By Rocco Clayfield, trading as GoldPaid; the business incorporated as GOLDPAID LTD (company 17382540) on 5 August 2026 · Published · updated
Found 375 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 9ct gold actually is
9ct gold is 37.5% pure gold by weight, mixed with copper, silver and sometimes zinc. The remaining 62.5% is alloy that gives the metal its strength and colour, which is why a 9ct ring can outlast a higher-carat one in daily wear. The hallmark is usually 375. If you have already decided to sell rather than to understand the pricing, the service page to sell 9ct gold covers the label, the timings and the paperwork.
Most British jewellery sold between the 1970s and today is 9ct. Wedding bands, signet rings, curb chains, charm bracelets and christening bracelets are commonly 9ct because it is harder and cheaper than 18ct. Older Victorian and Edwardian pieces tend to be 15ct or 18ct, so a faded mark is worth checking before assuming carat.
A 9ct piece will always be worth less per gram than 18ct or 22ct, because there is less gold in it. The price you receive is driven by the metal you actually own, not the size of the item.
How a 9ct postal offer is calculated
Your offer reflects the payable weight and the purity we measure against the live precious-metal market. Our refining cost and margin are already accounted for, so nothing further is taken off once the offer is written; for background on how the market moves, see the gold price and selling by post. Purity is confirmed by XRF rather than read from a hallmark, because plated and filled items often carry a 375 stamp on the clasp only.
If a piece has a steel spring, a stone, a hollow core or a base-metal clasp, those parts are deducted from the gold weight. You see the deduction itemised in the written offer.
What XRF testing catches on 9ct
XRF (X-ray fluorescence) reads the actual metal composition of the surface and just below it. On a 9ct piece that settles several questions at once. Does the marked purity match the metal? Is the inside of a hollow piece the same alloy as the outside? And is a "rolled gold" or "gold-filled" item being taken for solid?
A 375 stamp on a clasp does not prove the links are solid, because on plated and filled work the mark sits on the one solid part. We XRF-test the body of a chain as well as the clasp. XRF picks up the difference within seconds and we report each piece separately rather than averaging the parcel.
Items you can post in safely
- Take clear daylight photos of each piece and any hallmarks.
- WhatsApp the photos to 07944 014111 with a short note (for example, "two 9ct chains and a signet ring").
- We confirm the prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label and email it during 8am to 9pm.
- Print, wrap in bubble wrap or a small jiffy bag, drop into any Post Office over the counter.
- When the parcel lands with us, we weigh, XRF-test and write a per-item offer.
- Accept by reply and we aim to pay by bank transfer within one working hour. Decline and we return the parcel tracked and free.
You can mix a parcel however you like: a broken curb chain, one or two unworn rings, an old charm bracelet, an odd earring without its pair. Each piece is tested and priced on its own line. There is no minimum value to use the postal selling service.
Why carat alone does not set your offer
Two parcels can both be "9ct" and pay very differently. A solid 9ct curb chain at 24g is mostly gold weight. A 9ct charm bracelet at 24g may carry six soldered charms with steel jump rings, a heavy base-metal clasp and two glass beads. The verified gold weight, not the total weight on the scale, drives the price.
Condition matters less than people fear. Snapped clasps, missing stones, kinked links and tarnish do not lower a scrap offer, because the piece is being valued as metal. The only time we ask before testing is when a piece may have antique or maker value (for example, a hallmarked Victorian locket), where a melt offer would undersell it.
If you change your mind
The written offer is a quote, not a contract. It is dated and holds for a limited time; if it lapses, it is re-run against the market on the day. If the number is lower than you hoped, reply "return" and we post the parcel back to you tracked, at our cost. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. No pressure call, no follow-up email chain. The whole point of buying by post is that you keep control of the decision.