The reference price day by day
The table above shows the Central Bank’s gold price in rupees per troy ounce for each business day of the last two weeks. Weekends and public holidays are missing because the bank publishes only on business days. The text below explains what each column shows, why a move in the pawn can come from two different places, and what the table cannot separate.
The reference price, business day by business day
Each business day's 24 karat pawn price and how far it moved from the day before.
| Business day | 24K, 1 pawn | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Nov | Rs 337,643 | Rs +2,957 | +0.88% |
| 02 Nov | Rs 334,685 | Rs -7,914 | -2.31% |
| 30 Oct | Rs 342,599 | Rs -3,439 | -0.99% |
| 29 Oct | Rs 346,038 | Rs +207 | +0.06% |
| 28 Oct | Rs 345,831 | Rs +2,703 | +0.79% |
| 27 Oct | Rs 343,129 | Rs +1,982 | +0.58% |
| 26 Oct | Rs 341,147 | Rs -1,567 | -0.46% |
| 23 Oct | Rs 342,714 | Rs -8,814 | -2.51% |
| 22 Oct | Rs 351,528 | Rs +321 | +0.09% |
| 21 Oct | Rs 351,207 | Rs -1,813 | -0.51% |
| 20 Oct | Rs 353,021 | Rs -2,381 | -0.67% |
| 19 Oct | Rs 355,402 | Rs +784 | +0.22% |
| 16 Oct | Rs 354,617 | Rs +1,920 | +0.54% |
| 15 Oct | Rs 352,698 | Rs -1,588 | -0.45% |
| 14 Oct | Rs 354,285 | Rs -755 | -0.21% |
Price of: 03.11.2026
What the columns show
The main column is the bank’s published price for one troy ounce of fine gold in rupees. That is the only figure the bank issues. The pawn column is the ounce price divided by the number of grams in an ounce and multiplied by eight, so it moves exactly in step with the ounce. The gram and ten-gram columns are the same scaling. The table does not add any markup or making charge.
The date column shows the business day to which the price belongs. The bank publishes its price at the start of the business day, using the world gold price and its own indicative dollar rate. That means the price is a snapshot from the morning, not the end of the day. If the world price moves later, the bank’s figure does not change until the next business day.
Why weekends and holidays are missing
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka is closed on weekends and public holidays, so it does not publish a gold price on those days. The table therefore has gaps where those days fall. The missing days are not data errors; they are days on which no reference price exists. A reader who wants a price for a Saturday or a public holiday must use the last published figure, but should remember that the world gold price may have moved while the bank was closed.
This matters because gold trades globally on some days when Sri Lankan markets are closed. A public holiday in Sri Lanka does not stop the world gold price from moving. When the bank reopens, its next price will reflect the world price at the start of that new business day, which may be quite different from the last published figure.
A move can come from the world price or the rupee
The bank’s rupee price for gold is the product of two things: the world gold price in US dollars and the dollar to rupee exchange rate. If the world gold price rises, the rupee price rises, all else equal. If the rupee weakens against the dollar, the rupee price also rises, even if the world gold price in dollars is unchanged. A Sri Lankan reader sees one number, but that number is a combination of two markets.
The table cannot separate the two. It shows only the rupee price. To know whether a move came from gold or from the rupee, a reader would need to see the dollar gold price and the exchange rate on the same day. This site does not show those inputs on this page, but the against-the-world page compares the bank’s figure with an independent world price, which can help.
The start-of-day snapshot
The bank derives its price from the world gold price in US dollars at the start of the business day and its own indicative dollar to rupee rate. That means the price is set before the Colombo shops open. The Sea Street dealers’ price, set by the All Island Jewellery and Pawnbrokers Association, can move during the day as the world price moves. The bank’s figure will not move until the next business day.
This is why a shop quote in the afternoon can differ from the bank’s reference for the same day. The shop is using a later price, and it adds its own charges. The difference is not an error in the bank’s figure; it is the nature of a reference that is struck once a day.
Using the two-week history
The table lets a reader see whether the price has been rising or falling over the last two weeks of business days. That is a short history, but it is enough to show the direction and the size of daily moves. A reader who is about to buy or sell gold can look at the table and see whether the metal value has been moving against them or in their favour.
However, the table is not a forecast. The gold price can reverse on any day, and past moves do not promise future ones. The table is a record of what the bank published, not a prediction of what it will publish tomorrow. A reader should not treat a two-week trend as a reason to act.
What the table cannot show
The table cannot show the Sea Street dealers’ price. That price is set by the association and is reported in news items, but it is not published as a daily table. This site does not print it. The table also cannot show the shop price, which includes a making charge and a margin. Those additions are local and variable.
It also cannot show the components of the move. The rupee price is a combination of the dollar gold price and the exchange rate, but the table gives only the product. A reader who wants to understand why the price moved must look at the world gold price and the rupee separately.
Quick facts
Keep reading
Questions about today's price
Why are there gaps in the table?
The Central Bank publishes its gold price only on business days. Weekends and public holidays have no publication, so the table skips those days. The gaps are not missing data; they are days on which no reference price exists.
Does the bank update the price during the day?
No. The bank publishes one price per business day, struck at the start of the day. It does not update the price if the world gold price moves later. The next update comes on the next business day.
Can the rupee price move without the world price moving?
Yes. If the rupee weakens against the US dollar, the rupee price of gold rises even if the dollar gold price is unchanged. The bank’s figure is the product of the two, so either one can cause a move.
Is the table a forecast?
No. The table is a record of past published prices. It does not predict future prices. Past moves do not guarantee future moves.
Why does the shop price differ from the table on the same day?
The shop price is set later in the day by the dealers’ association, and each shop adds a making charge and margin. The bank’s reference is from the start of the business day and has no such additions.
A contract on gold, different from a pawn
If you want exposure to the gold price without weighing or storing metal, a contract for difference with an international broker settles in your account’s currency and delivers nothing physical. It is a different risk from buying a pawn.