Scrap Gold Calculator — Melt Value by Karat
Find out how much your gold is worth at current spot prices. Enter the weight in grams, the karat (purity), the live gold spot price per troy ounce, and the dealer buyback percentage to get the melt value and expected payout.
g
Karat (purity)
USD / troy oz
%
Estimated dealer payout at the buyback rate
58.3%
goldPure gold
58.3%
Other metals
41.7%
- 1
Gold purity
14 ÷ 24 = 58.33 % - 2
Pure gold content
10 g × 58.33 ÷ 100 = 5.833 g - 3
Spot price per gram
$2,300 ÷ 31.1035 g/oz = $73.9467 - 4
Melt value
5.833 g × $73.9467 = $431.36 - 5
Scrap value
$431.36 × 80% ÷ 100 = 345.08
How does this calculator work?
Melt value = weight(g) × (karat/24) × (spot/31.1035). At 14K and a spot price of USD 2 300/oz, 10 g of jewellery contains 5.83 g of pure gold worth about USD 429 at melt. Dealers pay 70–90% of that — enter a buyback % to see the realistic payout.
Formula
How this is calculated
Gold purity is expressed in karats: 24K is pure gold (99.9%), 18K is 75% gold, 14K is 58.3%, and so on. The formula karat/24 converts the karat stamp to a decimal purity fraction. Multiplying by the item's weight in grams gives the pure gold content in grams.
The spot price — the market price for one troy ounce of pure gold — is divided by 31.1035 (grams per troy ounce) to get the price per gram. Multiplying by the pure gold content gives the theoretical melt value: what the gold would be worth if it were refined and sold as 24K bullion.
Dealers who buy scrap gold pay less than full melt value — typically 70–90% — to cover their refining costs, overhead, and profit margin. Enter the dealer's stated buyback percentage (or leave it at 100% to see the theoretical maximum). Note that the spot price changes constantly during trading hours (2025 values were around USD 2 300/oz but can vary significantly); always check a live source such as kitco.com before selling.
Frequently asked questions
Melt value is the theoretical value of the pure gold content at 100% of the spot price — what you would get if you could sell directly into the bullion market. Scrap value is the actual offer from a dealer, which is typically 70–90% of melt value to cover their refining and overhead costs.
Look for a stamp inside rings or on clasps of chains — common marks are 375 (9K), 585 (14K), 750 (18K), 916 (22K), and 999 (24K). If there is no stamp, a jeweller can test the item with acid or an XRF scanner. Unverified items should be tested before relying on any value estimate.
A troy ounce is the standard unit of weight for precious metals. It equals 31.1035 grams, which is slightly heavier than the everyday avoirdupois ounce (28.35 g). Spot prices are always quoted per troy ounce.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Scrap Gold Calculator — Melt Value by Karat [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/scrap-gold-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Scrap Gold Calculator — Melt Value by Karat." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/scrap-gold-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Scrap Gold Calculator — Melt Value by Karat," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/scrap-gold-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_scrap_gold_calculator, title = {Scrap Gold Calculator — Melt Value by Karat}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/scrap-gold-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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