10 Questions to Ask Before Selling Your Gold

Before selling gold, ask the buyer to explain its purity, weight, the price used in the calculation and the final amount you will receive. Also confirm what happens to stones, whether any testing could mark the item and whether you can decline the offer.

Those answers matter whether you are selling a broken chain, inherited jewelry, coins or an entire collection. A convenient location and a promising advertisement are useful starting points, but the evaluation and final offer deserve a closer look.

These 10 questions to ask before selling gold will help you understand the transaction and compare buyers. At Gold Kings, you can watch your precious metals being tested and weighed, hear the explanation and decide whether to sell.

1. What Is My Gold’s Actual Purity?

Ask which purity the buyer is using to value each item and how that purity was established. Gold jewelry is usually an alloy: gold mixed with other metals for strength, color or workability.

Numerical markings express fineness in parts per thousand. For example, 750 indicates 75% gold; 585 indicates 58.5% and is commonly associated with 14K jewelry.

A stamp is useful evidence, but it does not establish the composition of every component. Repairs, solder, plating, mixed parts and incorrect markings can complicate an evaluation.

Useful follow-up: “Are you paying by the marked karat category or the measured gold percentage?” If pieces have different purities, ask how they are being separated or accounted for.

2. How Are You Testing My Gold?

A buyer may combine visual inspection, hallmark checks, acid testing, electronic testing, density measurements or X-ray fluorescence analysis, commonly called XRF. The appropriate approach depends on the item.

Gold Kings uses professional precious-metals testing equipment, including XRF when appropriate. XRF helps identify the elements present in the area tested, but it is a surface-sensitive measurement. A single reading does not necessarily establish the composition of an entire plated or filled object.

Equipment manufacturer Evident explains these limitations in its gold testing guide. Additional checks may be needed when the construction, coating or results raise questions.

Useful follow-up: “Can you explain what the test showed, and will any proposed test scratch, file or otherwise alter my item?” Agree to any potentially damaging work before it begins, particularly with collectible or sentimental pieces.

For a closer look at the technology, see how an XRF gold tester works.

3. Can I Watch My Gold Being Weighed?

Ask to see the scale reading and the unit displayed. Also confirm that any tray or container has been excluded from the weight and that the number refers to the items being quoted.

Precious metals may be weighed in grams, pennyweight or troy ounces. These units are not interchangeable:

• 1 troy ounce = approximately 31.1035 grams
• 1 troy ounce = 20 pennyweights
• 1 pennyweight, or DWT, = approximately 1.5552 grams

A higher price per pennyweight is not automatically a better deal than a lower price per gram. Convert both quotes to the same unit first. Our guide to grams and pennyweight explains the comparison.

Useful follow-up: “Is this the full item weight or the weight of the gold alloy after excluding stones and other components?”

4. What Gold Price Are You Using?

Ask for the reference price, its unit and the time of the quote. Gold is commonly quoted in dollars per troy ounce of pure gold, while jewelry offers may be expressed per gram of a particular karat.

A troy ounce of 14K jewelry does not contain a troy ounce of pure gold. The buyer must account for purity before applying a payout rate.

Market prices can move during the trading day. Two offers made hours or days apart may therefore use different reference prices. Ask when the quoted price becomes fixed and how long the offer remains valid.

You can review the Gold Kings gold and silver prices page for context, then ask how the reference relates to your particular items.

5. How Did You Calculate My Offer?

Ask the buyer to walk through the calculation. For ordinary scrap jewelry, an estimated gold-content value starts with:

Gold-alloy weight in grams × gold purity as a decimal × pure-gold price per gram = estimated melt value

If the reference price is per troy ounce, divide it by approximately 31.1035 to obtain the pure-gold price per gram. Keep the units consistent.

A Simple Example

For illustration only, suppose you have 20 grams of 18K gold alloy, with no stone or non-gold weight included, and use a hypothetical pure-gold price of $100 per gram:

20 × 0.75 × $100 = $1,500 estimated melt value.

At a hypothetical 80% payout with no additional fees, the offer would be $1,200. These figures are not live prices or advertised Gold Kings payout rates.

Melt value and a purchase offer are different amounts. Buyers may account for processing costs, market exposure and their margin. Learn more about why scrap-gold offers are usually below full spot-based melt value.

Useful follow-up: “What percentage of the assessed melt value does my final payment represent?” That percentage is meaningful only when the weight, purity and price behind it are clear.

6. Does My Item Have Value Beyond Its Gold Content?

Some pieces deserve evaluation as complete items before a scrap calculation determines the offer. Examples include recognizable designer jewelry, collectible coins, vintage pieces, diamond jewelry and luxury watches.

Bullion can also trade at a premium or discount to spot depending on the product and market. A collectible coin may have value tied to rarity and condition. Neither premium should be assumed simply because an item looks old or unusual.

Useful follow-up: “Does your offer reflect resale or collector value, or only the precious metal?” If the buyer mainly purchases scrap, ask whether another type of evaluation would be appropriate.

Our guide to when gold jewelry may deserve an appraisal before a scrap sale can help you identify pieces that merit a closer look.

7. How Are Stones and Non-Gold Parts Handled?

A gemstone ring’s full weight includes more than its gold setting. Watch movements, clasp springs and other non-gold components can also affect the weight used for payment.

Ask whether a deduction is measured or estimated and how the buyer arrived at it. A clasp should not automatically be treated as entirely non-gold just because it contains a steel spring.

Useful follow-up: “Does the offer include my stones, are they valued separately, and what happens to them if I sell?” If removal is proposed, agree on the cost, damage risk and who keeps the stones before authorizing it.

A stone receiving no separate payment may still be included in what you are selling. Make the agreement explicit. See how stones and non-gold parts affect jewelry weight for more detail.

8. Are There Any Fees, and How Will I Be Paid?

Ask for the final amount after all deductions. Depending on the selling method, expenses may include commissions, shipping, refining, testing or other transaction charges.

A headline offer is difficult to compare if one buyer has already deducted costs and another has not. Request the amount you would actually receive for the same items.

Useful follow-up: “Is this my final payment, how will it be paid and when will I receive it?” For a mailed evaluation, also clarify insurance and return-shipping terms before sending anything.

9. Am I Required to Sell After the Evaluation?

Confirm any evaluation fee and obligation before handing over your items or signing paperwork. You should understand what you are agreeing to while you still have the choice to proceed.

At Gold Kings, having your items evaluated does not require you to sell. You can hear the offer and decide whether it works for you.

Useful follow-up: “Can I decline the offer, and can I choose to sell only some of these items?” If you change which pieces are included, ask for a revised offer.

Set aside jewelry you already know you want to keep. Once a sentimental piece has been sold and resold or refined, recovering it may not be possible.

10. How Should I Compare Another Offer?

Another quote can be useful, especially for a substantial collection or a piece with possible collector value. If you are still deciding where to sell gold, comparing buyer types can help you understand the tradeoffs before you request offers. Ask each buyer to evaluate the same items and explain the same core numbers.

Compare:

• The purity assigned to each item or group
• The weight paid for, using the same units
• The gold reference price and quote time
• Any separate value for stones or complete jewelry
• The final payment after fees
• Payment timing and the offer’s expiration

A different offer can result from different testing conclusions, deductions or resale opportunities. Ask what explains the difference rather than assuming it all comes from the gold price.

For a practical comparison process, read our guide to getting multiple offers before selling gold.

Reasons to Pause Before Accepting an Offer

Slow down and ask for clarification if a buyer:

• Will not explain the weight, purity or payment calculation
• Introduces unexplained deductions after presenting an offer
• Wants to alter the item without explaining the work first
• Will not clarify which items and stones the sale includes
• Pressures you to agree before you understand the terms

These concerns do not establish that a buyer is dishonest. They are reasons to resolve the uncertainty before completing the transaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Clean My Gold Before Selling It?

Ordinary scrap jewelry generally does not need polishing before evaluation. Avoid aggressive cleaning of collectible coins, antique jewelry or other potentially valuable pieces. Bring them as they are and ask for advice first.

Is Broken Gold Still Worth Money?

Yes, if it contains gold. Damage does not eliminate the metal already present. Condition can affect resale as wearable jewelry, while scrap value depends mainly on gold content and the applicable buying terms.

Can I Sell Gold Without a Karat Stamp?

An absent or worn stamp does not automatically mean an item is non-gold. Testing can help establish its composition. Bring unmarked pieces for assessment rather than assigning a purity by appearance.

Is an Insurance Appraisal the Amount a Buyer Should Pay?

No. An insurance appraisal often estimates retail replacement cost for a particular purpose. A purchase offer reflects what the buyer will pay now. Ask which basis of value applies before comparing the numbers.

Bring Your Questions to Gold Kings

Bring your unwanted gold, jewelry, coins, bullion or other qualifying precious-metal items, along with any useful receipts, grading reports or appraisals. We can explain the testing, weight and offer so you can decide whether to sell.

Gold Kings of Snellville

Inside Unique Treasures
3635 Stone Mountain Hwy
Snellville, GA 30039
Phone: 770-771-4650

Visit the Gold Kings Snellville location page for details.

Gold Kings of Commerce

480 Banks Crossing Dr
Commerce, GA 30529
Phone: 706-336-0043

Visit the Gold Kings Commerce location page for details.

Understand what you have, review the final offer and make the decision that works for you.