Short answer
Yes. Gold, silver and silk are all halal for women, while gold and silk are haram for men. A woman may wear jewellery at home, for her husband and among women and mahrams, but should not display it to non-mahram men or make it jingle to draw attention. In the Hanafi school, zakat is due on gold and silver jewellery.
Gold and silver jewellery and silk clothing are permitted for women. Displaying jewellery to non-mahram men is not. Eating or drinking from gold or silver vessels is haram for women and men alike. Zakat is due on gold and silver jewellery that reaches the nisab, even if it is worn.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- No zakat is due on permitted jewellery that a woman wears.
- Maliki
- No zakat on jewellery worn for adornment.
- Hanbali
- No zakat on jewellery worn or lent out.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ held up silk in one hand and gold in the other and said these two are forbidden for the men of his Ummah. In another hadith he said that wearing silk and gold is forbidden for the men of his Ummah and permitted for its women. So rings, necklaces, bangles, earrings, nose rings and silk dresses are all halal for women.
The limits are about display, not the metal:
- Showing jewellery: the Quran tells women not to show their adornment except to their husbands, mahrams and women, and not to stamp their feet to make known what they hide of it. So jewellery is worn under hijab or at women's events, not displayed to men.
- Anklets and bangles that jingle: fine at home, but not to draw attention in public.
- White gold and rose gold: still gold, so halal for women.
- Vessels: gold or silver plates, cups and cutlery are haram for everyone.
- Imitation jewellery: allowed for women, though the Hanafi texts dislike rings of iron, brass or copper for men and women alike.
On zakat, the Hanafi school differs from the other three: worn gold and silver jewellery is zakatable once it reaches the nisab with your other wealth. See zakat on jewellery you wear and the zakat on gold guide. For men, see gold for men and silk for men.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Noor 24:31
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
Women's jewellery is not displayed or sounded out to non-mahram men.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1720
Grading to be checked... حرم لباس الحرير والذهب على ذكور أمتي وأحل لإناثهم ...
"Wearing silk and gold has been forbidden for the men of my Ummah and permitted for its women."
Gold and silk are halal for women.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4057
Graded sahih... إن هذين حرام على ذكور أمتي ...
"These two are forbidden for the men of my Ummah."
Said while holding silk and gold, showing the prohibition is for men only.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on clothing. Silk and gold are permitted for women and forbidden for men.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Zakat, chapter on the zakat of gold and silver. Zakat is due on gold and silver jewellery.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.