How to read these examples
Every offer GoldPaid makes rests on the same three facts: confirmed purity, read from the item itself by XRF rather than from the stamp; payable weight, on scales that read to 0.01 g; and the live precious-metal market on the day. The examples below show how those facts turn into a written offer. They are worked examples of the method, not records of real sales.
Worked example 1: an inherited 18ct locket, no hallmark
Suppose an unmarked locket has a payable metal weight of 12.4 g. Inspection supports solid construction and readings at several points are consistent with an 18ct alloy. Its assessed metal content would then be used in the offer; the missing mark would not automatically put it into a 9ct band. A locket can also contain a glass insert, photograph, hinge or other components, so its whole weight is not necessarily its payable gold weight. This example assumes those checks have already been made.
Worked example 2: 42.5 g of broken 9ct chain, mixed with plated pieces
A tangle of broken chains, single earrings and a snapped bracelet. Mixed lots are separated by carat before anything is weighed, because valuing one blended figure across a mixed lot can cost the seller. Here 42.5 g tests as 9ct and is valued as 9ct on its payable weight. Two further pieces are identified as gold-plated base metal after inspection and testing. GoldPaid does not buy those pieces through this service, so they are listed separately at zero rather than included in the payable gold weight. Plated items are returned with anything else you decline, free and tracked.
Worked example 3: a canteen of sterling silver cutlery
Sterling silver is 92.5 per cent fine, so 310 g of sterling teaspoons is valued on the silver it actually contains against the live silver market. The trap in cutlery is weighted knife handles: a knife handle is usually a thin silver shell filled with pitch or resin, so the gross weight of a canteen is not the payable weight. Handles are weighed separately and valued on the silver actually present, which is why a 2 kg canteen does not produce a 2 kg figure. Electroplated pieces marked EPNS or A1 have a silver coating rather than a solid silver body; GoldPaid does not buy them as precious metal and lists them separately at zero.
How to check your own offer
For more on the gold price and selling by post, see the gold price and selling by post and the silver price and selling by post. Your own written offer shows the confirmed purity, the payable weight and the figure for each item, so you can check every line before you accept anything. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Customer purchases and our weighing and testing
Explore real items bought from GoldPaid customers and the equipment we use. The worked price examples above are separate illustrations of our valuation method.
Our own photographs of items bought from GoldPaid customers and our weighing and testing work.
Four photographs show weighing and XRF inspection. Readings are part of an assessment, rather than a promise of a particular payment.
Show us your own items
Start with the whole collection, then add clear photographs of individual pieces and any stamps. Tell us which items you would like help with.
Send your photographs on WhatsApp →Common questions
Are these real customer transactions?
The photographs show real items bought from GoldPaid customers, together with our weighing and testing work. The numerical worked examples are illustrations of the method, not records of the purchases pictured. No seller details or actual payouts are published in the gallery.
Why does the example locket price at 18ct when it has no hallmark?
The example assumes inspection and readings support an 18ct alloy despite the absent hallmark. A missing mark is a reason to assess the piece, not automatically assign the lowest carat. Surface readings still have to be considered with the locket’s construction and components.
Will my own items come out at these figures?
These examples do not predict an offer for your items or show customer payouts. Your offer depends on the assessed metal, payable weight, condition, other valuable components and the market at the time of testing. Send a photo on WhatsApp for an instant estimate, or request a free tracked label and get a written itemised offer with no obligation to accept it.
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.
Speak to us before you post
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you. We give an instant estimate where possible and arrange postage with you after our conversation. Your final offer follows inspection.