Three things decide what your gold is worth: how pure it is, how much it weighs, and what gold is trading for today. Here is how to work it out yourself.
Karat tells you how much of the metal is actually gold. Pure gold is 24 karat, and everything below that is mixed with other metals for strength. See the karat guide for how to find the stamp on your piece.
| Karat | Gold content | Common stamp |
|---|---|---|
| 10k | 41.7 percent | 417 |
| 14k | 58.3 percent | 585 |
| 18k | 75.0 percent | 750 |
| 22k | 91.7 percent | 916 |
| 24k | 99.9 percent | 999 |
Gold is priced per troy ounce, which is 31.1 grams, not the 28.3 grams of a standard ounce. Jewelers usually weigh in grams or pennyweight. One pennyweight is 1.555 grams. Weigh the metal only. Stones, clasps on costume pieces, and watch straps do not count.
Spot is the live market price of pure gold per troy ounce. It changes continuously through the trading day, which is why no honest buyer can quote you a fixed dollar figure in advance.
Say you have 20 grams of 14k gold, and gold is trading at 2,400 dollars per troy ounce.
That spot price is only an example. Use today's actual number to run it for yourself.
A few things move the number in either direction. Stones have to be accounted for separately. Heavy solder or non gold findings reduce the usable metal. On the other side, a signed designer piece, a collectible coin, or a luxury watch can be worth considerably more than its melt value, and we will tell you when that is the case rather than buying it as scrap.
No appointment needed. We evaluate in front of you and pay the same day.