Gold  
A gold bar on a small kitchen scale

Gold value calculator

Enter the weight and purity of any gold item, from a bullion coin to a broken chain, and see what the gold in it is worth at today’s spot price.

What are you valuing?

Bullion coins often state the pure gold content on the coin itself (for example “1 OZ. FINE GOLD”). If so, choose troy ounces, enter that figure and pick .9999.

Filled in with the live spot price. Change it to try another price.

Melt value at this price

 

 

Total weight
Purity
Pure gold content
Pure gold, troy ounces
Gold price used

Melt value is the gold content times the spot price. Dealers sell coins and bars above it and buy below it. Check a dealer’s price over spot.

How the calculation works

The value of the gold in an item is its weight, times its purity, times the price of pure gold for that weight. Gold prices are quoted per troy ounce, which is 31.1034768 grams, so the calculator converts every weight to grams first.

Worked example
ItemA 10 gram, 14 karat chain
Gold content10 g × 0.583 = 5.83 g
In troy ounces5.83 ÷ 31.1035 = 0.1874 oz
Value0.1874 × spot price

Karats and fineness

Karat divides purity into 24 parts: 24 karat is pure, 18 karat is 18 parts gold in 24, or 75%. Fineness writes the same thing in parts per thousand, so 18 karat is .750. Most bullion coins and bars are .999 or .9999 fine. The American Gold Eagle, the Krugerrand and the British Sovereign are 22 karat, .9167, alloyed with other metals for hardness, and they still contain the full stated weight of pure gold. More on karats and hallmarks.

Before you sell or value your gold

How do I work out the value of my gold?

Weigh it in grams, find the karat stamp, multiply the weight by the karat divided by 24, then multiply by today’s price per gram (today’s price per gram for pure gold). The calculator above does all three steps.

How much will a buyer pay for scrap gold?

Less than melt value. Buyers deduct for testing, refining and their margin, and offers vary widely from buyer to buyer. Get written offers from several buyers and compare the percentage of melt value each one pays. See how to sell gold.

My kitchen scale shows ounces. Is that the same as a troy ounce?

No. A kitchen ounce is 28.35 grams and a troy ounce is 31.10 grams. Choose “Ounces (kitchen scale)” in the unit list and the calculator converts it.

Why is my coin worth more than its melt value?

Coins sell for melt value plus a premium. Rare or collectible coins can be worth far more than their gold because of demand from collectors; for those, ask a dealer who specializes in numismatic coins.

Sources and fact-check3 primary sources, checked October 17, 2026
  1. NIST, Office of Weights and Measures: units of mass (troy ounce, pennyweight).
  2. FTC Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, 16 CFR Part 23 (karat marking).
  3. Live spot price: gold-api.com.

We check every figure against the original source: the mint, the regulator, the exchange or the company itself. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.