Gold has a published price. Every karat is priced by the gram, live with the gold market, on the what we pay page, the same as everything else.

Gold jewellery, at a published price by the gram

Broken chains, single earrings, class rings, the tangle at the bottom of the jewellery box. Condition does not matter at melt, and every karat is bought at the price posted for it, with every piece itemized on your receipt.

How your gold is paid

  1. Note the gold on your label request form, or simply put it in the same box.
  2. When your parcel arrives, the gold is set aside on camera, tested by XRF, which reads the real karat, and weighed. Where plating could hide what is underneath, we may make a scratch, which is industry standard to ensure accurate testing.
  3. Each piece is paid at the published price for the karat it tests at, and itemized on your receipt: weight, karat, rate, dollars.
  4. Payment goes out by Interac e-Transfer.

Reading the marks on your gold

Look inside the ring band, on the clasp of a chain, or on the earring post. Common markings:

  • 10K or 417: 41.7% gold, the Canadian minimum to be sold as gold.
  • 14K or 585: 58.5% gold, the most common in North America.
  • 18K or 750: 75% gold, common in European and finer pieces.
  • 22K or 916: 91.6%, common in South Asian and Middle Eastern jewellery.
  • 24K, 999 or 9999: essentially pure gold.
  • White and rose gold carry the same karat marks and the same value: colour comes from the alloying metals, not the gold content.

Marks that mean "mostly not gold"

  • GF or 1/20 12K GF: gold filled, a bonded layer over base metal.
  • GP, GEP, RGP: gold plated or rolled gold plate.
  • HGE: heavy gold electroplate.
  • GS: gold shell.

Plated and filled pieces have only a thin layer of gold, so they are not paid at karat rates. Gold filled has its own published price by the gram, and gold plated pieces have their own flat price. Both can go in the same box, and we test every piece. Unmarked pieces are often real: a photo gets you an honest answer before you ship.

Stones and watches

  • Gemstones: small accent stones are fine to leave in; we weigh around them fairly and your receipt shows the deduction. Significant diamonds or precious stones should be flagged to us first, and we will recommend removing them before you ship.
  • Signed pieces: we pay gold value only. If you think a brand-name or designer piece is worth more than its gold, sell it elsewhere before you ship.
  • Gold watches: solid gold cases are paid at karat value; plated cases are not. A working luxury watch is worth more whole, so sell it elsewhere: we pay gold value only.