By Rocco Clayfield, trading as GoldPaid; the business incorporated as GOLDPAID LTD (company 17382540) on 5 August 2026 · Published · updated
Found 999 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.
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.
What 24ct (fine gold) really is
24ct gold, sometimes shown as 999 or 999.9, is fine gold. It is too soft for everyday jewellery, so 24ct in the UK normally arrives as bullion bars, investment coins, or 24ct gift jewellery from East Asia where higher purity is the cultural norm. If you have fine gold to sell rather than to identify, the service page to sell 24ct gold covers the label, the cover level and the paperwork.
Most British wedding jewellery is not 24ct. If a chain is marked 999 but feels stiff and springy, it is more likely 22ct or 18ct mis-stamped. We confirm with XRF before quoting.
How a 24ct offer is built
For investment-grade bars (PAMP, Umicore, Metalor, Baird, The Royal Mint) and recognised coins (Britannia, Sovereign, Krugerrand, Maple Leaf), the offer is built directly off the live precious-metal market with the standard recognised premium for the format. There is no refining cost on intact branded bars in their assay cards.
For 24ct jewellery, we still XRF-test, weigh and offer per piece. A 24ct East Asian chain pays for the gold it contains, with no alloy deduction, because there is no base metal to subtract.
Coins and bars: what to send
- Photograph each coin face and reverse, plus any assay card or serial number.
- WhatsApp 07944 014111 with the photos and a one-line description.
- We email a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label sized to the parcel.
- Place coins in their original capsules or small zip-bags, pad the box.
- Drop the parcel at the Post Office counter and keep the receipt.
- We confirm arrival, identify each item, and email a written per-item offer.
For a parcel worth more than £2,500, message first. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used, so GoldPaid can confirm the appropriate postal option before you post, including splitting the consignment over more than one prepaid label.
Counterfeit-spotting on 24ct
Counterfeit bullion does enter the UK postal market. XRF surface readings catch most fakes, and we also check for tungsten cores by weight, dimension and acoustic tone where a piece looks suspect. We will tell you honestly if a bar fails verification, and we will not melt or destroy a piece without your permission.
If you bought from a recognised UK dealer with original assay packaging intact, this is rarely an issue. Loose secondary-market coins occasionally are.
East Asian 24ct gift jewellery
Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai gift jewellery (pigs, dragons, the zodiac, the character "fu") is often 24ct because gifting high-purity gold is traditional. We XRF-test and pay on metal content, not on the decorative form. If a piece has a known maker (Chow Tai Fook, Chow Sang Sang), send a photo on WhatsApp first and we will tell you how we would value it before you post anything.
When a 24ct piece pays more intact
Sovereigns in mint condition with a strong year, proof Britannias in original Royal Mint capsules and pre-1933 US gold coins can be worth more to a collector than as metal. Send a photo of your coins on WhatsApp first and we will tell you how we would value them before you post anything. The sell-by-post service sets out the postal steps.