Melt or keep?
Know what your gold is worth before you sell.
Get today's melt value, see if an offer is fair, and find out if a piece is worth more as jewelry than as scrap.
Melt value calculator
Saved price · October 31, 2026Signed, antique, or set with a big stone? Check if it's worth more kept →
| Lot melt value | $0 | |
| At 80% of melt | $0 |
Melt value = weight × purity × spot price. It's the ceiling, not an offer. The 70/80/90% bands are reference points, not quotes. Stones, springs and solder don't count toward the weight, so buyers deduct them.
Headline price is live spot. The trend line uses daily closing prices of front-month futures, a close stand-in for spot, and updates daily.
| Karat | Per gram | Per dwt | Per troy oz |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24K 99.9% | $124.50 | $193.63 | $3,872.52 |
| 22K 91.7% | $114.25 | $177.67 | $3,553.50 |
| 18K 75.0% | $93.47 | $145.37 | $2,907.30 |
| 14K 58.3% | $72.70 | $113.06 | $2,261.10 |
| 10K 41.7% | $51.93 | $80.76 | $1,615.30 |
| 9K 37.5% | $46.74 | $72.68 | $1,453.65 |
This is the full melt value at spot. Buyers pay a percentage of it.
Know before you ship
Plain-English answers, sourced to the buyers' own terms.
Melt or keep?
Some pieces are worth far more as jewelry than as scrap: signed designer pieces, antiques, good diamonds. Take the 30-second check before you sell anything.
Take the check → ComparisonWho pays the most?
Published payout rates, insurance limits, decline deadlines and fine print for 11 buyers, side by side.
Compare buyers → Don't give away your stonesWhat happens to your diamonds?
Some buyers pay for diamonds, some return them, and some keep them for nothing. Here's who does what.
See stone policies →What's a 14K ring worth?
The math, worked out at today's price.
Read →Is mailing gold safe?
Insurance caps and deadlines to check first.
Read →Is my gold real?
Stamps, tests, and what buyers use.
Read →What buyers publish
The highest payout each buyer states on its own site. A dash means it isn't published. "Up to" is a ceiling, not a promise.
| Buyer | Published payout | Stones | Max published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Refinery of San Diego Refiner with mail-in program | Claims 99% of the market price on its mail-in program (published; fees and minimums not stated) | Not published | 99% |
| Specialty Metals Smelters & Refiners Refiner (accepts individuals) | 98% of recovered gold, minus a $200 processing fee (published). About 96% of melt on a 160 g 14K lot at today's price, by our math | Not published | 98% |
| The Alloy Market Mail-in buyer | Guarantees at least 70% of spot for 10K to 18K and 85% for 21K to 24K with its calculator code; matches competitor offers up to 95% of melt (published) | Keeps them, no pay | 95% |
| Express Gold Cash Mail-in buyer | Up to 90% of refined value on gold jewelry; up to 98% on bullion (published) | Pays for diamonds | 90% |
| DD Pawn Loans Licensed FL pawnbroker, nationwide mail-in | Up to 90% of melt value, with the math shown (published) | Case by case | 90% |
| MailGoldOnline Mail-in buyer (gold only) | Up to 90% on larger jewelry lots; smaller lots get a lower percentage. 85 to 95% on bullion and coins (published) | Returns on request | 90% |
| Offramp Mail-in buyer (new in 2026) | 80 to 90% of melt (published), with a 48-hour price lock | Not published | 90% |
| GoldFellow Mail-in buyer | Publishes daily buy prices rather than a percentage. One third-party review computed them at about 51% of melt for small 14K lots and about 72% at 25+ oz (see source note) | Returns stones | 72% |
| Cash for Gold USA Mail-in buyer | Not published. Its own calculator says melt value 'is not an estimate of what we will pay.' Terms cap total payout at melt value | Pays for diamonds | — |
| Abe Mor NYC diamond company, mail-in | Not published. One third-party guide reports up to about 75% of scrap value on gold | Pays for diamonds | — |
Questions
How is melt value calculated?
Melt value = weight × purity × spot price. Convert the weight to grams, multiply by the purity (14K is 14/24, or 58.3% gold), divide by 31.1035 grams per troy ounce, and multiply by the spot price per troy ounce.
What percentage of melt value do gold buyers pay?
It depends on the buyer. Several mail-in buyers publish "up to 90%" for jewelry, and some refiners publish 98 to 99% with minimum lot sizes and fees. Many don't publish a rate at all. Our buyer comparison lists what each one publishes, with sources.
Why is my offer lower than the calculator?
The calculator shows the metal's full value at spot. Buyers deduct stones and non-gold parts from the weight, may test a lower karat than the stamp says, and keep a margin for refining and overhead. If an offer falls well under 75% of melt, ask the buyer to show the weight and karat for each item.
Where does the spot price come from?
Live prices come from gold-api.com and refresh every few minutes. If the live feed is unavailable, the calculator uses a saved price and tells you the date it's from.
Should I melt jewelry with diamonds?
Not before you know what the stones are worth. Many mail-in buyers pay nothing for stones or don't return them. Read what gold buyers do with diamonds first.
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