Sort your pieces by karat, weigh each group, work out the melt value, and set aside anything that might be worth more as jewelry. Then get more than one offer and only sell when the numbers add up.
Why a checklist helps
Most people sell gold jewelry once or twice in their life. The buyer does it every day. A little preparation closes that gap. If you walk in knowing roughly what your gold is worth, you can tell a fair offer from a low one in a few seconds.
Work through the steps below in order. Most of them take only a few minutes at your kitchen table.
1. Gather everything in one place
Collect every piece you might sell: chains, rings, earrings, bracelets, broken pieces and single earrings. Broken and tangled jewelry is still worth its gold, so don’t throw anything away.
Keep coins and bullion separate. They are valued differently from jewelry. See how to sell gold coins and bullion.
2. Set aside anything that may be worth more than its gold
Before you treat a piece as scrap, ask whether someone would want to wear it. These are worth a second look:
- Signed designer pieces or well-known brands
- Antique or vintage jewelry in good condition
- Pieces with larger diamonds or gemstones
- Watches, especially working ones from known makers
A jeweler or appraiser may value these above melt. A scrap buyer usually won’t.
3. Read the stamps
Use a magnifier or your phone camera to find the karat stamp, usually inside a ring band or near a clasp. Common marks are 10K, 14K, 18K and 22K, or the numbers 417, 585, 750 and 916. See what gold stamps mean.
Also look for marks that mean the piece is not solid gold, such as GF (gold-filled), GP or GEP (gold-plated) and HGE. These contain only a thin layer of gold, so they are worth far less than solid gold, and plated pieces are worth little or nothing as scrap. See gold-filled vs gold-plated vs vermeil.
4. Sort by karat
Put each karat in its own pile or bag, and keep unmarked pieces in a separate pile. Buyers pay by karat, so mixing 10K and 18K together makes it easy to be paid the lower rate for everything.
If you have unmarked pieces, you can test gold at home, or ask the buyer to test them in front of you.
5. Weigh each pile
Weigh each karat group on a digital scale that reads to at least 0.1 gram. A kitchen scale is usually not precise enough for small pieces. See how to weigh gold at home and the scales on our tools page.
Write the weights down. If a piece has stones, note that, because buyers usually subtract the weight of the stones before paying for the gold.
6. Work out the melt value
Enter each group’s weight and karat in the gold calculator. The result is the melt value: what the pure gold inside is worth at today’s spot price.
No buyer pays full melt value. They need a margin to cover testing, refining and profit. See spot vs scrap price for why. The melt value is your yardstick for judging offers.
7. Take photos
Photograph your sorted piles next to the scale showing the weight. This gives you a record if you mail items to a buyer, and it helps you notice if anything goes missing.
8. Get more than one offer
Visit or contact at least two or three buyers. Ask each one:
- What karat did you find, and can I watch the test?
- What weight did you use, in grams or pennyweight?
- What price per gram are you paying for each karat?
A good buyer will answer all three. Compare each offer with your melt value using how to tell if a gold offer is fair. For the main types of buyers, see where to sell gold.
9. Before you hand anything over
- Check the price date. Gold prices move every day. An offer from last week may no longer match.
- Get it in writing. Ask for a receipt listing each item, its karat, its weight and the price.
- Bring ID. Many buyers ask for photo ID and record who sold to them. This is normal.
- Don’t feel rushed. You can always say no and leave with your items.
Quick checklist
| Step | Done? |
|---|---|
| Gathered all pieces, coins kept separate | |
| Set aside designer, antique and stone pieces | |
| Read every stamp; removed plated and filled items | |
| Sorted into piles by karat | |
| Weighed each pile in grams | |
| Worked out melt value in the calculator | |
| Took photos with the weights showing | |
| Got at least two or three offers | |
| Got a written receipt |
These values are estimates to help you prepare. They are not financial advice.