Instant Gold Scrap Value Calculator
Estimate melt value for scrap gold jewelry, dental gold, and other gold-bearing items using weight, purity, live spot assumptions, and payout rate.
Educational estimate only. Actual offers vary by refiner, assay results, and market timing.
What this gold scrap metal calculator does
A gold scrap metal calculator helps you estimate how much your gold items are worth based on their metal content, not their retail jewelry value. If you are selling broken chains, single earrings, old rings, dental scrap, or mixed lots of wearable and non-wearable gold, this tool gives you a realistic baseline before you visit a buyer.
The calculator combines four critical inputs: weight, purity, spot gold price, and payout percentage. Together, these produce your estimated melt value and a likely cash offer range.
How the calculation works
1) Convert your weight to troy ounces
Gold is priced internationally in troy ounces. This calculator supports grams, pennyweights, and troy ounces.
- 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams
- 1 troy ounce = 20 pennyweights (dwt)
2) Apply purity (karat)
Karat tells you how much pure gold is in an alloy. For example, 14K is 58.5% gold. The calculator multiplies total metal weight by purity to estimate pure gold content.
3) Multiply by spot price
Pure gold content (in troy ounces) multiplied by current spot price gives theoretical melt value before dealer margins and processing costs.
4) Apply payout and fees
Buyers usually pay a percentage of melt value to cover refining, business overhead, and price risk. Typical payouts vary widely by market and transaction size, often between 70% and 95% for consumer scrap.
Common karat reference table
| Karat | Purity % | Decimal Purity |
|---|---|---|
| 24K | 99.9% | 0.999 |
| 22K | 91.6% | 0.916 |
| 18K | 75.0% | 0.750 |
| 14K | 58.5% | 0.585 |
| 10K | 41.7% | 0.417 |
| 9K | 37.5% | 0.375 |
Practical tips when selling scrap gold
- Sort items by karat before weighing (10K, 14K, 18K, etc.).
- Remove non-gold components where possible (stones, clasps, inserts).
- Ask whether the buyer uses XRF, acid testing, or fire assay.
- Get at least two quotes and compare payout percentages, not just dollar totals.
- Check if fees are deducted separately (assay, shipping, refining).
Example scenario
Suppose you have 25 grams of 14K scrap, spot gold is $2,350/ozt, and a buyer offers 85% payout with no added fee:
- 25 g ÷ 31.1035 = 0.8038 ozt total metal
- 0.8038 × 0.585 = 0.4702 ozt pure gold
- 0.4702 × $2,350 = $1,104.97 melt value
- $1,104.97 × 85% = $939.22 estimated offer
FAQ
Is this the same as jewelry resale value?
No. This calculator estimates metal value only. Designer, antique, or branded pieces may sell for more through resale channels.
Why is my offer below spot value?
Spot reflects pure gold benchmark pricing. Scrap contains alloys and requires processing, testing, and risk coverage. Buyers typically pay a percentage of theoretical melt.
Should I use live spot data?
Yes, when possible. Gold prices move throughout the day, so updating spot inputs improves estimate accuracy.
Final note
Use this page as your negotiation baseline. If you understand purity, conversion units, and payout math, you can confidently compare offers and avoid underpricing your gold scrap.