Scrap and jewelry value
18k gold price today
Eighteen karat is three-quarters gold — the standard for European and designer jewelry, and noticeably softer and richer in colour than 14k.
Melt value per gram
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18k gold · .750 fine
- Fineness
- .750
- Also stamped
- 750
- Gold spot
- —
- Per troy ounce
- —
The gold price shown was recorded when this page was published. Figures calculated from it appear once the live price loads, so nothing here is worked out from a number the market may have left behind.
What you will actually be offered
Weigh only the gold. Stones, clasps and any other metal are deducted — a refiner pays for metal content, not for the piece.
Melt value
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Refiner or mail-in buyer80–90% of melt
—
Local jeweler60–75% of melt
—
Pawn shop40–60% of melt
—
Per 10 g of 18k gold. Melt is a ceiling, not a price — it is the metal content before any buyer’s margin, refining loss or handling. We do not collect scrap buy-back prices from anyone; these ranges are typical of the US market and are guidance, not quotes. Get more than one offer.
Common weights
| Weight | Melt value | Refiner or mail-in buyer (80–90%) | Pawn shop (40–60%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 gA thin ring | — | — | — |
| 5 gA wedding band | — | — | — |
| 10 gA light chain | — | — | — |
| 20 gA heavy chain | — | — | — |
| 1 oztA troy ounce | — | — | — |
Before you sell
Because 18k is three-quarters gold exactly, its melt value is easy to sanity-check: three-quarters of what the same weight in pure gold would be worth.
Weigh everything yourself before you go, and get more than one offer. The spread between a refiner and a pawn counter on the same piece is routinely larger than the entire premium difference this site tracks between bullion dealers.
How this is calculated
Grams ÷ 31.1035 × .750 × the live gold spot price. Nothing is rounded until it is displayed, and no figure is shown at all when spot is unavailable or the feed is delayed.
Karat is a fraction of 24, so 18k is 18 parts gold to 6 parts other metal. It is a gold measure only — silver is never described in karats.
Common questions
- How much gold is in 18k gold?
- 18k is 18 parts gold to 6 parts other metal — a fineness of .750. Its melt value is that fraction of what the same weight of pure gold would be worth. The same grade is stamped 750 on European pieces.
- Will a buyer pay me the melt value of my 18k gold?
- No. Melt value is the ceiling, not the offer. A refiner or mail-in buyer typically pays 80–90% of melt, a jeweller less, and a pawn counter considerably less again — they carry the refining cost and the price risk in between. Getting more than one quote usually moves the number further than shopping the spot price ever could.
- How do I weigh 18k gold correctly?
- Weigh the metal only. Stones, clasps and any non-gold parts are deducted, because a refiner pays for metal content and not for the piece. Use a scale that reads grams, and remember that a kitchen scale's ounce is 28.35 grams, not the 31.1035 gram troy ounce gold is priced in.