Jewellery Cost Calculator
Know the full shop price before you buy: gold value + making charges + sales tax.
Note: in Canada, sales tax on jewellery making charges varies by province — Ontario: 13% HST, British Columbia: 12% (5% GST + 7% PST), Alberta: 5% GST, Quebec: 14.975% (GST+QST), other provinces and territories: 5% GST. Select your province above to apply the correct rate. Investment-grade gold (99.5%+ pure, e.g. Royal Canadian Mint bars and Maple Leaf coins) is GST/HST-exempt. Figures are indicative estimates, not a final jeweller quote.
How jewellery is priced in Canada
Every gold jewellery piece in Canada is priced in three parts. First, the raw gold value: weight in grams multiplied by today\u2019s per-gram rate for the karat \u2014 this part is non-negotiable because it tracks the global market. Second, making charges: the craftsmanship fee, typically CAD 15\u201360 per gram for machine-made pieces and higher for handcrafted luxury designs. Third, sales tax, charged on the making-charges portion: 5% GST in Alberta and the territories, 12% in BC (5% GST + 7% PST), 13% HST in Ontario, 14.975% (GST+QST) in Quebec.
Making charges are where you negotiate. Always ask the jeweller to break the invoice into the three parts and compare 2\u20133 shops before buying \u2014 the making-charge difference alone routinely saves 10\u201320%. Walk away from shops that won\u2019t disclose making charges separately.
Important: investment-grade 24K bars and coins (99.5%+ purity, such as Royal Canadian Mint products) are GST/HST-exempt, so for pure investment, bars beat jewellery by skipping both making charges and tax.
The calculator uses today\u2019s indicative per-gram rates. Figures are estimates to strengthen your negotiation, not a binding quote from any jeweller.
Q1. How much are making charges on gold jewellery in Canada?
Making charges typically range from CAD 15–60 per gram for machine-made pieces and can exceed CAD 100 per gram for handcrafted or branded designs. Always ask the jeweller to quote making charges separately from the gold value.
Q2. Is there sales tax on gold jewellery in Canada?
Yes — sales tax applies to the making-charges portion of retail jewellery and varies by province: 5% GST in Alberta and the territories, 12% in BC (5% GST + 7% PST), 13% HST in Ontario, and 14.975% (GST+QST) in Quebec. Investment-grade gold bars and coins (99.5%+ purity, e.g. Royal Canadian Mint) are GST/HST-exempt.
Q3. Can I negotiate making charges with jewellers?
Absolutely — making charges are the negotiable part of the price, while the gold value follows the day’s market rate. Comparing 2–3 shops with this calculator in hand routinely saves buyers 10–20% on making charges.
Q4. Does the calculator price include the gold rate of today?
Yes. The gold-value portion uses today’s per-gram rate for your chosen karat from our market feed (or clearly labelled indicative reference rates when the feed is unavailable).