GUIDES
How to read global gold quotes
Last updated
Searches for a global gold price, a yen gold price, or gold in Hong Kong dollars often treat each city’s figure as that exchange’s settlement or a jeweler’s board. This site’s global page does neither. The market rows and the currency converter take one international gold reference in USD per troy ounce, multiply by an exchange rate, and restate the weight that row names. The London row is that reference in sterling, not a London gold fix. This page explains the method and the units only. Live figures stay on the global quotes page — nothing here is copied from a board or invented.
Seven cities, one reference
Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, London and New York share the gold reference on the international page. COMEX gold futures (GC) come first; if that source is limited, the page switches to a labeled public spot print. The New York row is that USD per troy ounce figure. Every other row is a currency and weight conversion of it — not that city’s exchange settlement and not a shop board.
The hours beside a row are the local market’s usual session, so you can see when that city typically trades. They do not mean the number was settled there. When the market is closed, on a weekend, or the source is delayed, the page keeps the last valid quote and labels the status. It does not fill a city in with a made-up price. The percent change on a row is the move in this international reference, not that city’s own session settlement.
A Hong Kong tael, a Taiwan tael and a shi tael are different
Taiwan shows TWD per qian and TWD per gram. One qian is 3.75 grams. That row uses this site’s Taiwan theoretical price: the reference times Bank of Taiwan USD spot-sell (the side where TWD buys USD). If that bank rate is unavailable, a labeled market fallback is used instead. Do not treat that TWD rate and the market rates on the other rows as one board. How the per-qian figure is built is in “Reading today’s gold: BOT vs COMEX.”
Hong Kong’s main unit is HKD per HK tael, and one HK tael is 37.429 grams; the second line is HKD per gram. China’s main unit is CNY per gram, with CNY per shi tael beside it, and one shi tael is 50 grams. The converter’s tael is the Taiwan convention: one tael equals 10 qian, or 37.5 grams. The three “taels” share a name and not a gram weight, so the numbers cannot be subtracted. A troy ounce is about 31.1034768 grams. Gram, qian and Taiwan tael conversions are in the gold units guide.
Japan is JPY per gram, rounded to a whole yen, with no second line. Singapore is SGD per ounce when SGD is available, and switches to a labeled USD per ounce if it is not. London is GBP per ounce when GBP is available, EUR per ounce if GBP is missing, and USD per ounce only if both are missing. All three are the same reference in another currency, not a London gold fix. See “London gold vs COMEX.” A missing rate is labeled or left blank. This site does not invent a local board to fill the gap.
The converter changes units, not shop prices
The metal currency converter below the rows can take gold, silver, platinum or palladium, a weight (ounce, gram, qian or tael) and a currency. The result is that metal’s USD per troy ounce reference, restated in the chosen weight, times the currency’s rate versus the US dollar. TWD prefers Bank of Taiwan USD spot-sell; other currencies use a public market rate. It is still a theoretical reference. Dealer spread, making charges, tax and fees are not included.
In the converter, a qian is 3.75 grams and a tael is 37.5 grams. That tael is not the Hong Kong tael on the Hong Kong row and not the shi tael on the China row. Platinum, palladium and silver can be converted too, but qian and tael there are only weights. They are not a per-qian white-metal recycle board. This site does not invent a platinum or silver buy price. How spoken “白金,” platinum and silver come apart is in “Platinum, white gold, and silver.” For the current figure, open global quotes and check that the page is showing the last valid print.
HOW TO
Read currency and units on global gold quotes
Treat the market rows and the converter as one international reference restated by FX and weight, not as local settlements. The steps contain no board prices.
- Start from USD per ounceCheck that the New York row is USD per ounce. That is the starting print for the other rows, COMEX gold futures first. If the page says closed, delayed or last valid, keep that status. Do not look for a number that “should” still be ticking.
- Then read that row’s currency and weightA Hong Kong tael is 37.429 grams, a Taiwan qian is 3.75 grams, a shi tael is 50 grams, and the converter’s tael is 37.5 grams. Do not swap them. The Taiwan row uses Bank of Taiwan USD spot-sell. Other rows use that currency’s public market rate.
- Stop at a fallback labelIf SGD is missing, Singapore shows USD per ounce. If GBP is missing, London shows EUR per ounce, and USD per ounce only if EUR is missing too. That is still the same reference, not another exchange’s settlement and not a London gold fix.
- The converter only changes the unitAfter you pick a metal, weight and currency, the result is still a reference. It excludes spread and making charges. Qian or tael for a metal other than gold is not a recycle board. Live figures stay on the global quotes page, with the source and time shown there.
Related quote pages
Global gold conversions are a reference only — not a local exchange settlement and not a jewelry, bank or recycler trade price. Spread, making, tax and fees are excluded. Not investment advice. No Product/Offer.
Global gold quote questions
Are global gold quotes local shop or exchange boards?
No. Each row is one international reference times an exchange rate, restated in that row’s unit. It is not a local exchange settlement and not a jewelry, bank or recycler board. The London row is not a London gold fix.
Are a Hong Kong tael, a Taiwan tael and a shi tael the same?
No. Here a Hong Kong tael is 37.429 grams, a Taiwan tael is 37.5 grams (10 qian), and a shi tael is 50 grams. A Taiwan qian is 3.75 grams. Different units cannot be compared by subtracting the numbers.
Why is yen gold so far from a Taiwan qian?
The unit and the currency both differ. Japan is yen per gram. Taiwan is TWD per qian. Do not subtract the two numbers. To compare them, set the same weight and currency in the converter on the global quotes page. The result is still a theoretical reference, not a shop board.
Can the converter turn platinum into a per-qian white-metal price?
No. Qian and tael in the converter are weights only. A platinum, palladium or silver conversion is not a TWD recycle board, and this site does not invent one.