Quick answer
The number stamped inside your jewelry (10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K, or the fineness codes 417, 585, 750, 916, 999) fixes how much of the piece is actually gold. Multiply that fraction by the current spot price per gram to get the melt value of one gram. Buyers then discount from melt to cover refining, testing, and their margin, so the real cash offer on a scrap piece typically lands well under the numbers in the table below.
How Karat Sets the Price
Karat is a purity fraction out of 24. A 14K chain is 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloy metals like copper, silver, zinc, or nickel. That comes out to 58.33 percent gold by weight (the US trade uses .583 or .585 depending on the mill). Every karat has a fixed decimal that turns spot into melt.
The Federal Trade Commission Jewelry Guides at 16 CFR Part 23 require that any US piece sold as “gold” be at least 10K (41.7 percent gold). Anything below that must be labeled gold plated, gold filled, or gold electroplated, and each of those labels carries its own disclosure rule. That is why 10K is the floor row in the karat pricing table.
The table below rebuilds itself every day from the live spot price. The pennyweight column (one pennyweight is 1.55517 grams) matters because many US pawn shops and gold buyers price in pennyweights instead of grams, which can make offer sheets confusing on first read.
| Karat | Gold content | Per gram | Per pennyweight | Per troy ounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10K | 41.7% | $59.39 | $92.37 | $1,847.39 |
| 14K | 58.3% | $83.08 | $129.21 | $2,584.12 |
| 18K | 75% | $106.83 | $166.13 | $3,322.64 |
| 22K | 91.7% | $130.57 | $203.06 | $4,061.15 |
| 24K | 99.9% | $142.29 | $221.29 | $4,425.75 |
Whatever your item, the fair melt reference is the row that matches its hallmark. If you cannot find or read the hallmark, the gold and silver hallmarks decoder walks through what to look for and where. For a chain, ring, or coin whose weight you already know, plug both numbers into the gold value calculator to see the melt value at each karat side by side.
10K Gold Price Today (Per Gram and Per Pennyweight)
One gram of 10K gold is worth about $59.39 in pure metal today, and one pennyweight is worth about $92.37. That is the raw melt reference, before any buyer discount.
10K gold (hallmarked 10K or 417) is the standard US budget karat. It appears on class rings, department-store chains, and mass-market wedding bands. Because the alloy content is high (58.3 percent non-gold), 10K is the hardest of the mainstream gold jewelry karats and holds up well to scratching, but its melt value per gram is the lowest. Two identical-looking chains at 10K and 14K will weigh similar amounts and sell for very different melt prices.
10K also carries the widest gap between retail purchase price and scrap resale price because retailers add typical jewelry markups on top of a modest metal base. A 20-gram 10K chain that cost $600 at a mall jeweler is often worth roughly $60 to $80 at a bullion-adjacent buyer today, depending on that day’s spot.
14K Gold Price Today (Per Gram and Per Pennyweight)
One gram of 14K gold is worth about $83.08 in pure metal today, and one pennyweight is worth about $129.21. That figure moves with spot every day.
14K is the workhorse of US fine jewelry: engagement rings, everyday chains, tennis bracelets, most gold earrings. It balances color, hardness, and cost better than any other option for daily wear. On resale, 14K accounts for the majority of scrap volume that US refiners see. The 14K gold price per gram is the single most common number our readers ask about, which is why the karat table above puts it front and center.
Anecdotal note on stamping: some older US 14K pieces are marked 583 instead of 585, because the trade convention on the fineness stamp shifted slightly. Both mean 14K for pricing purposes, and both use the same 0.5833 decimal against spot.
18K Gold Price Today (Per Gram and Per Pennyweight)
One gram of 18K gold is worth about $106.83 in pure metal today, and one pennyweight is worth about $166.13. That is 75 percent of the value of a same-weight 24K piece.
18K (hallmarked 18K or 750) is the standard for European fine jewelry and the higher end of the US market. It has a richer yellow color than 14K because more of the mass is actually gold, but it dents and scratches more easily. Most designer houses (Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef, Bulgari) use 18K for signature yellow-gold pieces.
For resale, an 18K piece from a documented luxury house often sells above melt on the secondary luxury market because brand and provenance carry a premium a bullion buyer will not pay. For an unbranded 18K piece, the buyer discount ladder works the same as for 14K, just applied to a higher melt base per gram.
22K Gold Price Today (Per Gram and Per Pennyweight)
One gram of 22K gold is worth about $130.57 in pure metal today, and one pennyweight is worth about $203.06. That is 91.7 percent of the value of a same-weight 24K piece.
22K (hallmarked 22K or 916/917) is standard in South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian wedding gold. Pieces are traditionally sold near melt plus a small making charge, which is very different from the multiple-times-melt markup common on US 14K retail. If you inherited 22K family jewelry, the melt base per gram is higher than most US pieces, and buyers in cities with active South Asian jewelry districts often pay closer to melt than a generic bullion buyer will.
Because 22K is very soft, it dents from ordinary handling. Owners planning to sell often bring 22K pieces to specialist buyers rather than a mall kiosk, both because the buyer understands the market and because the offer is usually closer to the melt reference in the table above.
24K Gold Price Today (Per Gram and Per Pennyweight)
One gram of 24K gold is worth about $142.43 in pure metal today, and one pennyweight is worth about $221.51. 24K is the numerator of every other karat row: multiply this number by the karat fraction to get the melt value at any purity.
24K gold (hallmarked 24K, 999, or 9999 for four-nine fine) is investment-grade purity. It appears on gold coins (American Buffalo, Canadian Maple Leaf) and on gold bars from LBMA-accredited refiners. It is too soft for chains and rings under daily wear; a 24K chain deforms under normal handling and stretches at the links.
Because 24K is the reference purity for investment gold, dealer buyback quotes on 24K coins and bars typically sit close to the melt reference above, often within a few percent, with the exact bid depending on the day’s premium environment and the specific product.
What Buyers Actually Pay (Discount From Melt)
The karat table gives you the melt reference for one gram of pure metal at each purity. What you can actually sell for is a percentage of that number, and the percentage varies widely by channel.
| Selling channel | Typical percentage of melt paid on jewelry | Speed to cash |
|---|---|---|
| Refiner direct (mail-in) | 85 to 95% | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Established local coin or bullion dealer | 80 to 90% | Same day |
| Reputable online buyback with sealed multi-quote | 85 to 95% | 3 to 7 days |
| Specialist buyer for 22K South Asian gold | 85 to 95% | Same day in metro areas |
| Pawn shop, outright sale | 50 to 75% | Same day |
| Pawn shop loan against jewelry | 30 to 60% of melt as loan value | Same day |
| Mall “we buy gold” kiosk | 35 to 55% | Same day |
Fair-offer formula
Cash offer = (karat decimal x spot price per gram x weight in grams) x buyer payout percentage
Example on 10 grams of 14K jewelry today: 0.5833 x $142.43 x 10 gives the melt value. A refiner at 90 percent of melt pays close to that; a mall kiosk at 45 percent pays roughly half. That gap is not negotiation, it is the buyer’s business model.
Two consumer patterns to watch. First, ask any buyer to quote per gram and per karat separately, not just a bulk lot price. A single number for a mixed lot lets the buyer average up on the low-karat pieces and average down on the high-karat pieces. Second, ask what refining fee is deducted before the payout percentage is calculated. Some channels quote 90 percent of melt, then deduct a per-ounce refining fee that lowers the effective payout to 75 or 80 percent.
For readers new to the market, the practical takeaway is that the same 14K chain shown to five different buyers on the same day will usually come back with quotes spanning a 30 to 40 percent range. Getting more than one quote is not paranoia; it is the standard due-diligence step. Our jewelry buyer directory lists reviewed local buyers state by state to make comparison shopping easier.
Reading Hallmarks to Know Which Row Applies
The karat pricing table only helps if you know which row your piece belongs to. That means finding and reading the hallmark. Under FTC rules at 16 CFR 23.4, any US gold jewelry sold at a stated karat must carry a quality stamp when a quality mark is used. Common formats:
- US karat marks: 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K, stamped near the clasp on a chain, inside the band of a ring, or on the back of a pendant.
- European fineness stamps: 417 (10K), 585 (14K), 750 (18K), 916 or 917 (22K), 999 (24K). Same purities, different notation.
- Maker’s mark: a small logo or initials near the karat stamp, identifying the manufacturer or retailer.
- Plated / filled marks: GP, GEP, and HGE indicate plating (thin gold layer over base metal); GF indicates gold filled (a thicker bonded layer, at least 1/20th of total weight in 10K or higher gold); Vermeil is sterling silver with a gold layer at least 2.5 microns thick.
Only solid gold pieces carrying a karat or fineness stamp map to the pricing table above. Plated (GP, GEP, HGE) and vermeil pieces contain a small amount of gold, but the coating is too thin to justify melt pricing. Gold-filled pieces do contain measurable gold and some refiners will buy them at a discount to melt on the gold portion only, but most everyday consumer channels will not.
If your piece has no visible mark, treat it as unknown metal until tested. The gold and silver hallmarks decoder covers the common stamps in detail, and any reputable buyer will run an XRF test on request before quoting, at no cost in most metro markets.
Common Weight Conversions
Buyers quote in different units. The three you will meet most often:
- Gram (g): the default unit for refiners, calculators, and most online buybacks. All prices in our karat table are calculated per gram first.
- Pennyweight (dwt): equal to 1.55517 grams. Common at US pawn shops and older-school buyers. To convert a per-pennyweight quote to per-gram, divide by 1.55517.
- Troy ounce (ozt): equal to 31.1035 grams. Standard for bullion coins and bars. A per-troy-ounce quote divided by 31.1035 gives the per-gram equivalent.
An avoirdupois ounce (the ounce used for food and body weight) is 28.35 grams and is not the same as a troy ounce. If a buyer’s paperwork lists “ounces” without specifying troy, ask to confirm before signing, because the 10 percent difference between the two definitions changes the payout on any lot above a few grams.
What Moves the Number Every Day
The spot price of gold that drives the whole karat pricing table is set on international markets, most visibly through the London Bullion Market Association twice-daily reference price at LBMA precious metal prices. Short-term moves react to macro news (US Federal Reserve rate decisions, inflation data, geopolitical events); long-term trends respond to central bank purchases, mining supply, and jewelry demand from India and China.
For a scrap jewelry seller, the practical takeaway is that a 2 percent spot move between the day you get a quote and the day you sell is completely normal. Quotes older than 24 to 48 hours are usually not honored at their original figure because buyers hedge exposure daily. If you want a locked price, ask whether the buyer offers a fixed quote for a specified window (some do, most do not).
For readers curious about how far this number has moved historically, our gold spot price history since 1996 tracks the daily reference. The near-term forward market is set by dealer bid/ask spreads and depends on physical delivery premiums that vary by product.
Selling Scrap or Jewelry? Get Multiple Buyer Quotes on One Piece Before Accepting the First
Because the same 14K chain routinely gets quotes spanning a 30 to 40 percent range across buyers on the same day, comparing offers is where sellers actually protect their melt value. Our free sell request tool sends your item’s karat, weight, and photos to up to fifteen verified buyers who submit sealed offers on your specific piece. You compare quotes side by side, accept the strongest, or walk away, at no cost. Post one free sell request, or browse the Goldiew marketplace for current buyer listings and specialties by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 14K gold price per gram today?
One gram of 14K gold is worth about $83.08 in pure metal today (September 5, 2026). That is the melt value, calculated as 0.5833 (the 14K purity fraction) times the current spot price per gram of pure gold. Actual buyer offers on scrap 14K jewelry typically pay 50 to 95 percent of that number depending on channel, with refiners and reputable online multi-quote services paying the most and mall kiosks paying the least.
How do I convert per-gram gold prices to per-pennyweight?
One pennyweight equals 1.55517 grams, so multiply any per-gram price by 1.55517 to get the per-pennyweight equivalent. For example, one gram of 14K gold at $83.08 equals about $129.21 per pennyweight. Many US pawn shops quote in pennyweights rather than grams, which can make first-time comparison shopping confusing until you convert both quotes to the same unit.
Why do buyers pay less than the melt value shown for my karat?
The karat pricing table shows the pure-metal reference value. Any buyer needs to cover refining costs (melting the alloy and separating pure gold), assaying (XRF or fire assay to confirm purity), transportation and insurance, and their own operating margin. A refiner working at scale absorbs those costs efficiently and can pay 85 to 95 percent of melt. A retail-front kiosk with higher operating costs and lower volume pays less, often 35 to 55 percent, because the same overhead is spread over fewer transactions.
Do gold coins and bars price the same way as jewelry?
They use the same karat math but usually trade closer to melt because there is no jewelry markup to unwind. A 1-ounce American Buffalo (24K, 999.9 fine) sold to a bullion dealer typically bids within a few percent of melt, sometimes at a small premium in tight physical supply markets. A 1-ounce American Eagle (22K, 916 fine in the classic version) contains one troy ounce of pure gold and is priced against 24K melt, not against its lower alloy purity, because the coin is sold and bought as one ounce of gold content.
My chain is stamped 585, not 14K. Is that the same thing?
Yes. 585 is the European fineness stamp for 14K gold; the two marks mean the same 58.5 percent purity for pricing purposes. Cross-reference the stamps: 417 equals 10K, 585 equals 14K, 750 equals 18K, 916 or 917 equals 22K, and 999 equals 24K. Some older US 14K pieces are marked 583 rather than 585, reflecting a slight shift in trade convention over the years; both round to the 0.5833 decimal used in the karat table.
What about gold plated (GP), gold filled (GF), and vermeil pieces?
Gold plated (GP, GEP, HGE) pieces have a thin electroplated gold layer over base metal and contain almost no melt value; most buyers will not price them at all. Gold filled pieces have a thicker bonded gold layer, at least 1/20th of the total weight in 10K or higher gold, and some specialist refiners will buy them at a heavy discount on the gold portion only. Vermeil is sterling silver with a gold layer at least 2.5 microns thick and prices as sterling silver with a small gold premium if any. Only solid gold with a karat or fineness stamp maps directly to the pricing table above.
How is the sale of gold jewelry taxed in the US?
Physical gold jewelry is classified as a collectible under IRS Publication 550. Long-term capital gains (on pieces held more than one year) are taxed at a maximum federal rate of 28 percent, higher than the 15 or 20 percent that applies to stocks. Short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income. Track your cost basis with the original receipt; without documentation, the IRS can treat the full sale proceeds as gain. State tax may also apply. Consult your tax advisor for your specific situation.
How often does the karat pricing table on this page refresh?
The per-gram and per-pennyweight figures in the karat table refresh daily from our internal spot feed. The reference date on this page (September 5, 2026) shows when the numbers were last updated. Gold spot can move a few percent inside a single day on macro news, so any actual sale transaction should reference the current live spot at the moment of the deal, which reputable buyers will re-quote on request.
Is 24K gold jewelry a good investment compared to coins or bars?
For pure metal exposure, coins and bars are more efficient than jewelry because they trade close to melt on both sides of the transaction. Jewelry carries retail markup on the buy side and buyer discount on the sell side, so the round-trip cost is higher. Jewelry can retain non-monetary value (design, sentiment, wearability) that coins and bars do not, but on a per-gram basis a 1-ounce coin or bar is closer to the karat pricing table’s 24K reference than any 24K jewelry piece will be.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR Part 23: US disclosure rules for gold, silver, platinum, and gemstone jewelry marking (10K minimum for “gold,” plated and filled disclosure).
- Federal Trade Commission Jewelry Shopping Tips: consumer guidance on hallmarks, plating, and warranty.
- IRS Publication 550: Investment Income and Expenses: collectibles capital gains treatment for physical gold jewelry.
- LBMA precious metal reference prices: internationally recognized twice-daily spot benchmarks.
- LBMA Good Delivery List: internationally accredited gold and silver refiners.
- United States Mint, American Eagle program: standard US 22K gold bullion coin purity and specifications.
- Goldiew: Gold and Silver Hallmarks and Stamps Decoder
- Goldiew: Gold Value Calculator
- Goldiew: Gold Chain Buying Guide (Weight, Karat, Price per Gram)
- Goldiew: Gold Spot Price History (1996 to 2026)
- Goldiew: Jewelry Buyer Directory (US)