The jewellery that is deemed impermissible is any accumulation of gold and silver that exceeds customary limits, hoarded in quantities clearly out of the ordinary. The impulse behind such stockpiling is usually one of four motives:
- Boastfulness and self-aggrandisement.
- Extravagance and wasteful spending.
- An attempt to escape paying zakah.
- Luxurious excess that corrodes moral character.
All of these aims are forbidden. Consequently, if the reason for collecting gold and silver in the form of jewellery is any one of these illicit purposes, that jewellery itself becomes unlawful, and whatever is unlawful is subject to zakah, for it is neither sanctioned nor permitted to acquire.
By contrast, jewellery kept within the bounds of genuine need—bearing in mind that the well-to-do and the less affluent differ in what they legitimately require—is lawful to own and to wear. Such jewellery is a possession held solely for personal use, cut off from growth or commercial return; therefore, no zakah is due on it under any circumstances. Allah knows best. May blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.