Statements of the Scholars on the Zakah of Used Gold

Question:
The first letter in this episode is from one of our sisters in Sudan. Your sister in Allah, Umm Hudhayfah, asks a collection of questions. She says: Is zakah obligatory on small jewelry, such as a ring, for example? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding the gold and silver jewelry that women wear, or prepare for wearing and use. The majority of scholars hold that there is no zakah on it, because it is not prepared for growth, increase, or trade, but rather for use. Thus, it becomes like clothing and mirrors.
There is no zakah on the jewelry and other items used, and this is the view of the majority of scholars. The second opinion is held by some scholars who stated that zakah is obligatory on it due to the generality of the texts regarding the obligation of zakah on gold and silver, and due to hadiths that were reported specifically about it. However, what the questioner mentioned—that it is a ring or a small amount that does not reach the nisab—has no zakah on it if it is less than the nisab, which is twenty mithqals, or eighty-two grams. If it is less than eighty-two grams, there is no zakah on it due to the lack of the condition, which is reaching the nisab. Unless she has other wealth; if she has dirhams or gold that she includes with this ring or this small jewelry, such that it completes the nisab or exceeds it, then she pays zakah on it along with the rest if she wishes to be cautious and avoid the difference of opinion. Yes.