36.6 grams of 14K: the label already contains most of the math. Geneva Link Necklace, 14K gold, 36.6 grams
The floor value of any gold piece is one multiplication: weight in grams, times the purity fraction, times today's gold price per gram. That is the melt value, what the metal alone is worth, and everything else about pricing gold is adjustments to it: buyers pay somewhat below melt, and pieces with collectible value are worth more, sometimes far more, than the metal. Here is the honest math, and the judgment that has to sit on top of it.
The calculation, step by step
Weigh the piece on a kitchen or letter scale in grams, subtract any stones' estimated weight, read the karat from the stamp, and multiply:
| Stamp | Karat | Gold fraction | Example: 10 grams at a spot price of 100 per gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| 333 | 8K | 0.333 | 333 |
| 375 | 9K | 0.375 | 375 |
| 585 | 14K | 0.585 | 585 |
| 750 | 18K | 0.750 | 750 |
| 875 | 21K | 0.875 | 875 |
| 916 | 22K | 0.916 | 916 |
The gold price changes by the minute and is quoted per troy ounce (31.1 grams) or per gram; search "gold price per gram" in your currency and use today's number. A 36.6 gram 14K necklace, for instance, contains 36.6 x 0.585 = 21.4 grams of pure gold; multiply by today's per-gram price and you have its melt floor.
Why do gold buyers pay less than melt value?
Because refining, testing, fraud risk and margin all cost something. A fair buyer typically pays a large share of melt for scrap; pawn-adjacent buyers and mall kiosks pay dramatically less, banking on sellers not doing the multiplication. The defense is exactly this article: know your grams, know your karat, compute the melt value before anyone makes an offer, and get two or three offers for anything substantial. A buyer who winces when you mention the calculation was planning on your ignorance.
32 grams of 14K in bi-color links: the scale sets the floor, the craft sets the rest. Bi-Color Anchor Eternity Link Chain, 14K gold, 32 grams
When is a piece worth more than its melt value?
Whenever somebody wants the object, not the metal, and that is more often than sellers assume. Antique and signed pieces, fine chains and bracelets, anything with hand work, maker's marks, dated hallmarks or good stones: these sell as jewelry at multiples of melt, and scrapping them is burning money, along with something less replaceable. The rule I give every seller: nothing goes to melt unexamined. Read the marks with the hallmark guide, and if a piece is old, signed, or simply beautiful, price it as jewelry first, with the melt calculation as your walk-away floor. The full decision path is in the inherited jewelry guide.
What about the stones?
Subtract before you multiply: stones are not gold weight. A one-carat stone weighs 0.2 grams, so small accents barely move the math, but a big amethyst can be many grams of not-gold. Scrap buyers weigh stones out or estimate against you; when in doubt, err low on gold weight. And mind the reverse error: sellers routinely give away good stones inside "scrap". Old cut diamonds especially hide in unloved settings, worth more than the ring around them, so anything with stones gets identified before any melting decision. That identification is the point where a jeweller's XRF reading and a loupe pay for themselves; both take minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the value of my gold jewelry?
Weight in grams, minus stones, times the karat fraction (585 = 0.585), times today's gold price per gram. That is the melt floor; collectible value sits on top.
How much do gold buyers actually pay?
Fair scrap buyers pay a substantial share of melt; the worst pay a fraction. Compute melt yourself first and collect more than one offer for anything significant.
Is 14K or 18K worth more per gram?
18K, proportionally: it contains 75% gold against 14K's 58.5%. The multiplication handles it automatically.
Do stones count toward gold weight?
No; subtract their estimated weight before calculating. And identify them first: good stones, especially old cut diamonds, are regularly worth more than the setting.
Should I sell old jewelry for scrap?
Only after ruling out that it is worth more as jewelry: age, marks, makers and craftsmanship all beat melt when present. Plain, damaged, unloved modern gold is the honest scrap category.
Where do I find the current gold price?
Search "gold price per gram" in your currency; financial sites quote it live. It moves daily, so compute with the price on the day you sell.
Read next: What should you do with inherited jewelry? · How to read gold hallmarks · Why gold jewelry is a great investment
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