How to use the scrap gold calculator
Scrap gold is any gold you no longer want to keep as it is: broken chains, single earrings, outdated rings, dental gold or bent bracelets. Buyers pay for the pure gold inside, so the value depends on only two things: the weight of each item and its karat. Add one row per item, choose the karat from the stamp (for example 585 for 14k or 750 for 18k), enter the weight in grams and set the payout percentage a buyer offers.
- Sort items by karat. Look inside rings and on clasps for stamps such as 375, 417, 585, 750, 875, 916 or 999.
- Weigh each group on a scale accurate to 0.01 g, after removing stones and non-gold parts.
- Enter each group as a row and choose your currency.
- Set the payout percentage. Refiners typically pay 85–98%, jewelers 70–90% and pawn shops 50–80%.
Formula
Melt value = grams × karat purity × live price per gram of pure gold, and offer = melt value × payout %. The calculator repeats this for every row and adds them up.
Tips to get the best price for scrap gold
- Never sell mixed karats as one lot; buyers often price everything at the lowest karat.
- Ask how the buyer tests purity and whether they charge refining or testing fees.
- Get several quotes on the same day and compare each with the melt value shown here.
- Designer or antique pieces may be worth more as jewelry than as scrap; consider an appraisal first.
Want the price for a single karat? See the gold price per gram by karat pages below.
Prices: MetalflowAPI. Read our methodology.