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UK precious metals guides

GoldPaid Knowledge Centre

Send a photo on WhatsAppRequest a prepaid label
Read our reviews on TrustpilotFree Special Delivery label, usually within 30 minutesWe aim to pay within one working hour of acceptancePurity tested in-house by X-ray (XRF)Free return if you say no

Guides for anyone selling gold, silver or collectables in the UK: how to read a hallmark, what an XRF test measures, how a written offer is worked out from purity, payable weight and the live precious-metal market, and what an executor needs to know before selling inherited jewellery. Each guide shows the working rather than asking you to take a figure on trust.

Where to start

The pages below cover UK hallmarking, non-destructive testing and how a postal valuation is put together. If something here does not answer your question, ask us on WhatsApp.

Hallmarking & Purity Guides

Testing Methodology & Process

  • XRF testing explained. How X-ray fluorescence reads gold purity without scratching or filing your jewellery, and what it cannot tell you.
  • How we value gold. XRF purity, payable weight and the live precious-metal market on the day of testing, with a worked example.
  • Postal Safety & Royal Mail Special Delivery. End-to-end tracking, with Royal Mail cover that may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used.
  • Free tracked returns. No-obligation valuation, with free tracked returns if you decline.

Probate, Collectables & Method Notes

Common questions

How does GoldPaid test gold purity without scratching items?

We use non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. The analyser fires low-energy X-rays at the item, the metal atoms fluoresce, and the instrument reads the element percentages that come back (gold, silver, copper, zinc) with no scratching, filing or acid.

What is the difference between a hallmark and a carat stamp?

A UK hallmark is applied by one of the four UK assay offices (London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh) after testing, and certifies that the metal is at least the standard marked. A bare "375" or "18K" stamp applied by a manufacturer is the maker’s own claim, not a hallmark.

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.

Get a free Royal Mail label by email

Free, and it commits you to nothing. We test your items when they arrive and send a written offer; anything you decline comes back free.

What are you sending?

About a minute

What are you sending? Tap any that fit.
Roughly what is it worth?

Helps us pick the right postal option. Skip if unsure.

How should the label arrive?

Show it at any Post Office counter and they print the label.

Your details for the label

Last step

Your label is sent here, usually within 30 minutes (8am to 9pm, every day).

Your address prints on the label, and anything you decline comes back to it. UK addresses only.

Only used if your email bounces.
  • Free. No obligation to sell after you see the written offer.
  • Anything you decline comes back by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost.
  • Before we pay, we ask every seller for a photo of their passport or driving licence, to check identity and ownership.

We use these details only to issue your prepaid label and to talk to you about your items. We do not sell or share them. Data controller: Rocco Clayfield, founder of GoldPaid, on the ICO data protection register under registration ZC214216. See our privacy policy.

Rather ask a question or send a photo first? Message us on WhatsApp.

GOLDPAID LTD · 07944 014111

Related 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.

Prepaid label, free tracked return

Message us before you post anything

WhatsApp a clear photo and any question you have. Nothing is posted until you say so, and if you decline the written offer your items come back free and tracked.

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.