What Is My Gold Worth? A Practical 2026 Valuation Guide
Published June 19, 2026 · updated June 19, 2026
“What is my gold worth?” is the single most common question people ask before selling jewelry, inheriting pieces, or sorting through an old collection. The honest answer depends on three things: the karat purity, the weight, and the current spot price of gold. Nail those and you’ll have a defensible number in minutes.
The three numbers you need
- Purity (karat) — Read the stamp. 24k is 99.9% pure, 22k is 91.67%, 18k is 75%, 14k is 58.5%, and 10k is 41.67%.
- Weight in grams — Use a digital scale that reads to 0.01 g. One troy ounce equals 31.1034768 grams.
- Live spot price — Gold trades globally per troy ounce. Use a current quote, not yesterday’s.
The value formula
Spot price per gram × purity × weight = melt value
Spot per gram is simply the per-ounce spot price divided by 31.1034768. So if gold is $2,400/oz, the gram price is about $77.15. A 14k ring (0.585 purity) weighing 6 grams at that price:
$77.15 × 0.585 × 6 = $270.84 melt value
The gold calculator handles this instantly for any karat and weight combination.
Melt value versus resale value
Melt value is what the raw metal is worth. It is the upper bound for scrap gold. Most dealers pay 70–90% of melt — they need margin for refining and profit. Pawn shops and mail-in services often pay 50–75%.
Resale value as jewelry can be higher than melt if the piece has design value, a recognizable brand, antique appeal, or quality gemstones. A signed Tiffany 18k bracelet can sell for well above its metal content, while a generic broken chain sells at or below melt.
Special cases
- Gold coins (American Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, Krugerrand) carry a premium over spot — typically 2–8% — and are best sold to coin dealers, not scrap buyers.
- Gold-filled and plated items have negligible gold content and are worth little to nothing as scrap.
- Dental gold is real but usually alloyed; refiners who assay it pay more than pawn shops.
- Watches may have value beyond gold content, especially from Rolex, Patek Philippe, or Audemars Piguet.
Steps to get your number
- Sort pieces by karat.
- Weigh each group on a digital scale.
- Look up the live spot price.
- Multiply through with the formula above.
- Compare at least two buyer offers before selling.
For a quick estimate by karat, the 14K gold price per gram page shows current per-gram rates you can multiply by your weight.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is the dealer’s offer lower than my calculation? Melt value is the ceiling. Buyers pay a percentage of melt to cover refining, overhead, and profit. A fair range is 70–90%.
- Does the brand affect scrap value? No. Scrap is priced on metal content alone. Brand only matters if you sell the piece as jewelry intact.
- Should I clean my gold before selling? Light cleaning is fine, but avoid polishing away metal or using harsh chemicals. Buyers weigh what you bring — cleaning won’t change the melt value.