We buy this by individual quote. No published grid: call or note it on your label request. We contact you with a written quote before processing, and nothing in this category is processed until you approve. Decline the quote and those items come back by tracked courier at your shipping cost, quoted in writing before they ship.

Gold jewellery, quoted in writing

Broken chains, single earrings, class rings, the tangle at the bottom of the jewellery box. Condition does not matter at melt, and every karat is bought. Your quote is written, itemized piece by piece, and nothing is processed until you say yes.

How the gold quote works

  1. Note the gold on your label request form, or call us first.
  2. When your parcel arrives, the gold is set aside on camera and tested by XRF, which reads karat and weight without damaging anything.
  3. We email you a written quote, itemized piece by piece: weight, karat, dollar amount.
  4. Nothing is processed until you approve the quote. Approve it and payment goes out by e-Transfer or cheque.

Reading the marks on your gold

Look inside the ring band, on the clasp of a chain, or on the earring post. Common markings:

  • 10K or 417: 41.7% gold, the Canadian minimum to be sold as gold.
  • 14K or 585: 58.5% gold, the most common in North America.
  • 18K or 750: 75% gold, common in European and finer pieces.
  • 22K or 916: 91.6%, common in South Asian and Middle Eastern jewellery.
  • 24K, 999 or 9999: essentially pure gold.
  • White and rose gold carry the same karat marks and the same value: colour comes from the alloying metals, not the gold content.

Marks that mean "mostly not gold"

  • GF or 1/20 12K GF: gold filled, a bonded layer over base metal.
  • GP, GEP, RGP: gold plated or rolled gold plate.
  • HGE: heavy gold electroplate.
  • GS: gold shell.

Plated and filled pieces contain too little gold to quote at jewellery rates, so keep them out of the box, or email a photo to contact@silverplatecanada.ca first if you are unsure. Unmarked pieces are often real: a photo gets you an honest answer before you ship.

Stones, watches and the pieces worth more whole

  • Gemstones: small accent stones are fine to leave in; we weigh around them fairly and the quote shows the deduction. Significant diamonds or precious stones should be flagged to us first, and we will recommend removing them before you ship.
  • Signed pieces: brand-name and hallmarked designer jewellery can be worth more than melt to a collector. Email a photo to contact@silverplatecanada.ca before you ship and we will say so plainly.
  • Gold watches: solid gold cases are quoted at karat value; plated cases are not. Working luxury watches are worth more whole, and we will tell you so rather than quote one for melt.
  • Platinum and palladium jewellery (marks like PLAT, PT950, PD500): yes, quoted individually in writing too.

Dental gold is its own category with its own promise: we quote on all the precious metals in the alloy, not just the gold. See the dental gold page.