916 Gold Rate in Dubai Today — What 916, 999 & KDM Hallmarks Mean
What does "916" or "999" stamped on your gold actually mean, and what is today's price for each? A price-first guide to Dubai's hallmark numbers, KDM gold, and converting to Indian 10-gram pricing.
If you have shopped for gold in India, you know the number before you know the karat: 916 for everyday jewellery, 999 for investment gold, and the warning to avoid anything marked KDM. Dubai uses the same hallmark numbers — they are an international purity standard, not an Indian one — so this guide gives you today's Dubai price for each hallmark, in AED and Indian rupees, followed by exactly what the numbers mean. For live rates by karat name instead of hallmark number, see our gold rate today page.
916, 999 & 21K Gold Rate in Dubai Today
Hallmark numbers are simply purity expressed in parts per thousand — so a hallmark is just another name for a karat:
- 999 (24K) — 99.9% pure gold. Check today's rate on our 24K gold price page.
- 916 (22K) — 91.6% pure gold, the standard for most jewellery in India and the Gulf. See 22K gold price today.
- 875 (21K) — 87.5% pure gold, the most popular karat for Arabic-design jewellery in the UAE.
- 750 (18K) — 75% pure gold, common in lightweight and diamond-set pieces.
Use our gold calculator to price any hallmark by weight at today's live rate, including making charges. For the same numbers converted to Indian rupees, see Dubai gold rate in Indian rupees.
916 Hallmark: 10-Gram Price
India's standard jewellery unit is 10 grams, while Dubai prices gold per gram. To get the 10-gram price for 916 (22K) gold: take today's 22K gram rate from our rate page and multiply by 10, then add the shop's making charge. There is no separate "916 rate" from the 22K rate — 916 is simply how India labels 22-karat purity on the hallmark stamp itself.
What Do the Hallmark Numbers Actually Mean?
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) popularised these three-digit codes, and Dubai's hallmarking system recognises the same purity scale because both trace back to the same international parts-per-thousand convention:
| Hallmark | Karat | Purity |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | 24K | 99.9% |
| 958 | 23K | 95.8% |
| 916 | 22K | 91.6% |
| 875 | 21K | 87.5% |
| 833 | 20K | 83.3% |
| 750 | 18K | 75.0% |
In Dubai, the Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL) — part of Dubai Municipality — is the authority behind hallmarking, operating under UAE Federal Law No. 11 of 2015, which makes hallmark stamps mandatory on wrought precious-metal items sold in the Emirates. Four fineness levels are officially recognised here: 999, 916, 875 and 750 — notably skipping 958 and 833, which are more common in the Indian market than the Gulf.
What Is KDM Gold — and Why It Is Now Banned
KDM gold is not a purity grade at all — it describes a manufacturing method. Traditional gold soldering used a cadmium-based alloy (roughly 92% gold, 8% cadmium) to join pieces at a lower melting point, which is where "KDM" (kadium) comes from. The purity was not necessarily bad, but the process exposed goldsmiths to toxic cadmium fumes, and BIS banned KDM soldering for health and safety reasons. Reputable jewellers in both India and Dubai have moved to cadmium-free solder, so genuinely hallmarked (916, 999, etc.) jewellery today should not be KDM-soldered. If a shop still advertises "KDM gold" as a selling point, treat it as an outdated and now-discouraged practice rather than a purity claim, and ask for hallmark certification instead. For a full walkthrough of reading hallmark stamps, punches and verification marks, see our gold jewellery hallmark guide.
Hallmark Number vs Karat Name: Quick Reference
Shoppers moving between India and Dubai often get confused because the same purity has two names. Remember: the hallmark number is purity per 1,000; the karat name is purity per 24. So 916 gold and 22K gold are exactly the same thing — one label is just the metric version of the other. Our Dubai gold purity guide covers every karat and how to read the stamps side by side.
Checking Purity Before You Buy
- Look for the hallmark stamp — the three-digit number, plus the assaying/hallmarking centre mark and, in the UAE, the DCL or authorised-body mark.
- Ask for a purity certificate on higher-value pieces — reputable Dubai jewellers provide one on request.
- Price it yourself — weigh the piece, note the hallmark, and check the fair value with our gold calculator before accepting the shop's total.
- Compare making charges, not the metal rate — every licensed jeweller in Dubai prices the metal from the same daily rate; see our DGJG rate explainer for why.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 916 gold mean?
916 is a hallmark number meaning the gold is 91.6% pure — exactly the same purity as 22-karat (22K) gold. It is the most common purity for jewellery in India and the Gulf.
What is the 916 gold rate in Dubai today?
The same as today's 22K gold rate, since 916 and 22K describe identical purity. Check the live gram price on our gold rate today page and multiply by 10 for the 10-gram price.
What does 999 gold rate mean in Dubai?
999 means 99.9% pure gold — equivalent to 24-karat. It is the purity used for investment bars and coins. See today's rate on our 24K gold price page.
Is KDM gold the same purity as 916 gold?
Not necessarily — KDM describes an old cadmium-based soldering method, not a purity grade, and it has been phased out for health reasons. Purity is what the hallmark number (916, 999, etc.) tells you; always check for the hallmark stamp rather than the term "KDM."
Who hallmarks gold in Dubai?
The Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL), part of Dubai Municipality, is the emirate's hallmarking and certification authority, operating under UAE Federal Law No. 11 of 2015, which mandates hallmark stamps on gold jewellery sold in the UAE.
How do I convert the 916 gold rate to a 10-gram price?
Take today's 22K (916) gram rate from our rate page, multiply by 10 for the metal value of 10 grams, then add the shop's making charge to get the final price. Our gold calculator does this automatically.
Last verified 21 July 2026. Hallmark and purity standards can be updated by the Bureau of Indian Standards and Dubai Central Laboratory; always check the current stamp and certification on the day of purchase. This article is general information, not financial advice — gold prices fluctuate and past behaviour does not guarantee future prices.
Mr. Sajid Aslam
Senior Gold Market Analyst, GoldRatesInDubai.com
Sajid tracks the Dubai gold market daily — DGJG rates, souk premiums and the rules that affect expat buyers — and has covered UAE precious metals for GoldRatesInDubai.com since the site's early days. Read more about our team and data sources.
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