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Market mechanics · 4 min read

MCX Gold and Silver, explained

Why the rate you see on a trading dashboard rarely matches the price at your local jeweller.

What is MCX?

MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange of India) is where gold, silver, and other commodities trade as futures contracts domestically. When Script Tick or any trading platform shows "MCX Gold" or "MCX Silver," it's quoting the price of a futures contract on this exchange — not a retail selling price.

The units matter

MCX gold is typically quoted per 10 grams, and MCX silver per kilogram — the standard contract units on the exchange. That's different from how a jeweller might quote you a per-gram price, so it's worth converting before comparing.

Why the price differs from what a jeweller quotes

FactorEffect
Making chargesJewellery includes labor cost for crafting — not part of the raw commodity price
GSTAdded on top of the base metal price at retail
Dealer marginRetailers add their own markup
PurityMCX contracts specify a standard purity (e.g. 999 fine gold) — retail jewellery purity varies (22K, 18K, etc.)

So a jeweller's quoted rate will almost always be higher than the raw MCX futures price for the same weight — that gap isn't a pricing error, it's the cost of everything layered on top of the base commodity.

Why people still watch the MCX rate

Even though it's not the retail price, the MCX rate is the most direct, real-time signal of where gold and silver are actually trading. It moves throughout the day based on global commodity markets, the US dollar, and domestic demand — and jewellers typically reference it (with their own markup added) when setting daily retail rates. Watching MCX gives you the underlying trend before it filters down to the shop counter.

How often does it update?

MCX gold and silver prices refresh frequently during trading hours — typically within a few minutes of the live exchange price. Script Tick's dashboard refreshes this data roughly every 0–5 minutes, so what you see is close to real time, though always slightly delayed compared to a live broker terminal.

In short: The MCX rate tells you where the commodity itself is trading. Add making charges, GST, and dealer margin to estimate what you'd actually pay at a jewellery counter.