A troy ounce (oz t) is the unit used to weigh and price precious metals worldwide. It equals 31.1035 grams, which is heavier than the everyday ounce of 28.35 grams.
Why gold is weighed in troy ounces
Every global gold price, including the figure you see quoted in dirhams, starts life as a price per troy ounce. The unit comes from medieval trade fairs and survived because the wholesale market in London still settles in it. When a coin is described as "1 oz", it always means one troy ounce of fine metal, never the kitchen ounce.
- Troy ounce: 31.1035 g, used for gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
- Avoirdupois ounce: 28.3495 g, used for food and parcels. It is about 9.7% lighter.
- Kilogram: 1,000 g, which is 32.15 troy ounces.
Troy ounce, tola and gram: the UAE conversion table
In Dubai and across the Emirates you will meet three systems side by side. Bullion coins are sold in troy ounces, jewellery shops price in grams, and many buyers from South Asian communities still think in tola. One tola is 11.6638 g. The popular 10 tola bar, known as the TT bar, weighs 116.638 g.
| Unit | Grams | Troy ounces | Tola |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 gram | 1 | 0.0322 | 0.0857 |
| 1 tola | 11.6638 | 0.375 | 1 |
| 1 troy ounce | 31.1035 | 1 | 2.667 |
| TT bar (10 tola) | 116.638 | 3.75 | 10 |
| 1 kilobar | 1,000 | 32.15 | 85.74 |
A useful shortcut: a TT bar holds exactly 3.75 troy ounces. If you know the price of an ounce in AED, multiply by 3.75 to get the metal value of a TT bar before the dealer's margin. For the price per gram, our daily gold rate per gram in AED saves you the arithmetic.
Gross weight and fine weight
A coin's total weight and its gold content are not always the same. Take the 1 oz Krugerrand: it is 22 carat (916.7 fineness) and weighs about 33.93 g in total, yet it contains exactly 31.1035 g of pure gold. The extra grams are copper, which hardens the coin. A 1 oz Britannia struck in 999.9 gold weighs 31.1035 g in total because almost nothing is added.
So what should you compare? Always the fine weight. Two coins with 1 oz of pure gold carry the same metal value, whatever they weigh on a scale. That is why we rank gold coins by cost per ounce of fine gold, not by total grams. See also how the spot price is quoted per ounce and how karat ratings affect fine weight in jewellery.
Quick check before you buy
- Bars: the stamp shows weight and purity, for example "1 OZ FINE GOLD 999.9" or "10 TOLAS 999.0".
- Coins: the fine weight is struck on the coin, often in troy ounces.
- Jewellery: sold by gross weight in grams, so the fine weight depends on the karat.
Related terms
Fineness Spot Price Bullion Karat
FAQ
How many grams are in a troy ounce of gold?
One troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams, which is the standard weight behind every international gold price.
How many tola are in one ounce of gold?
One troy ounce is about 2.667 tola, because one tola weighs 11.6638 grams.
Is a TT bar the same as 4 ounces?
No, a TT bar weighs 116.638 grams, which is exactly 3.75 troy ounces, slightly less than 4 ounces.