What is 18K gold?
18 karat gold is 75% pure gold and is the standard for fine jewelry in France, Italy, Portugal, Hong Kong and much of the luxury watch industry.
Luxury watches, designer jewelry, diamond settings and high-end wedding rings are typically 18k. Italian and Swiss pieces are usually stamped 750.
18k has a deep yellow color and feels noticeably heavier than 14k. It is softer, so it scratches more easily on daily-wear rings.
How the 18K gold price per gram is calculated
The world gold price is quoted for pure gold in US dollars per troy ounce. Dividing by 31.1035 gives the price of one gram of pure gold, currently $134.85. 18K gold is 75.0% gold, so we multiply by 0.75: $134.85 × 0.75 = $101.14 per gram. In euros that is €90.37 and in pounds £76.45.
Example
A 18K chain weighing 12.4 grams contains 9.30 grams of pure gold. Its melt value today is $1,254. If a buyer pays 85% of melt, you would receive about $1,066.
Tips for selling 18K gold
- Find the 18K or 750 hallmark and weigh items separately by karat. Mixed lots are often paid at the lowest karat.
- Remove stones, pearls and non-gold parts before weighing, or ask the buyer to deduct their weight.
- Get at least three quotes and compare them with the live melt value on this page.
- Use our scrap gold calculator when you have several items of different karats.
Prices on this page come from MetalflowAPI and update about every minute. Read our methodology for the full purity math. You can also see 18K gold price per ounce in USD or use the 18K gold calculator in EUR.