The shabka is one of the biggest costs of the engagement. If you know the sums before you visit the jewellers, you'll ask the right questions and compare shops with confidence.
How is a piece priced?
Any gold piece costs the day's price per gram times its weight, plus the workmanship (المصنعية), the hallmark stamp (الدمغة) and tax. The gram price itself follows the world gold price and the pound's rate against the dollar, so it changes every day.
| Karat | Price per gram, without workmanship | Workmanship per gram, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | EGP 7,154 | EGP 100 to 200 |
| 21 | EGP 6,260 | EGP 150 to 300 |
| 18 | EGP 5,366 | EGP 200 to 500 |
Gram prices are from Banker on 18 October 2026, and the workmanship ranges from Al-Ahram Gate (July 2026). These are approximate figures. The price that matters is the shop's price on the day you buy.
A worked example
A 21-karat bracelet weighs 10 grams, and the shop quotes EGP 200 a gram for workmanship:
- The gold: 10 × 6,260 = EGP 62,600.
- The workmanship: 10 × 200 = EGP 2,000.
- The total: about EGP 64,600, plus the stamp and tax if the shop charges them separately.
For a bigger example, a Masrawy report (June 2026) put a mid-size 15-gram shabka at about EGP 95,000 in Greater Cairo, when 21-karat gold cost EGP 6,300 to 7,000 a gram.
Which karat should you choose?
- 21 karat: the most widely traded in Egypt, and what most shabkas are made of.
- 18 karat: cheaper per gram, but the workmanship is usually higher. Compare the totals, not just the gram price.
- Bars and gold pounds: their workmanship is far lower than jewellery's, which narrows the gap between the buying price and the selling price later.
Workmanship and the invoice
- Workmanship depends on the design, the brand and each shop's policy, and it is higher for distinctive designs and well-known brands. From 1 July 2026, the Tax Authority and the gold traders' division agreed to raise average workmanship by 10% until June 2027.
- Compare the workmanship at more than one shop before you choose.
- Ask for a detailed invoice that shows the gram price, the weight, the karat and the workmanship on its own line. Keep it: it protects you if you ever sell.
- Egypt's consumer protection rules let you return most goods within 14 days without giving a reason, but gold jewellery is excluded. Check the piece and its size before you pay.
Silver and lighter sets
In a 2023 fatwa, Dar al-Ifta said there is no objection to a silver shabka, or anything else of value, if both sides agree. As prices rose, campaigns such as «بلاها شبكة» ("no shabka") began encouraging lighter sets or silver instead of gold (Al-Ahram Gate, April 2026). The choice is yours and your families'. What matters is a clear agreement, made without pressure.
Work it out on Zaghrouta
In the shabka you add the pieces one by one: the kind, the karat, the weight and the workmanship the shop quoted. The price is worked out from the world gold price and the dollar rate, plus the market margin, and it is labelled «تقديري» (estimated), because shop prices differ.
- Try a ready-made set, then adjust the weights to your taste.
- Set a budget and see which sets fit it.
- Set an alert for when the gram price reaches a figure you choose.
- Choose silver if you prefer.
You can also browse the jewellers on Zaghrouta.