SampattiTrackTo track gold properly, record how much you hold (grams or units) and the price you paid per gram or unit, not just a rupee value. Value is then quantity times the latest price, and returns are measured with XIRR so that purchases made on different dates are weighed fairly. The same method works for physical gold, bonds, ETFs, funds and digital gold.
Ways to hold gold, and what each means for tracking
Gold is held in several forms, and they differ in what you actually own, what you are charged, and where the price comes from. Rules and products change, so details below are general and correct as of October 2026. Check your own documents for the specifics.
- Physical gold: coins, bars and jewellery. You own grams of metal. Jewellery usually includes making charges, which you generally do not get back when you sell.
- Sovereign gold bonds (SGBs): government securities denominated in grams of gold. They typically pay a fixed rate of interest on top of any change in the gold price. Your holding statement gives the grams, the issue price and the interest terms. Check them for your tranche.
- Gold ETFs and gold funds: units that follow the price of gold. An ETF is bought through a demat account like a share. A gold fund is a mutual fund, bought like any other fund. Both charge ongoing costs that show up as a small drag on the return.
- Digital gold: gold bought through an app or platform, which holds it for you. Buy and sell prices differ, and that gap is a cost.
The tracking method is the same for all of them. What changes is the unit you count in (grams or fund units) and how the price is found.
Record grams, not just rupees
A common shortcut is to note "I put ₹50,000 into gold" and leave it there. That tells you what you spent but not what you own. Gold's rupee price moves every day, so the only way to know today's value is to know your quantity and multiply it by the latest price.
Every entry therefore has two numbers. Quantity is the grams or units you hold. Amount is the value of the entry in rupees, which equals quantity times price per gram or unit. This is the same quantity-versus-amount idea as for shares, explained in Quantity vs amount. Buying 5 grams at ₹6,000 per gram is an amount of ₹30,000 and a quantity of 5.
For jewellery, record the full amount you paid, including making charges, as your cost. Then decide whether to value the piece at the gold content only. Resale value is usually based on the gold, not on what you paid in labour, so valuing at gold content is the more realistic view. Whichever you choose, use it consistently.
A worked example
You buy 10 grams on 1 March 2024 at ₹9,000 per gram, and 5 grams on 1 March 2025 at ₹11,000 per gram. On 1 October 2026 the price is ₹12,500 per gram. These prices are made up to show the arithmetic and are not market data.
| Date | Grams | Price per gram | Cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 2024 | 10 | ₹9,000 | −₹90,000 |
| 1 Mar 2025 | 5 | ₹11,000 | −₹55,000 |
| 1 Oct 2026 (value) | 15 | ₹12,500 | +₹1,87,500 |
You hold 15 grams. You paid ₹90,000 + ₹55,000 = ₹1,45,000, an average of ₹9,666.67 per gram. The value is 15 × ₹12,500 = ₹1,87,500, a gain of ₹42,500.
| Measure | Result | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute return | 29.3% | ₹42,500 ÷ ₹1,45,000, ignoring time |
| XIRR | 12.3% | Annual rate matching the dates (944 days from first purchase) |
The 29.3% sounds large, but it was earned over about two and a half years for the first purchase and about one and a half years for the second. XIRR puts it on an annual footing, and 12.3% is the figure to compare with other investments. You can check your own dated purchases with the XIRR calculator, and What Is XIRR? explains how the rate is found. For more on when each measure fits, see XIRR vs CAGR vs absolute return.
What to include in the return
- Physical gold: include making charges and any taxes in your cost. If you pay for a locker, that is a running cost that this return does not capture unless you record it.
- SGBs: the interest is cash you receive, so record each payment as a dated inflow. It belongs in the XIRR alongside the price change. At maturity or early exit, the redemption proceeds are the final inflow.
- Gold ETFs: record brokerage and other charges with the purchase, and the sale proceeds net of charges.
- Gold funds: use units and NAV, as in our guide to tracking mutual fund SIP returns. A monthly gold SIP is tracked the same way as any other SIP.
- Digital gold: value it at the price you could sell at, not the price you bought at. The two differ.
Tax treatment differs by type of gold and by holding period, and it changes over time. This article does not cover it. Check the current rules or ask a tax professional.
Keeping prices up to date
For anything counted in units, SampattiTrack values a holding at its latest price times your quantity, so the value changes when the price does and your cost stays as recorded. Prices are public market data, fetched without sending any of your personal finance data, and they may be delayed. A price on screen may not match the exact price you would get from a jeweller or platform today, so use it as a guide to value, not as a dealing quote.
A jeweller's buy-back rate, a platform's sell price and an exchange price are three different numbers for the same gold. Pick the one that matches how you would really sell, and be consistent from month to month.
How to do this in SampattiTrack
The full steps are in Investments, SIPs and XIRR and Units and prices. In outline:
- On Home, tap Add, then Unit. For gold you hold in grams, choose the Gold / Metal type, find it with the search field or type the name and symbol, leave Track Market Price on if you want automatic prices, and tap Create Unit.
- For a gold ETF, choose Stock / Demat and use its ticker. For a gold fund, choose Mutual Fund and use its scheme code.
- For each purchase, tap Add, then Transaction. Choose the account the money came from, pick the gold unit, and enter the Quantity in grams and the Price / Unit.
- Open Portfolio. The Holdings tab shows each holding with its units, gain or loss and annual return, and the Allocation tab shows how much of your portfolio gold makes up.
A few honest limits. Automatic prices depend on the symbol being found. If a holding has no price yet, it shows a dash instead of a return, so check the symbol and your connection. This applies particularly to instruments that are not widely quoted, such as SGBs or a platform's digital gold. XIRR only sees the cash flows you record, so remember interest payments, redemptions and sales. To bring in an ETF's trade history, use CSV import and check the quantity and price on each trade in the Portfolio.
Common mistakes
- Tracking only the rupee value: without grams, you cannot revalue the holding when the price moves.
- Mixing quantity and amount: typing ₹30,000 where 5 grams belongs makes the app think you own 30,000 grams.
- Ignoring interest and charges: a bond's interest or an ETF's brokerage changes the true return.
- Valuing jewellery at what you paid: making charges are not usually recovered on resale.
- Leaving gold out of net worth: include it, since it is part of what you own. See how to track your net worth.
Key takeaways
- Record grams or units and the price per gram or unit; value is quantity times the latest price.
- In the example, 15 grams bought for ₹1,45,000 were worth ₹1,87,500: absolute return 29.3%, XIRR about 12.3%.
- Include interest, charges and redemption proceeds as dated cash flows so the return is honest.
- Physical gold, bonds, ETFs, funds and digital gold differ in costs and price sources, not in method.
- Tax rules differ by type and change over time, so check current rules before relying on any figure.
Frequently asked questions
How do I track gold I own physically?
Record the grams and the price per gram for each purchase, including making charges in your cost for jewellery. Value it at grams times the latest gold price, or at gold content only for jewellery.
Do I count the interest on sovereign gold bonds in my return?
Yes. Interest is cash you receive, so record it as a dated inflow. It belongs in the XIRR together with the price change and the final redemption.
Which return measure should I use for gold?
Use XIRR when you have bought on more than one date. For a single purchase with no other cash flows, XIRR and CAGR are the same.
Why does my gold holding show no return?
The holding probably has no price yet. Check the symbol you used for the unit and your internet connection. Prices are not found for every instrument.
Putting it into practice
SampattiTrack tracks gold alongside mutual funds and stocks, valuing each holding at quantity times the latest price and showing allocation and XIRR from your own transactions. Everything is stored on your device, with optional private iCloud sync and no sign-up. It is available on the App Store.
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not investment, tax, legal or financial advice. Examples use made-up numbers, and past returns do not predict future results.