One emas equals one suku, which is 3.75 grams. The term is used in Indonesia's traditional gold market, and it often causes confusion because it does not match any international unit.

The problem is that Indonesia has several local gold units that differ from region to region, plus one term that people often mistake for a unit when it is actually a type of gold. This article puts all of them in one table.

Indonesian Gold Unit Conversion Table

The reverse conversion:

Key Points

• 1 emas = 1 suku = 3.75 grams. Both terms refer to the same weight.
• 1 mayam = 3.33 grams, used in Aceh and recognized by the local gold traders' association as the standard.
• 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams, the international unit used in the global gold market.
• Cukim is not a unit of weight. It is a type of gold: gold melted down from used jewelry, without an official certificate.
• Always confirm the unit before you transact, because the same term can be understood differently between regions and between shops.

What Is a Suku and How Many Grams Is It

One suku equals 3.75 grams of gold.

The name suku comes from a word meaning one quarter. The unit is widely used in Sumatra and is still common in traditional gold shops, especially for jewelry.

Several ways of saying the same thing:

• 1 suku = 3.75 grams
• 1 suku emas = 3.75 grams
• One suku = 3.75 grams
• 1 emas = 3.75 grams

About suku in Palembang. Many people search for Palembang specifically, and the answer is still 3.75 grams. What you should watch is not the number, but that practice on the ground can differ between shops. Some gold shops calculate from the weight of the jewelry after deducting making charges, so the number of grams you receive can feel different from the calculation above. That is a fee deduction, not a unit conversion issue.

Example calculations:

• 2 suku = 2 × 3.75 = 7.5 grams
• 5 suku = 5 × 3.75 = 18.75 grams
• 10 suku = 10 × 3.75 = 37.5 grams
• 1 kilogram = 1,000 ÷ 3.75 = 266.67 suku

What Is a Mayam, the Gold Unit of Aceh

One mayam equals 3.33 grams of gold.

Mayam is used in Aceh and surrounding areas. The figure of 3.33 grams is the most common value, and the local gold traders' association recognizes it as the standard for the region.

The unit carries strong cultural meaning in Aceh, especially in wedding tradition, because it is used to measure jeulamee, the gold gift from the groom's side. The usual amount differs between areas within Aceh itself, ranging from about 5 to 30 mayam, and in some areas it can be much higher.

Example calculations:

• 5 mayam = 5 × 3.33 = 16.65 grams
• 10 mayam = 10 × 3.33 = 33.3 grams
• 25 mayam = 25 × 3.33 = 83.25 grams

Direct comparison with suku: 1 mayam (3.33 grams) is slightly lighter than 1 suku (3.75 grams). The difference is 0.42 grams, or about 11%. This matters if you transact across regions and the seller uses a different unit.

What Is Cukim Gold

This section answers a different question from the rest, because cukim is not a unit of weight, it is a type of gold.

Cukim gold is bar or ingot gold melted down from used gold jewelry, without an official certificate. The name cukim comes from the abbreviation of cucian kimia, which means chemical wash, referring to its refining process. It is made by local artisans or gold shops, not by industrial producers such as Antam or UBS.

Characteristics of Cukim Gold

• Purity ranges from 90% to 99%, depending on the quality of the melting process
• The shape is irregular, often a lump rather than a precision bar
• No certificate or serial number, usually only the shop's stamp
• Can be bought in small amounts starting from 1 gram

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cukim Gold

The practical conclusion: cukim is cheaper to buy, but the deduction is larger when you sell it back, because the buyer has to melt and re-test the purity. A buying price gap that looks like a saving can disappear on the selling side. If you plan to resell in the short term, this difference should be calculated first.

If you want to check the authenticity of gold you already own, we cover the markings in fake gold codes and how to tell real gold from fake.

Why Gold Units Differ Between Regions

Local gold units in Indonesia grew out of trading practice that existed long before any national standard. Each region developed its own unit based on the scales available and local market habits.

Because they come from habit rather than official rules, the values can differ slightly between regions and even between shops. The figures of 3.75 grams for suku and 3.33 grams for mayam are the most common and most widely recognized, but they are not set by law.

The practical consequence is simple: always ask how many grams is meant before you agree on a price. This matters most when you transact outside your home region, or when the amount is large.

International Units: Gram and Troy Ounce

In the global gold market, the unit used is the troy ounce, not the ordinary ounce. One troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams.

It should be told apart from the metric ounce, which is 100 grams in Indonesian usage, and from the avoirdupois ounce, which is 28.35 grams. All three are different, and misreading the unit can throw a calculation far off.

This matters when you compare local gold prices with world gold prices. International gold prices are always quoted per troy ounce, while Indonesian gold shops quote per gram, per suku, or per mayam.

The conversions:

• 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams = 8.2943 suku = 9.34 mayam
• 1 suku = 0.1206 troy ounce
• 1 mayam = 0.1071 troy ounce

If you buy gold in digital form, the unit usually follows the international standard. Digital Gold on Mobee uses XAUt, where one token represents one fine troy ounce of physical gold stored in Switzerland. That means one token equals 31.1035 grams, or about 8.29 suku.

This difference in units is what often confuses comparisons. If the XAUt price looks far higher than the gold price per gram in a shop, it is because the units differ by a factor of thirty-one. A full explanation of the instrument is in digital gold investing with XAUt.

What About Dinar and Dirham?

Dinar and dirham are often asked about together with local gold units, but they come from a different context, because they relate to gold and silver coins in Islamic tradition rather than to market weighing units. We cover them separately in dinar.

Conclusion

One emas equals one suku, which is 3.75 grams. In Aceh, the unit used is the mayam, worth 3.33 grams. The two differ by about 11%, so make sure which one is meant when you transact across regions.

Meanwhile, cukim is not a unit of weight, but a type of gold melted down from used jewelry without a certificate, with purity of 90% to 99%.

For comparison with world gold prices, the benchmark is the troy ounce, worth 31.1035 grams, or about 8.29 suku.

Because local units come from market habit and not official rules, the values can differ slightly between shops. Asking how many grams is meant before agreeing on a price is a cheap habit that prevents misunderstanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grams is 1 emas?

3.75 grams. One emas equals one suku, so both refer to the same weight. This is the most common value used in the traditional gold market, not a figure set by law.

How many grams is 1 suku of gold in Palembang?

Still 3.75 grams. What can differ between shops is not the conversion but the way they calculate. Some shops calculate from the weight of the jewelry after deducting making charges, so the number of grams you receive can feel different. That is a fee deduction, not a unit issue.

How many grams is 1 mayam?

3.33 grams. Mayam is used in Aceh and surrounding areas, and the local gold traders' association recognizes this figure as the standard. One mayam is about 0.42 grams, or about 11%, lighter than one suku.

How many grams is 1 kg of gold?

1 kilogram equals 1,000 grams. In local units, that is about 266.67 suku (1,000 ÷ 3.75) or about 300.3 mayam (1,000 ÷ 3.33). In international units, 1 kilogram is about 32.15 troy ounces.

Is cukim a unit of gold?

No. Cukim is a type of gold: gold melted down from used jewelry without an official certificate. The name comes from the abbreviation of cucian kimia, which means chemical wash, referring to its refining process. Its purity ranges from 90% to 99%.

What is the difference between cukim gold and Antam or UBS gold?

Cukim gold has no certificate or serial number, its purity varies from 90% to 99%, and its shape is irregular. Antam or UBS gold is certified, with standardized purity of 99.99%. Cukim is cheaper to buy, but the deduction is larger when you sell it back, because the purity has to be re-tested.

How many suku is 1 troy ounce?

1 troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams, or about 8.2943 suku and about 9.34 mayam. The troy ounce is the unit used for world gold prices, while Indonesian gold shops quote prices per gram, per suku, or per mayam.

Disclaimer. All information in this article is educational and is not investment advice. The values of local gold units come from trading habit and can differ between regions and between shops, so the figures in this article are the most commonly used values, not official rules. Always confirm the unit and purity before you transact.