Guides

Plain-English help for selling gold, silver and coins without getting shortchanged.

Start hereSpot vs scrap price: why buyers never pay full spotSpot is the market price of pure gold. Scrap is what a buyer pays you after accounting for purity, refining costs and their profit, so it's always a percentage of spot.Read the guide →

SellingHow to tell if a gold offer is fairTurn any gold buyer's offer into a percentage of the gold's melt value so you can compare quotes and spot a lowball.SellingWhere to sell gold for the best pricePawn shops, jewelry stores, online mail-in buyers, coin dealers and refiners compared: what each typically pays and the trade-offs.WeighingHow to weigh gold at homeWhat kind of scale to use, which units to read, and the common mistakes that make people undervalue their gold.WeighingTroy ounce vs regular ounceGold is priced in troy ounces, which are about 10% heavier than the ounces on a kitchen scale. Here's why that matters.StampsWhat do gold stamps mean?585, 750, 417, 14K, GF and more: how to read the stamps on gold jewelry, and why a stamp isn't always the final word.TestingHow to test gold at homeSimple ways to check whether jewelry is real gold, from a magnet and a loupe to an acid test kit, and what each can and can't tell you.CoinsHow to tell if a coin is silverUse the date, the edge and the coin's sound to tell US silver coins from copper-nickel clad ones.CoinsMelt value vs collector valueWhen a coin is worth more to a collector than the metal inside it, and how to avoid selling a valuable coin for scrap.SilverSelling sterling silver flatwareHow to tell sterling from silver plate, why weighted handles matter, and how to estimate the silver value of a set.

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