing to understand about masna'iya. On resale, a jeweler pays for the pure-gold content at the day's rate minus a buy-back spread — the labour you paid for is gone. A worked 21K set therefore has to be held through a meaningfully higher gold price just to break even, while a Gold Pound or a bar starts far closer to par. If the purpose is saving rather than wearing, that difference is the whole argument.
How to compare dealers properly. Ask for the workmanship figure per gram in EGP, not as a percentage — percentages are quoted against different bases and are easy to blur. Then ask for the buy-back price on the same piece in the same conversation. Two shops quoting the same gram price can differ substantially once both numbers are on the table. Stamp duty (damgha) is a separate statutory charge and is small relative to workmanship. To price a specific weight and karat including workmanship, use the jewelry price calculator on this site.
Typically 4–8% on top of the gram price. The figure most often quoted as a market average is around 4.45%, but the range is what matters for any specific piece.
Because the charge tracks labour and production waste, not the shop's markup alone. Plain bands and simple chains sit at the low end; filigree, hollow, engraved or multi-part sets take more hours and waste more metal, so they sit at the high end.
No — it is a non-recoverable cost. On resale you are paid for the pure-gold content at the day's rate minus the dealer's buy-back spread, with nothing credited for the labour. Bars and the Gold Pound carry far lower premiums, which is why they are preferred for saving.
Ask for the figure in EGP per gram rather than as a percentage, since percentages get quoted against different bases. Then ask for the buy-back price on the same piece in the same conversation — two shops with an identical gram price can differ a lot once both numbers are visible.
A separate statutory hallmarking charge applied to gold sold in Egypt. It is small relative to workmanship but is listed as its own line on the invoice, not folded into the gram price.
Live prices load on this page when JavaScript is enabled.