Do I pay zakat on silver jewelry?

The silver nisab

The Prophet ﷺ said there is no zakat on silver less than five awaq (Sahih Muslim 979). Five awaq equal 200 dirhams, which works out at about 595 grams (roughly 21 ounces) of silver. Below that weight, no zakat is due on silver alone. For how this links to your other savings, see How much money do I need before I have to pay zakat?

The view that worn jewelry is zakatable

The Hanafi school, and a minority in other schools, say gold and silver are zakatable in any form. They point to the warning in the Quran:

They also cite the woman who came with her daughter wearing two heavy gold bracelets. The Prophet ﷺ asked if she paid zakat on them and warned her when she said no (Sunan Abi Dawud 1563).

The majority view: personal jewelry is exempt

Most scholars treat jewelry in regular, normal use like clothing, so no zakat is due on it. Several Companions, including Aisha, Ibn Umar and Jabir, were reported not to pay zakat on their family's worn jewelry. Under this view zakat is still due on:

• Silver bars, coins and bullion.
• Jewelry bought as an investment or kept in a drawer as savings.
• Jewelry far beyond what is normal or customary to wear.
• Silver items that are haram to use, such as silver dining plates.

The same split applies to gold. See Do I pay zakat on gold jewelry I wear?

How to calculate it

If zakat is due, weigh the silver content (ignore stones and non-silver parts), check today's silver price per gram, and pay 2.5% of the value. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure, so count only that share. Many people simply add the value to their other zakatable wealth. See How do I calculate my zakat?