Find the live value of your gold jewelry by karat. Enter the weight of your 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K or 24K gold and see the melt value at today's spot — plus an honest estimate of what a dealer might actually pay. Free, private, no signup.
Melt value is the pure-metal value. Gold buyers, pawn shops and refiners pay a percentage of melt (often ~60–90%) — adjust the % to a real offer to compare. Free · no signup · nothing uploaded.
What is scrap gold worth?
Scrap gold — old jewelry, broken chains, dental gold, odd karat pieces — is worth its pure gold content at the current spot price, regardless of how it looks. The two things that decide the value are how much it weighs and its karat (purity). This scrap gold calculator combines both with the live gold price so you know the melt value before you ever walk into a shop.
How to use the calculator
Pick your weight unit (grams, pennyweight, or troy ounces) at the top.
Enter the total weight of each karat you have (10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K).
See your pure gold content and melt value at today's live spot, updated instantly.
Set the dealer-payout % to estimate a realistic offer — and shop around before selling.
Gold karat purity
Purity is simply the karat divided by 24. These are the factors the calculator uses:
Karat
Purity
Gold per gram
24K
99.9% (pure)
1.000 g
22K
91.7%
0.917 g
18K
75.0%
0.750 g
14K
58.3%
0.583 g
10K
41.7%
0.417 g
Weight tip: 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 g, and 1 pennyweight (dwt) = 1.555 g. Gold spot is quoted per troy ounce.
Selling, or just curious?
Either way, keep a record of what you own. GoldPayroll's free, private Vault Report catalogs your gold, silver, platinum and palladium at live spot and generates a clean printable report — in your browser, nothing uploaded, no account needed.
14K gold is 58.3% pure, so its value is 0.583 × the item's weight (in troy oz) × the current gold spot price. Enter the grams above and the calculator shows the live melt value.
Will a dealer pay the full melt value?
No — melt value is the raw metal value. Gold buyers and pawn shops pay a percentage of melt, often around 60–90% depending on the buyer and amount. Use the dealer-payout % to estimate an offer, and get more than one quote.
Grams, pennyweight, or troy ounces?
Jewelry scales usually read in grams; some jewelers use pennyweight (dwt = 1.555 g). Gold spot is quoted per troy ounce (31.1035 g). The unit selector converts for you, so enter whichever your scale shows.
Does the karat stamp matter?
Yes — the karat sets the purity (10K, 14K, 18K, etc.). Look for a stamp like "14K" or "585" (which means 58.5% gold). If a piece isn't clearly marked, a dealer can test it.
Melt value is the pure gold content value only and is for general information — not an offer to buy or sell, an appraisal, or financial advice. Actual buy prices depend on the dealer, quantity, testing, and market conditions, and are typically a percentage of melt. Verify karat and weight before selling. Live prices are indicative and may be delayed.