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Selling guide

22ct gold: imported marks, XRF and how a per-piece figure is built

22ct Indian, Pakistani, Bengali and Gulf jewellery is read differently from British hallmarked gold, because the marks mean different things. This explains what 916 and 22ct actually denote, what XRF finds on imported pieces, and how each item is priced separately.

By Rocco Clayfield, trading as GoldPaid; the business incorporated as GOLDPAID LTD (company 17382540) on 5 August 2026 · Published · updated

How is imported 22ct gold valued?On what an XRF test finds, not on the stamp. BIS-hallmarked Indian 916 and Saudi or Gulf 916 stamps usually test true to the mark, while some older 22K stamps test lower. Each piece is weighed, beads, paste and steel fittings are weighed out, and the offer reflects the purity found. Sentimental and collectable pieces are flagged first. Selling 22ct gold by post sets out the steps, and what 916 means on gold covers the mark.

Found 916 on your piece? Send us a photo of it

Photograph the number stamped inside the ring or on the clasp, then the whole piece, and send both on WhatsApp. We will reply with what the mark means and a rough estimate of what we would pay. No obligation, and nothing needs posting.

WhatsApp a photo of the stamp

No WhatsApp? Call 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm.

Not sure what the mark says? Use the hallmark lookup. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.

Diagram of UK gold fineness marks: 375 is 9ct (37.5% gold), 585 is 14ct, 750 is 18ct, 916 is 22ct, 990 is 99.0% gold and 999 is 24ct

What 22ct gold means

22ct gold is 91.6% pure gold, usually hallmarked 916. Most British hallmarked 22ct jewellery is older (pre-1970 wedding bands and sovereigns). Today, 22ct is most commonly seen on imported Indian, Pakistani, Bengali and Gulf jewellery, where higher purity is the cultural standard. If you have already decided to sell, the service page to sell 22ct gold covers the label, the timings and the paperwork.

The high gold content gives 22ct its rich, deep yellow colour. It is softer than 18ct, so 22ct chains and bangles often show fine surface scratches even with light wear. That softness has no effect on the offer, because we are paying for the metal, not the finish.

How a 22ct offer is calculated

Each piece is XRF-tested for verified purity (around 0.916 for 22ct) and weighed in grams, and the offer reflects that weight and purity against the live precious-metal market on the day. Our refining cost and margin are already accounted for, and any non-gold components (steel screws on bangle clasps, paste stones, glass beads, lacquered enamel) are removed from the weight.

Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market. We never average a parcel: each piece is offered on its own line.

For mixed-purity parcels (22ct bangles plus 18ct rings, for example), the offer shows each carat separately so you can accept some pieces and ask for others to be returned.

What XRF detects on imported 22ct

XRF is particularly useful for imported jewellery because foreign hallmarks vary in reliability. Genuine 22ct from BIS-marked Indian work, Saudi 916 stamps and Bahraini certified pieces almost always test true to the mark. Older "22K" stamps from unregulated workshops occasionally test at 18ct or 20ct in practice. Either way, the offer reflects what the metal actually is. Thai gold is a separate case: it is made to 96.5% rather than 91.6% and is sold by the baht weight rather than the gram, which gold price per tola and baht gold explained sets out in full.

We also check for hollow construction. Many 22ct bangles and choker pieces are built with a thin gold shell over a wax or resin core that is melted out. The shell is genuine 22ct and pays as such, but the displayed weight feels lighter than expected.

22ct items you can send on one label

  1. Wedding bangles (set of two or four) gifted at a marriage.
  2. Long chains with religious pendants (Om, Allah, cross, Ganesh).
  3. Mangalsutra with black-bead sections that are removed and returned.
  4. Sovereign and half-sovereign pendants set into 22ct mounts.
  5. Pre-1970 British 22ct wedding bands.
  6. Eid and Diwali gift jewellery that no longer fits or is unworn.

You can post all of these in a single tracked, signed-for parcel using GoldPaid’s free postal route, and sellers in the East Midlands can follow the same steps on the Leicester gold and silver page.

Sentimental pieces: when not to melt

Some 22ct pieces are worth more intact. Old sovereigns and half-sovereigns in their original mounts can be worth more as coins than as scrap, and hand-engraved Indian temple jewellery from named workshops sometimes has a collector path. Send a photo on WhatsApp first and we will tell you how we would value either before you post anything. You decide what to do.

If you want to sell only some of the parcel, mark the pieces in your WhatsApp note ("the two bangles only, please return the chain"). We action that on the same written offer.

When you get paid

Once you reply "accept" to the written offer, we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance. There is no minimum and no fee at any point. If you decline, the parcel goes back to you tracked and signed for at our cost.

What to do next

If you want to know what your own pieces are worth, start with a photo rather than a parcel. Send one on WhatsApp and we will tell you plainly what can and cannot be judged from an image. If you go ahead, the items are XRF-tested on arrival and you receive a written offer setting out the purity found, the weight and the rate used. Decline it and the tracked return costs you nothing. Accept it and we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance.

Send a photo on WhatsApp

Common questions

Do you buy unmarked Indian or Pakistani 22ct?

Yes. XRF reads the actual purity regardless of whether the hallmark is British, BIS, Saudi or absent. The offer reflects the verified metal content.

My bangles have a sticker price from the jeweller. Can you match it?

The original retail price includes making charge, VAT and retail margin, none of which are recoverable as scrap. The metal offer reflects gold weight on the day, not the original ticket.

Can I send a kundan or polki piece for valuation?

Yes, but be aware that the stones (paste, glass or low-grade gem) are not paid as gold. We remove and return them or quote separately where there is genuine value.

What cover applies to the parcel?

Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. For larger lots, split into more than one parcel and we provide a label for each.

Do I need a receipt from the original purchase?

No. The offer is built on tested metal content. Receipts only matter for branded or antique pieces with a possible intact-resale path.

Will you ask for ID?

Yes, on every transaction. We ask for a photograph of UK photo ID, and we verify the name and address against the Royal Mail label and the bank account details. You are told at the start, not after your items have arrived.

What happens to the black beads on a mangalsutra?

They are detached carefully and either returned with the chain (if you want to keep the mangalsutra as a memento) or discarded with your permission. The black-bead section is not paid as gold.

Can you handle a wedding-set return?

Yes. If you change your mind on any item, we return that item tracked and signed for at our cost.

Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.

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Reference pages

A clear photo on WhatsApp is the only commitment for now. We will explain the X-ray (XRF) testing, how each item is weighed, the per-gram rate we are working from, and what Royal Mail cover may be available for your parcel. Decline at any point and the items come straight back, free of charge.

GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buying service with no shop: you request a free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, your items are XRF-assayed in house, and you are paid by bank transfer only if you accept the written offer.

Your prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label is addressed to GOLDPAID LTD, Unit 217, Bristol Business Centre, 179 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2AG. That is our Bristol office: your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened there, and each item is weighed and XRF-tested, so you know exactly where it is going before you post it.

Send a photo on WhatsAppRequest a prepaid Royal Mail label

Ask for the label in that chat and we usually send it within 30 minutes during working hours, 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week. No printer? We send a QR code you show at the Post Office counter instead.

UK-wide by post, no shop visit needed

Send a photo, get a free figure

Open WhatsApp, send a photo, and ask about the X-ray (XRF) testing, the postal cover, the timing or the return. Nothing leaves your hands until you have read the written offer.

Send a photo on WhatsAppCall 07944 014111

Free prepaid label, usually sent within 30 minutes during working hours. Free tracked return if you decline. We aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance.