Short answer
Asian-style gold is usually 22ct or 24ct, and it should be paid at that purity rather than a default lower carat. We buy chains, bangles, rings and sets brought from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Gulf and the Far East, XRF-testing each piece for its actual purity. A 22ct or 24ct item is paid at its measured rate, not a 9ct or 18ct figure. Post under a free prepaid Royal Mail label; a decline is returned free.
Why measured purity matters more for Asian gold than for British gold
British retail gold (the 9ct, 14ct, 18ct sold on the UK high street) is typically marked clearly, assayed by a UK office, and the stamp matches the metal content closely. Asian gold (22ct and 24ct pieces brought from the Indian subcontinent, the Gulf, or the Far East) is also typically marked, but the marks are unfamiliar to most UK retail buyers and the buyers often default to the lower of the visible options when valuing.
The XRF reading removes that ambiguity. A piece reading 91.67% gold is 22ct regardless of what stamp it carries. A piece reading 99.5% gold is 24ct (within the tolerance the British 999 hallmark covers). Each piece is paid at the rate its measured purity supports.
The economic difference between 22ct and 9ct
22ct gold (91.67% fine) is worth roughly 2.4 times what the same weight of 9ct gold (37.5% fine) is worth at scrap. The difference is mechanical: more fine gold per gram, more fine gold value. A 25-gram 22ct gold bangle is worth almost two-and-a-half times what the same 25 grams would be worth if it were 9ct.
We do not price Asian gold from the stamp. A mark such as 916 or 22K, a maker's punch in an unfamiliar script, or no mark at all is recorded and then set aside; the carat that decides the rate is the one the XRF reading confirms. A 22ct bangle is paid at the 22ct rate whether or not its mark can be read.
Common Asian gold pieces and the typical weight per item
22ct gold chains brought from India can run from 8 grams (a thin necklace chain) to 60 grams (a substantial gentleman's curb chain). Asian-style bangles can run from 6 grams (a thin children's bangle set) to 35 grams or more (a substantial adult bangle in solid 22ct). Mangalsutra necklaces are typically 15 to 25 grams of 22ct. Rings are usually 5 to 15 grams.
22ct chains and bangles are often hollow rather than solid, particularly larger ornate pieces. Hollow construction does not change the per-gram rate (the gold purity is still 91.67%) but it does mean the total weight is lower than a solid piece of the same external dimensions. The XRF reading and the scale handle both identically.
Pieces in original sealed packaging
22ct and 24ct gold bought in the subcontinent or the Gulf is often sold in sealed plastic envelopes with the jeweller's name, the weight, and the purity stamped on the seal. If your pieces are in original sealed packaging, do not break the seal before posting. The sealed packaging is sometimes useful for provenance and the seller stamp confirms the weight at point of sale.
On arrival, the seal is photographed before opening, the piece is removed, weighed on calibrated scales (to confirm the original weight stamp), and XRF-tested. The seller-stamped weight occasionally differs from the actual weight by a small amount; the calibrated reading is the figure used on the offer.
How it works
- Ask first and send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with photos of your asian gold for a quick indicative figure. Ask anything; there is no charge and no obligation.
- Request a prepaid Royal Mail label. We send a free Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and signed for, usually within 30 minutes during working hours. No printer? We send a QR code for the Post Office counter.
- Post it when you are ready. Use any padded envelope. There is no deadline and no pressure.
- Receive a no-obligation valuation. Every item is weighed on calibrated scales and tested by XRF spectrometry. You get a written, itemised offer, usually on the working day your parcel arrives, showing purity, weight, the rate used and the figure.
- Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer via Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned free of charge by tracked, signed-for post.
Postage and cover
Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. The label we send is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: tracked end to end, signed for on delivery, and arranged with that compensation cover per parcel. If you believe your items are worth more, message us before posting. We will arrange the right approach, either extra cover or splitting the items across more than one parcel. Full detail is on postage and cover, and is it safe to post gold? walks through posting valuables safely.
Changing your mind is free
Declining costs you nothing. If the written offer does not suit you, say so, and your items come straight back by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail post at our expense. No fee, no questions, no chasing. See what happens if I decline the offer for the step by step.
The payment step
Acceptance triggers payment: a direct bank transfer by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, to the account you give us. Nothing to bank and nothing to chase.
Built to be trusted, not just believed
- Owner-run, with founder Rocco Clayfield personally accountable for the service
- Every item XRF-assayed, the result shown to you in writing
- Free tracked postage both ways, so a valuation is genuinely no-obligation
- Honest about its limits, including when a specialist would suit you better
- No fabricated reviews and no invented numbers, anywhere on the site
Common questions
What is the per-gram rate for 22ct gold today?
It tracks the gold price multiplied by 0.9167 (the fine-gold fraction of 22ct), less the dealer margin. GoldPaid's current indicative 22ct rate is shown live on the gold calculator and on every selling page; the precise figure depends on the gold price on the day of assay.
Do you buy 22ct gold without UK hallmarks?
Yes. UK hallmarks are not required; the XRF reading confirms purity directly. Indian BIS marks, Gulf marks, Far East marks and unmarked 22ct gold all assay the same way.
Are Asian gold sets (necklace + earrings + bangles) valued together or separately?
Each piece is weighed and XRF-tested individually and shown on its own line of the written offer. You can accept the whole set or any piece individually.
What about Asian gold with stones (rubies, emeralds, pearls)?
Stones are assessed separately from the metal on the written offer. The metal value is the dominant figure for most Asian gold pieces; the stones are usually decorative and add little independent value unless unusually fine.
Do you return Asian gold pieces in their original packaging?
Yes. Where the pieces arrived in sealed plastic envelopes or jeweller's presentation boxes, they are returned in the same packaging unless we needed to open it for assay; in that case the open envelope is returned alongside the piece.
Request a free prepaid Royal Mail label
Tell us where to send it. The label arrives by email, usually within about 30 minutes during working hours. Requesting one commits you to nothing: you get a written offer after the XRF assay, and if you decline, your items come back to you free.
Would you rather ask a question first, or send a photo? Message us on WhatsApp . It is the fastest way to get a sense of what something is worth before you post anything.