What's your gold worth?
Gold value per gram, by carat
| Carat | Purity | Melt value / gram |
|---|
Which carat have you actually got?
The calculator needs a carat, and jewellery is almost never stamped with one. It carries a three-digit fineness number instead, which is the same thing written as parts per thousand. Look inside a ring band, on the little tag beside a chain's clasp, or on an earring post.
| Stamp | Carat | Purity | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | 9ct | 37.5% | UK, Ireland, Australia. The commonest old British jewellery. |
| 417 | 10ct | 41.7% | US. Often stamped 10K rather than 417. |
| 585 | 14ct | 58.5% | US and Europe. Stamped 14K in the US. |
| 750 | 18ct | 75% | Europe, and better-quality jewellery everywhere. |
| 916 | 22ct | 91.6% | Indian and Middle Eastern gold. Sometimes 916.6. |
| 990 or 999 | 24ct | 99%+ | Pure. Chinese jewellery and bullion, rare in Western rings. |
- GF or 1/20 12K GF – Gold filled. A bonded layer, typically 1/20th of the weight, and refiners will usually not take it at all.
- GP, HGE, GEP – Gold plated or heavy gold electroplate. Microns thick. Melt value is effectively nothing.
- RGP – Rolled gold plate. Thinner again than gold filled.
- EPNS – Electroplated nickel silver. No precious metal at all, despite the name.
This is the difference between a heavy chain being worth a few hundred dollars and being worth nothing, so it is worth thirty seconds with a loupe or a phone camera before you take anything to a buyer. Silver is simpler: 925 is sterling, 999 is fine silver.
Weighing it, and testing it if there is no stamp
Kitchen scales round to the nearest gram. A ring weighs about three grams, so that rounding is up to a third of your answer, in either direction. You want 0.01g resolution, which is the ordinary spec for a jeweller's or reloading scale and costs about the same as a takeaway. Weigh each carat separately, because mixed carats cannot be totalled: a 9ct chain and an 18ct ring on the scale together give a number that means nothing.
Unmarked, or the stamp is worn away? An acid test kit settles it. You rub the piece on the stone, put a drop of each acid on the mark, and the carat is whichever acid does not dissolve it. Test kits are cheap, and worth it before you accept anyone's word on what a piece is.
Both on eBay: 0.01g digital jewellery scales and gold and silver acid test kits. As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, outbound links may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Buying gold instead of selling it?
Common questions
What does 375 mean on gold?
375 is a fineness mark: the piece is 375 parts gold per thousand, which is 37.5% pure, which is 9ct. The same system gives 585 for 14ct, 750 for 18ct and 916 for 22ct. It is a purity stamp, not a serial number.
Is gold filled or gold plated jewellery worth anything?
Almost nothing as scrap. A stamp of GF, GP, RGP or HGE means a thin layer of gold bonded over a base metal, and most refiners will not buy it at all. The melt figures on this page apply only to solid gold, so check the stamp for letters before you weigh anything.
How much is my gold worth?
Weight in grams × purity × live gold price per gram. E.g. 5g of 18ct = 5 × 0.75 × spot/g. Buyers usually pay 70-90% of that melt value, not full spot.
What's the gold price today?
Shown live at the top in AUD (switch to USD), per troy ounce and per gram, updated continuously from a market feed.
How much is 9ct gold per gram?
9ct is 37.5% pure, so 0.375 × the live price per gram. The carat table above shows today's value for 9ct-24ct.
Do gold buyers pay spot?
No, spot is the pure melt value. Scrap buyers and pawnbrokers pay ~70-90% to cover refining and margin. Get several quotes to get closer to full value.