Indicative gold rates by carat
| Metal | Fineness | Indicative per gram |
|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | 375 | £38.07 |
| 14ct gold | 585 | £59.31 |
| 18ct gold | 750 | £76.14 |
| 22ct gold | 916 | £92.97 |
| 24ct gold | 999 | £102.51 |
How to read these figures
Gold is priced by its purity. 9ct gold is 37.5% pure, 14ct is 58.5%, 18ct is 75%, 22ct is 91.6% and 24ct is 99.9%. A gram of 18ct is worth roughly twice a gram of 9ct in pure-gold content. The figures above are indicative per-gram rates for each carat. They move continuously with the live precious-metal market. For a quick estimate on your own items, use the gold & silver calculator, and see how we value gold for the full method.
What actually moves the gold price
The live gold spot price in GBP is a function of two things at once: the global gold price in USD (set by international wholesale markets, trading 24/5) and the GBP/USD exchange rate. A weaker pound pushes the GBP gold price up even when the USD price is flat, which is why UK rates can move on currency days as well as commodity days.
- Global supply and demand, central-bank buying, jewellery demand in Asia, investment demand, and recycled-scrap flow.
- Interest rates and the dollar, gold is priced in dollars internationally, so a weaker dollar or lower real rates tend to push the price up.
- Risk sentiment, geopolitical events, market stress and inflation expectations all move gold as a perceived safe haven.
- GBP/USD, the rate you receive in pounds depends as much on sterling as on gold itself.
None of that means "wait for a better day before posting". Gold moves both ways and timing the market is a separate skill to selling jewellery you no longer want. GoldPaid prices on the day we assess your items, with the rate shown in your written breakdown, so you see the figure before you decide.
Indicative versus firm, why GoldPaid will not quote a price sight-unseen
A published rate is a starting point, not an offer. Real items differ from their hallmarks: solder at clasp joints, repairs done over the years, replacement parts, mixed alloys and weighted bases all change the true metal content. That is why every firm GoldPaid offer follows an XRF assay of your specific items. Be wary of any buyer who guarantees a figure before seeing what you have, the figure they quote and the figure they pay are rarely the same.
A worked example using these rates
Say you have a 9ct gold chain weighing 12.0g. 9ct gold is 37.5% pure, so the fine-gold content is 4.5g. That 4.5g is valued against the live gold spot rate on the day, with our margin applied, and the result is your written offer. The table above shows the per-gram rate already adjusted for each carat, so an 18ct item weighing 10g uses the 18ct row in the table directly. You see every number in the written breakdown before you are asked to decide anything. The full method is on how we value gold.
Where the live spot price comes from
The international gold benchmark used across the trade is the LBMA Gold Price, set twice a day in London (the morning and afternoon "fixings") by a panel of bullion banks. Most UK buyers, including GoldPaid, price against that benchmark or the live wholesale rate, converted to pounds at the prevailing GBP/USD rate. You can see the published LBMA fix on the LBMA website and on most major financial data sites. The rate in your written offer is the rate on the day we assess your items, not last week’s or a "headline" number from elsewhere.
What backs the offer up
- XRF spectrometry on every item, not a counter estimate
- A written, itemised breakdown before you decide anything
- Free insured postage in, free tracked return out
- No countdowns, no pressure, no fabricated reviews
- An owner-run business with a named founder who answers honestly
Common questions
Why is the offer not just the rate times the weight?
Because the rate is for confirmed pure-gold content, and a buyer applies a margin. Real items also differ from their hallmarks. The XRF assay confirms the actual purity and weight, and your written breakdown shows every figure, including the rate used.
How often do GoldPaid rates change?
The live wholesale gold price moves continuously. The indicative rates published here are reviewed regularly and the date shown is when the table was last refreshed. Your firm offer is priced against the rate on the day we assess your items, not the date of this page.
Should I wait for the gold price to be higher before selling?
Honestly, that is impossible to call. Gold moves both ways and timing the market is a separate skill. If you have items you no longer want, the rate today is the rate you can act on. If the market suits a different decision for you, we will say so, for example, if a coin has collector premium that a specialist may pay for, we will tell you and recommend the right route.
Are these rates after the buyer margin or before?
The per-gram rates shown are net of the GoldPaid margin and reflect the typical net rate for that carat at the date last reviewed. Your firm offer follows the same approach and the written breakdown shows the rate used and the calculation against your assayed weight and purity.
How do these rates compare to a high-street pawnbroker?
Pawnbrokers and high-street gold-buyers carry shop rent, staff and rates that come out of what they can pay. GoldPaid is fully postal and that overhead structure is different, which is one reason the postal-first approach can be more competitive. The honest comparison, though, is whatever rate you see in writing in your offer. That is the rate to compare.