Melt Value Calculator
Straight answer
Melt value is the worth of an item’s actual metal content: spot price multiplied by weight in troy ounces, multiplied by purity. Pick the metal, enter the current spot, the weight, and the fineness (or karat), and this tool shows the melt value and how much pure metal is inside. It’s the floor a dealer prices from — you’ll be offered melt minus a margin, never more for plain scrap.
Whether it’s a gold ring, a silver coin, or a handful of scrap, the metal is worth its purity-adjusted spot value. Knowing that number before you walk into a shop is the single best defense against a lowball offer.
The melt-value formula
Three numbers decide it: spot price per troy ounce, weight converted to troy ounces, and purity expressed as a decimal fineness. A 22-karat coin is 0.9167 pure; sterling silver is 0.925; pre-1965 US “junk” silver coins are 0.900. Multiply spot by troy weight by fineness and you have the metal value — everything else is premium or dealer margin.
Karat and fineness, quickly
Karat measures gold purity out of 24: 24k is essentially pure (.999+), 18k is 75% gold, 14k is about 58.5%, 10k about 41.7%. Silver is quoted as fineness directly. If your item has a hallmark you don’t recognize, weigh it and test it before trusting a stamp — see authenticating bullion and spotting fakes.
Melt value vs what you’ll be offered
Melt is the metal floor, not the price you’ll get for scrap. A buyer needs a margin, so jewelry and scrap typically fetch a percentage below melt. Recognized bullion is different — it carries a premium and trades near or above melt. Before selling, get the spot from our spot price page, know your melt number, and read how to sell gold and silver.
How do I calculate the melt value of a gold coin or ring?
Multiply the current gold spot price per troy ounce by the item’s weight in troy ounces, then by its purity as a decimal. For a 14k ring that’s spot × troy weight × 0.585. The calculator above handles the unit and purity conversions for you.
What purity is “junk silver”?
Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters, and half dollars are 90% silver (.900 fine). Some 1965–1970 Kennedy halves are 40% silver. They carry no numismatic premium in circulated condition, so they trade close to melt.
Will a dealer pay me the full melt value?
Rarely for scrap or jewelry — buyers pay melt minus a margin to cover refining and profit. Recognized bullion is the exception, since its premium means it can sell at or slightly above melt to another buyer.