Gold
Buying gold in Algeria: karats, kassi and where the price is really set
A working guide to the Algerian gold market — what 18K, 21K and 24K actually mean for the price you pay per gram, what kassi (used gold) is worth, and what to verify before you hand over a single dinar.
Gold has played the same role in Algerian household finance for generations: a store of value when the dinar drifts, a wedding investment, an emergency reserve. The price quoted per gram in jewellery shops along rue Larbi Ben M'hidi or in the bijouteries of Constantine, Oran and Sétif tracks the international gold price — but with its own Algerian filter for karat, premium, and used-gold discount.
01 Gold
18K, 21K, 24K — what changes in your wallet
Karat is a measure of purity. 24K is 99.9% pure gold; 21K is 87.5%; 18K is 75%. Pure gold is too soft for everyday jewellery, so it is alloyed with copper and silver to gain strength and (for 18K) a slightly different colour. In Algeria the three karats dominate the retail market — 18K and 21K for everyday and wedding jewellery, 24K for investment-grade bars, coins, and high-purity ornaments.
24K
Investment-grade, 99.9% pure. Sold mostly as bars and coins. The closest local proxy to the international XAU spot price.
21K
The dominant Algerian wedding-jewellery purity. Hard enough for everyday wear but high-value at resale.
18K
75% pure. Sturdier and a bit cheaper per gram. Common for everyday pieces and lower-budget gifts.
02 Gold
How the per-gram price gets to your jeweller
The base price moves with the international gold market (denominated in USD per ounce). To get to a per-gram price in Algerian dinars, your jeweller converts via the EUR/USD market and then applies the local USD–DZD spread — which is closer to the Square rate than to the official rate for physical gold trade. Above that base sits a making fee, a margin and, for 24K bars, the recognised refiner premium.
- XAU spot price → per-ounce USD price
- ÷ 31.1035 → USD per gram for 24K
- × karat ratio (21/24 or 18/24) → 21K or 18K per gram
- × DZD per USD (closer to the Square than to the official rate) → per-gram price in dinars
- + making fee + margin → what the jeweller quotes you
03 Gold
Kassi: the used-gold market and how it’s priced
Kassi is the Algerian word for used (or scrap) gold — pieces resold by individuals back to jewellers, melted down and recast. The kassi price per gram is published informally inside each bijouterie and sits a meaningful distance below the new-gold price, mostly because the jeweller absorbs refining and re-fabrication risk. Selling kassi is one of the most common ways Algerian families unlock cash from gold holdings.
“For most Algerian households, gold is not just an ornament. It is the dinar-resistant savings layer that you can pawn or sell in a single afternoon when you need cash.”
04 Gold
Where Algerians actually buy gold
Most retail volume passes through small to mid-sized bijouteries — heavily concentrated around the old cities of Algiers (rue Larbi Ben M'hidi, the Casbah edge), Constantine (the Souika district), Oran (rue Khemisti), Sétif (the central market) and Tlemcen. Investment-grade 24K bars are increasingly available through licensed dealers and via banking channels. Pricing is usually negotiated, even on advertised tags.
Jewellery shops
18K and 21K dominate. The premium over raw metal pays for craftsmanship and shopkeeping margin. Negotiate.
Licensed dealers
A growing segment for 24K bars and coins. Asks more documentation but offers cleaner provenance for resale.
Banks
A small but rising channel for refined bullion. Useful for verifiable invoicing on larger purchases.
05 Gold
What to verify before you pay
A few practical checks separate a fair retail transaction from an overpriced or risky one.
- Confirm the karat stamp (18K / 21K / 24K) and the maker mark on the piece itself.
- Weigh the piece in front of you on a certified scale and ask for the gram-per-piece reading on the receipt.
- Ask for an itemised receipt: base metal value at today’s per-gram price + making fee + margin.
- For 24K bars, ask whether the refiner is on a recognised list and whether a refiner certificate is included.
- Pay by traceable means whenever the amount is large enough to warrant it.
FAQ Gold
Frequently asked
What is the current price per gram of gold in Algeria?
EXDZ publishes the current 18K, 21K and 24K per-gram price in DZD on the gold page, updated daily. The exact retail quote in a jewellery shop will sit above that baseline because of making fees and margin.
What does kassi mean?
Kassi is the Algerian word for used or scrap gold sold back to jewellers. It is priced below new gold per gram because the jeweller takes on refining and re-fabrication risk.
Why is gold in Algeria sometimes more expensive than the global price?
Because the local USD-to-DZD conversion for gold trade is closer to the Square rate than the Bank of Algeria's official rate, and because retail prices include making fees, shopkeeper margin and (for high-purity bars) refiner premium.
Is 21K or 18K better for investment?
Neither is "better" — 21K is more popular as wedding jewellery and resells well in Algeria; 18K is cheaper per gram but recovers less at resale. For pure investment, 24K bars or coins are the closest proxy to the international gold price.
EXDZ is an information and rate-comparison site. We do not buy, sell or value gold and we do not act as a broker.