Guide
What is 10K gold worth?
10K gold is 41.7% pure gold. It's the lowest karat commonly sold as gold jewelry in the United States, and it's popular for class rings, chains, and everyday pieces because it's hard-wearing.
Updated October 28, 2026 · Prices as of November 2, 2026, 6:20 p.m. Pacific
What 10K gold is worth today
Gold is trading at $3,942 per troy ounce (the Kitco bid). At that price we pay $49.68/g for 10K gold, which is 94% of the value of the pure gold it contains.
Scrap prices are per gram of metal after melting, not per gram of what you send. Stones are removed, and dirt, glue, springs, and anything else that isn't gold or silver burn off or separate out, so the weight paid is usually less than your scale shows.
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What is 10K gold?
10K means 10 parts gold out of 24: 41.7% pure gold, with the rest made up of other metals, usually silver, copper, and zinc. It's stamped 10K or 417.
- Color: yellow 10K is a little paler than higher karats. White 10K is alloyed with nickel or palladium and usually plated with rhodium for its bright finish; rose 10K gets its color from extra copper.
- Durability: with more alloy than gold, it's the hardest of the common karats and stands up well to daily wear, though it can tarnish slightly over time.
Work out the value yourself
- Pure gold per gram = gold price ÷ 31.1035 (grams in a troy ounce)
- 10K gold per gram = that × 0.417
- What a buyer pays = that × the buyer's percentage
For example, with gold at $4,000 an ounce, a gram of pure gold is worth $128.60, so a gram of 10K holds about $53.63 of gold. At our 94% of melt value, that's about $50.41 a gram, and 20 grams of 10K comes to about $1,008.
Where you'll find 10K
Class rings, school and sports rings, inexpensive chains, earrings, and charms. It's stamped 10K or 417. Older class rings are often heavier than they look, and the stone or emblem doesn't count toward the gold.
Check these before you sell
Check the stamp (see how to read gold stamps), weigh your pieces in grams, and ask any buyer what percentage of melt value they pay, and of which gold price. Scrap is paid on the gold actually there after melting, so stones, clasp springs, and solder don't count; here's why the melt can weigh less.
Other karats: 9K · 10K · 12K · 14K · 18K · 22K · 24K
We pay top dollar for gold, at published rates set before you sell.
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At today's price we pay $49.68/g for 10K gold. Enter your weights for an instant estimate, or send photos for a free written one.