Enter what you have and read the melt value, then check it against the worked examples below to be sure the weight you entered is realistic.
Spot gold$4,133.30 a troy ounce.
Spot price as of 10 November 2026.
What a buyer would actually pay
a pawn shop
$193.80 – $232.56
a local jeweller
$251.93 – $290.69
a cash-for-gold buyer
$213.18 – $271.31
a mail-in refiner
$310.07 – $329.45
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.
Worked examples
The single most common error is not the arithmetic, it is the weight. People estimate, and they
estimate high, because gold feels heavier than it is when you are hoping. These are realistic
weights for four ordinary items, priced at the current benchmark.
A 14k wedding band, about 5 g:
$387.59 at melt. A plain band is all metal, so the weight is honest. Wider and heavier bands run to 8 g.
A 14k curb chain, 20 inch, about 14 g:
$1,085 at melt. Chain is where most scrap weight sits. Weigh the clasp with it; it is the same gold.
An 18k pair of hoops, about 6 g:
$598.00 at melt. Hollow hoops weigh far less than they look. Do not estimate by size.
A 10k class ring, about 11 g:
$609.07 at melt. The stone is glass or synthetic and worth nothing. Expect a deduction for its weight.
Notice how little separates the 11 gram 10k ring from the 6 gram 18k hoops. Weight and purity
pull in opposite directions constantly, which is why the stamp has to be read before anything
is weighed.
Getting the inputs right
Read the stamp, not the colour. Rose, white and yellow gold of the same karat contain exactly
the same amount of gold; the difference is copper against palladium or nickel in the alloy.
White gold is often rhodium plated as well, which adds nothing to the melt and wears off in a
few years.
Weigh on something that reads to 0.1 g. Kitchen scales that step in whole grams will round a
5.4 g band to 5 g, and on a 200 gram lot that rounding runs to real money.
How to weigh gold at home covers tare, stones and
what to do if you have no scale at all.
Then match the unit. A pennyweight is 1.555 g and a troy ounce is 31.1035 g, and neither is the
ounce on a kitchen scale.
Troy ounce against ounce is the one page worth reading
before you compare two quotes.
From melt to an offer
The calculator prints the payout bands under the melt figure because that is the number you are
actually going to be handed. A 14 gram 14k chain at
$1,085 melt
is a pawn shop offer of
$542.63 to $651.15,
and a refiner offer of
$868.21 to $922.47.
Both are legitimate businesses. They are just different trades.
Melt calculator questions
How does a gold melt calculator work?+
It multiplies the weight you enter by the purity fraction of the karat you select, then by the spot price per gram. The only inputs that matter are the weight, the stamp and the current benchmark, which is why two honest calculators will always agree.
What weight should I enter for a ring with a stone?+
The metal weight, not the total. If you cannot separate them, weigh the whole piece and expect the buyer to deduct. A small accent stone is a fraction of a gram. A large one can be several, and guessing in your own favour only makes the counter conversation worse.
Should I weigh in grams or pennyweight?+
Whichever your scale reads in. The calculator converts either. What matters is that you do not enter a pennyweight figure while the unit is set to grams, which overstates the answer by 55%.
Can I calculate a mixed lot at once?+
Not in one pass, and you should not want to. Weigh each karat separately and run each one. A buyer who averages a mixed lot down to the lowest karat present is costing you the difference, and doing it yourself in the calculator hides the same loss.
Is the calculator accurate enough to negotiate with?+
Yes, for the metal value. The arithmetic is exact and the constants are the legal fineness standards. The uncertainty is in your scale and in whether the stamp is honest, not in the calculation.
Does the calculator work for silver and platinum?+
Yes. Switch the metal and the purity list changes to that metal standards: 925, 900 and 999 for silver, 950 and 900 for platinum. The formula underneath is identical.
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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