Selling & Valuing Gold & Silver
Straight answer
To sell gold or silver well, do three things first: find your melt value, identify exactly what you have (recognized bullion sells near spot; jewelry and scrap sell below melt), and get multiple quotes. Refiners and reputable dealers pay the most; pawn shops and mail-in “cash for gold” usually pay the least. This hub covers where to sell, who pays most, and what each karat or grade is actually worth.
We don’t buy or sell metal — this is independent guidance on getting a fair price, plus plain valuation references for every common karat and grade. Start with the value, then the channel.
Selling: where, who, and how
- Where to sell (channels compared)
- Who pays the most
- How to sell without getting ripped off
- Selling gold jewelry
- Selling scrap & dental gold
- Selling inherited gold & silver
- When is the best time to sell?
- Mail-in buyers & cash for gold
- Hallmarks & stamps explained
What is it worth? Value by karat & grade
Use these with the melt value calculator and the hallmark guide:
- How much is 24K gold worth?
- How much is 22K gold worth?
- How much is 18K gold worth?
- How much is 14K gold worth?
- How much is 10K gold worth?
- How much is Sterling silver worth?
- How much is 90% “junk” silver worth?
Remember the round trip and the tax
You buy above spot and sell below it, so check the break-even calculator before selling at a loss. Profits on a sale are taxed as collectibles (up to 28% federally) — see gold & silver taxes. Sales tax, by contrast, is a buying-side issue covered in our sales tax by state guide.
Explore the guides in this series
16 in-depth guides
Gold & Silver Hallmarks and Stamps Explained
A hallmark or fineness stamp tells you a piece’s purity, and purity drives its melt value.
Read the guide02How Much Is 10K gold Worth?
10K gold is 41.7% pure, so its melt value is the gold spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.4167.
Read the guide03How Much Is 14K gold Worth?
14K gold is 58.3% pure, so its melt value is the gold spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.5833.
Read the guide04How Much Is 18K gold Worth?
18K gold is 75% pure, so its melt value is the gold spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.75.
Read the guide05How Much Is 22K gold Worth?
22K gold is 91.7% pure, so its melt value is the gold spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.9167.
Read the guide06How Much Is 24K gold Worth?
24K gold is 99.9% pure, so its melt value is the gold spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.999.
Read the guide07How Much Is 90% “junk” silver Worth?
90% “junk” silver is 90% pure, so its melt value is the silver spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.9.
Read the guide08How Much Is Sterling silver Worth?
Sterling silver is 92.5% pure, so its melt value is the silver spot price multiplied by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by 0.925.
Read the guide09How to Sell Gold Jewelry
Most gold jewelry is bought and sold on its melt value — the karat purity multiplied by the weight multiplied by the spot price of gold — not on what you originally paid.
Read the guide10How to Sell Gold Without Getting Ripped Off
To sell gold without getting ripped off, do the math before you talk to anyone: weigh each piece, note its karat or purity, and calculate the melt value at today’s spot price.
Read the guide11Mail-In Gold Buyers & Cash for Gold
Mail-in “cash for gold” services are convenient, but historically they sit among the lowest payers for scrap and jewelry — and you give up all your leverage the moment the package leaves your hands.
Read the guide12Selling Inherited Gold & Silver
Before you sell inherited gold or silver, do two things: get it appraised by an independent professional, and find out whether you hold bullion, collectible (numismatic) coins, or scrap — because that decides what it is worth and how to sell it.
Read the guide13Selling Scrap & Dental Gold
Scrap gold is valued for the gold it contains, not the form it takes.
Read the guide14When Is the Best Time to Sell Gold & Silver?
The “best time” to sell gold or silver is driven far more by your own situation and the spot price than by anything on the calendar.
Read the guide15Where to Sell Gold & Silver
For recognized bullion — American Eagles, Canadian Maples, PAMP bars — a reputable online dealer’s buy-back usually pays the most among low-hassle options, often within about 1–3% of spot.
Read the guide16Who Pays the Most for Gold & Silver?
To get the most for your metal, match the buyer to what you hold.
Read the guide