How much is a gold chain worth?

What gold chains are worth today, per gram

Gold is trading at $3,925 per troy ounce (the Kitco bid). We pay 94% of melt value for gold chains:

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.

Multiply by your chain's weight in grams. A 20-gram 14K chain, for example, comes to $1,383.18 today.

What decides a chain's value

• The stamp: look on the clasp or the small tag beside it. Italian chains are often stamped 585 (14K) or 750 (18K), sometimes with "Italy". See how to read gold stamps.
• Plated or filled: GP, GE, HGE, RGP, GF, or a fraction like 1/20 means a thin layer of gold over another metal, not solid gold. See what gold-filled is worth.
• Hollow or solid: hollow chains look full but weigh much less, and they dent easily. Weight, not thickness, sets the value.
• The clasp: most clasps hold a small steel spring, which isn't gold. That, and lower-karat solder, is part of why melted gold can weigh a little less than the chain. Here's why.
• Brand and design: a signed designer chain can be worth more than its gold. Send photos if yours is.

Weigh it in grams

A kitchen scale that reads in grams is close enough for an estimate. Buyers weigh in grams or pennyweight; see troy ounces, grams, and pennyweight for how they compare. Broken, knotted, and single chains are all fine to send as they are.

Karat guides: 10K · 14K · 18K · 22K · Scrap gold per gram

The highest payouts for your gold, at a published percentage of the live Kitco bid.