Eighteen karat is 18 parts gold in 24, exactly three quarters. It is the European fine standard and the purity most luxury houses use, which changes how you should sell it.
Spot gold$4,133.30 a troy ounce.
Spot price as of 10 November 2026.
What a buyer would actually pay
a pawn shop
$398.67 – $478.40
a local jeweller
$518.27 – $598.00
a cash-for-gold buyer
$438.53 – $558.13
a mail-in refiner
$637.87 – $677.73
Ranges are typical published trade spreads, not an offer. A buyer takes refining,
assay and margin out of melt before paying you, so nobody pays spot.
Troy ounces (31.1 g) are the metals ounce, not the 28.3 g ounce a kitchen scale shows.
What 18k gold is worth per gram today
A gram of 18k gold is worth
$99.67,
a pennyweight
$155.00
and a troy ounce
$3,099.
That is 75.00% of the gold price, because 18k is
18 parts gold in 24. The price behind it is the gold spot
price as of , and every
figure on this page moves with it.
Gold price by karat, at the current benchmark. 18k is highlighted.
purity
stamp
per gram
per dwt
per troy oz
24k
999
$132.76
$206.46
$4,129
22k
916
$121.81
$189.44
$3,788
21k
875
$116.28
$180.83
$3,616
20k
833
$110.74
$172.22
$3,444
18k
750
$99.67
$155.00
$3,099
14k
585
$77.52
$120.55
$2,411
12k
500
$66.44
$103.33
$2,066
10k
417
$55.37
$86.11
$1,722
9k
375
$49.83
$77.50
$1,549
8k
333
$44.30
$68.89
$1,377
What the 750 stamp means
Eighteen karat is stamped 750, and unlike 14k the arithmetic is exact: 18 divided by 24 is precisely 0.75. There is no rounding argument and no regional variation. A piece marked 750 contains three quarters of its weight in gold, and the stamp is the same in Milan, Paris, Hong Kong and New York.
The higher gold content shows. Eighteen karat is a deeper, more saturated yellow than 14k, it does not tarnish in ordinary wear, and it is noticeably softer, which means it scratches and scuffs more readily and can be sized and repaired more easily. That softness is why 18k is more common in earrings, pendants and occasional rings than in a wedding band that will be knocked against a desk for forty years.
Almost all European gold jewellery is 18k or 14k, and almost all of the famous houses work in 18k. If a piece is stamped 750 alongside a maker’s mark and a serial number, stop and identify the maker before you weigh it. That combination is the strongest signal on any piece of jewellery that it is worth more than its metal.
A worked example: an 18k signet ring
Take an 18k signet ring weighing 8 grams. Multiply by
0.7500 to get
6.00 grams of pure gold, then multiply
that by the gold price per gram. The melt value is
$797.33.
That is the metal, not the offer. The same piece at a pawn shop is typically worth
$398.67
to
$478.40
(50% to 60% of melt), and at a mail-in refiner
$637.87
to
$677.73.
The calculator at the top of the page shows all four kinds of buyer for whatever you enter.
Selling 18k gold
A gram of 18k carries 28.6% more gold than a gram of 14k, so the same weight is worth almost a third more at melt. Combined with the size of the pieces people tend to own in 18k, an 18k lot is usually the most valuable thing in a jewellery box by some margin.
It is also the purity where selling to the wrong buyer costs the most. A refiner pays for gold and ignores the name inside the band. An auction house, a specialist dealer or a consignment jeweller pays for the name. If the piece is signed, get one opinion on its value as jewellery before you accept any offer based on weight, because that decision cannot be reversed once the piece is in a crucible.
The percentages above are typical published trade spreads rather than quotes.
What buyers actually pay sets out where each band comes from,
and how we calculate shows every constant used on this page.
18k gold questions
What does 750 mean on gold?+
750 parts gold per thousand, which is 75% and exactly 18 karat. It is the standard European purity mark and appears alongside a maker’s mark and often an assay office mark. A piece stamped 18K or 18KT is making the identical claim.
Is 18k gold worth more than 14k?+
Per gram, yes, by about 29%. 18k is 75% gold by weight against 14k at 58.3%. Whether a specific 18k piece is worth more than a specific 14k piece depends on the weights as well, so compare the melt values rather than the karats.
Does 18k gold scratch easily?+
More easily than 14k or 10k, yes. Only a quarter of the weight is hardening alloy, so the metal is softer. It picks up a fine patina of surface scratches with wear, which a jeweller can polish out, though each polish removes a small amount of metal.
Should I sell an 18k designer ring for melt?+
Usually not. Signed pieces from known houses sell for multiples of their gold content, and melting is irreversible. Identify the maker first, then get a jewellery valuation alongside the melt figure and compare the two before deciding.
Recommended Gold Testing & Smelting Equipment
Laboratory-grade scales, non-destructive electronic testers, and digital melting furnaces for accurate scrap valuation and refining.
Digital Electric Gold & Silver Melting Furnace (1kg to 3kg, 1150°C / 2100°F)
Commercial digital smelting furnace with high-density graphite crucible, insulated heating chamber, and heavy-duty crucible tongs. Heats up to 2100°F (1150°C) with precise digital PID temperature control to cleanly melt scrap gold jewelry, sterling silver, and brass into tradeable bullion bars in under 45 minutes.
Laboratory-grade electronic gold analyzer that instantly determines karat purity from 10K to 24K and verifies platinum without messy acid drops or destructive scratching. Rapid self-calibration ensures quick, reliable scrap valuation without damaging collectible jewelry.
0.001g High-Precision Analytical Milligram Jewelry Scale (50g x 0.001g)
Laboratory-grade analytical milligram balance measuring down to 0.001 grams, 0.005 carats, and 0.0001 troy ounces (ozt). Features a clear protective draft shield, tare function, and stainless steel calibration weights to catch fine weight fractions before smelting.
Multi-Cavity High-Density Graphite Ingot Mold for Bar Casting
Machined high-purity fine-grain graphite mold designed for pouring clean 1 oz, 2 oz, 5 oz, and 10 oz gold and silver bars. Delivers high thermal stability, rapid heat dissipation, and a smooth cavity finish for effortless ingot release.
Master Gold & Silver Chemical Acid Scratch Assay Kit with Touchstone & Loupe
Complete precious metal appraisal kit featuring 10K, 14K, 18K, and 22K gold testing acids, silver testing solution, a genuine dense testing touchstone, and an illuminated triplet jeweler loupe to distinguish solid karat gold from heavy plating.
Kevlar-reinforced split-cowhide foundry gloves rated for temperatures up to 2000°F with extended gauntlet forearm protection, paired with a high-impact anti-glare face shield designed for safe scrap metal handling and pouring.
Compare essential equipment specifications for establishing an efficient scrap gold testing and melting workstation:
Equipment Type
Primary Purpose
Capacity / Accuracy
Key Advantage
Electric Smelting Furnace
Melting scrap jewelry, dental gold, and coins into bullion
1 kg to 3 kg crucible capacity
Clean flameless PID temperature control up to 2100°F
Electronic Karat Tester
Instant purity check on intact jewelry and high-end watches
10K to 24K gold and platinum ranges
Non-destructive testing with no acid stains or scratches
Analytical Milligram Scale
Precise scrap weight measurement before refining
50g capacity at 0.001g (0.0001 ozt)
Catches fine weight margins standard kitchen scales miss
Multi-Cavity Ingot Mold
Casting molten scrap metal into tradeable bullion bars
1 oz, 2 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz bar cavities
High-density graphite prevents sticking and oxidation
Acid Touchstone Assay Kit
Distinguishing solid karat alloy from heavy vermeil or plate
10K, 14K, 18K, 22K acid standards
Time-tested chemical confirmation for scrap buyers
Scrap Valuation Pro Tip: Melt Loss & Non-Destructive Testing
When melting scrap jewelry lots, expect an average 1% to 3% melt loss due to burn-off of non-precious solder joints, skin oils, and enamel. Before melting high-value items, verify karat content using a non-destructive electronic tester. Acid scratch testing can leave noticeable etch marks and may read false positive on heavy gold-filled or rolled gold plate items (such as 1/10 10K RGP or vermeil).
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