Precious metals trade by the troy ounce. This page converts the current gold price into a per-gram view and explains why the market price is not the same as a final seller payout.
per gram
Before you visit
At home · weight
Honestly, you don't need a fancy scale.A kitchen food scale is accurate to about ±1g, and that's enough to know what you're walking in with. We re-weigh to 0.01gon the counter once you're here — but the home estimate keeps your visit short and your expectations honest.
At home · stamps
We get asked all the time — where's the stamp?Try the clasp on a chain, inside the band of a ring, or the back of a pendant. You're hunting for small marks: 10K, 14K, 18K, 585, or 750. Can't find one? That's normal. Pick “Not sure” on the calculator and we'll test it together when you come in.
On the counter · the math
80% of melt is the honest top. Here's why.Gold passes through many handsbefore it becomes cash — refiners, dealers, market makers — and prices move throughout the day. That's why no honest counter pays 100% of melt on scrap. Anyone promising that is losing money or quietly shorting you somewhere you can't see.
But not every piece is scrap. Some rings get cleaned and re-homed. Some chains stay chains. Price is always negotiable on resaleable pieces— and we'll tell you which side your piece sits on. That's why we built this site: so you walk in informed, not lowballed across five shops.
Gold calculator
Market price per gram is only the starting point. The calculator adjusts for weight, purity, and possible offer ranges.
Quick home estimate
Enter three things: the metal, the weight from your scale, and the stamp if you can find one.
Estimated offer
80% of today's $1,561 melt value · Gold · 14K · 18.4g
Offer spectrum · % of melt
Below 70% is a weak offer. 75% is a good number. 80% is the sell-it-now mark.
Educational estimate. Final number requires verified weight and professional metal testing in person.
Market movement
Current pricing is loaded server-side from Gold API. The chart line is a reference trend until the server is given a Gold API key for the rate-limited history endpoint.
Current market price comes from Gold API. Full historical charting uses the Gold API history endpoint when a server-side API key is added.
30-day chart range: $4,269–$4,529 per troy ounceGold purity table
Gold items are not always pure gold. Use the table as an educational reference, then verify the actual metal content in person.
Melt value vs offer value
Most buyers do not pay 100% of melt value because they account for testing, refining, market movement, risk, operating costs, and margin. The ladder shows the difference between weak, general, strong, and sell-it-now numbers.
50%–70% of melt value
70%–75% of melt value
75%–80% of melt value
Stones, hollow pieces, and non-metal weight
The calculator asks uncertainty questions because jewelry is rarely a perfect chunk of metal. These details affect confidence and explain why a professional inspection matters.
Diamonds, gemstones, pearls, and enamel can be valuable, but they may not count toward precious-metal melt value.
Steel springs, movements, crystals, and non-metal parts can make a piece weigh more than the precious metal itself.
Some chains, bangles, and earrings look heavy because they are large, but the inside may be hollow or lightweight.
Kitchen scales and mail scales may round grams, drift out of calibration, or struggle with very light jewelry. That does not make the calculator useless; it means the estimate should be treated as a range.
A 1 gram difference can change the value of small jewelry.
Stones and hollow sections can make the scale reading misleading.
Family-run · Gaslamp Quarter since 1992
Buy Sell Gold San Diego routes visits to a family-run shop in the Gaslamp Quarter that has been buying gold jewelry, silver coins, platinum, diamonds, and more since 1992. Cash on the spot, no appointment needed — and if you mention this site, or say Ezra sent you, you'll get our best rate at the counter.
Buying and selling gold in the Gaslamp Quarter since 1992.
Walk-ins, regulars, and word-of-mouth referrals from across San Diego county.
Real volume means real spot-price hedging — and real offers we can stand behind.
Or say Ezra sent you when you walk in. Online visitors get our preferred counter rate.
FAQ
Gold per gram is the current gold price per troy ounce divided by 31.103 grams. Jewelry value is then adjusted by purity, such as 58.5% for 14K.
Precious metals trade by the troy ounce, not the household ounce. One troy ounce is about 31.103 grams.
No. The market can move, and the final payout requires in-person verification and current market review.
Next step
Use the calculator to see melt value and realistic offer bands before you text us or come in for local verification.