Instant estimates where possible; your final offer follows inspection.
No obligation. Free tracked return if you decline. We aim to pay within one working hour of acceptance.
Cartier is handled here in three groups: fine jewellery, watches, and the lighters and pens made alongside them. Each is valued differently and each carries its own counterfeit problem. Send photos on WhatsApp first and you get an honest read before anything is posted, including when that read is that we are not the right buyer. Everything travels on a free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label.
Send a photo on WhatsApp for an instant estimate where possible, or arrange to post your items for assessment. We confirm our purchase offer after inspection, and you decide whether to accept. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Free Special Delivery label, usually within 30 minutesPurity tested in-house by X-ray (XRF)
How much is my Cartier Love bracelet worth?There are two separate figures and they are usually far apart. As metal, a solid 18ct Love bracelet is 75% gold and typically weighs in the low tens of grams, so the figure follows the weighed content at the rate on the day. As a genuine, authenticated bracelet in wearable condition it normally sells for considerably more than that on the pre-owned branded market. Where the branded route looks better we say so and point you towards it rather than buy the bracelet on weight. No firm figure is given before inspection and the XRF assay.
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you.
Send photos of your items and any hallmarks. We give an instant estimate where possible; your final offer follows inspection. You do not need to arrange postage to ask us a question.
We arrange postage with you after our conversation.
Before you post
The questions people ask before they send anything, answered here rather than at the end of the page.
Can I ask first?
Yes. WhatsApp a photo to 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm, every day, and we reply with an idea of what it is worth. Nothing is posted until you decide.
Is it safe to post?
Your parcel travels by Royal Mail Special Delivery, tracked and signed for. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. GoldPaid can confirm the appropriate postal option before you post.
How is it tested?
Your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened at our Bristol office, where each item is weighed and tested with an XRF analyser, an X-ray test that reads the metal without marking it. Your written offer lists each piece with its weight, purity and figure.
What if I say no?
We return everything by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost. Saying no costs you nothing.
When am I paid?
Only if you accept the written offer. We aim for the money to reach your bank within 24 hours of posting. We use Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, test your items promptly on receipt, and aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance. The 24-hour target is an aim, not a guarantee: it depends on posting before the local cut-off, the applicable working-day delivery service, prompt acceptance, completed identity checks and bank processing.
How long does an offer last?
Each written offer is dated and holds for a limited time, because metal prices move. If it lapses, we re-run it at that day’s rate.
Who am I dealing with?
GOLDPAID LTD, registered in England and Wales, run by founder Rocco Clayfield. Our office is at Unit 217, Bristol Business Centre, 179 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2AG. We are postal only, so there is no counter to visit. Before we pay, we ask every seller for a photo of their passport or driving licence.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
No pressure to begin with
Asking commits you to nothing. A WhatsApp message with a couple of photos of your Cartier jewellery, watches and lighters gets you an instant estimate and a straight answer to any question. Whether you post anything is your call, made later.
GoldPaid has no high-street branches. It is postal-only and UK-wide, so you never have to travel.
Where GoldPaid stands on Cartier
GOLDPAID LTD is an independent UK postal precious-metal buyer. We are not affiliated with, authorised by, or connected to Cartier, and nothing here is endorsed by them. The name appears only to describe the items customers ask us about.
The distinction that matters most is between metal and authenticity. Our XRF spectrometer measures elemental composition at the tested surface, so coatings and layered construction can require further interpretation. A reading alone cannot establish whether the whole bracelet is solid 18ct gold, gold-plated silver or plated brass. It cannot tell you who made it. Cartier is one of the most copied names in the world and some copies are made in real gold, so a clean 18ct reading is a fact about the metal and nothing more. The method is set out on our XRF testing pages.
Two commitments follow. We never describe an item as genuine Cartier without proper authentication, and we do not knowingly buy or onward-sell counterfeit goods. If a piece turns out not to be what it is marked as, it comes back free of charge by tracked post with no fee, and you are told what the assay measured so you know what you actually own.
The Cartier pieces we handle
Jewellery. Love bracelets and rings, Trinity rings, Juste un Clou and Panthere pieces, usually 18ct gold
Watches. Tank, Santos, Pasha, Panthere and Ballon Bleu, in solid gold, gold and steel, or steel
Lighters and pens. The oval and rectangular gas lighters and the pen ranges, most of them plated rather than solid
Must de Cartier. The lower-priced line from the 1970s onwards, frequently vermeil, gilded sterling silver, rather than solid gold
Single earrings, broken chains, damaged pieces, and settings with the stones already removed
One warning before you go further. A genuine, authenticated Cartier piece in wearable condition normally sells for more on the pre-owned branded market than its metal is worth, often a great deal more. Where that looks likely we say so, and you can either take our figure for the piece as it stands or take it to an auction house or a specialist pre-owned dealer, even though it means we do not buy the piece. You should hear that before you post rather than after.
What the figure actually depends on
Measured purity and weight, established by assay rather than assumed from the mark
Whether the piece is solid or hollow. A hollow bangle can look substantial and weigh very little
Non-precious components. Stones, steel links, movements, glass and lighter mechanisms are excluded from a metal figure
Whether the item is better sold as a signed branded piece, which is a different market with different buyers
Condition, completeness and paperwork, which matter to a branded buyer and almost nothing to a metal figure
The live precious-metal market on the day the offer is written
No firm figure can be given before inspection. What arrives in writing after the assay is the weight, the measured purity, the rate used and the resulting figure, itemised piece by piece, with no obligation to accept it.
How the offer is worked out
GoldPaid buys watches as timepieces, not only for their metal, so the maker, model and condition count as well as any gold or silver in the case. Any precious-metal case is weighed and XRF-tested, and the written offer shows the figure for each watch before you decide anything.
A Cartier item sold for its metal is weighed and XRF-assayed, with stones, movements, steel components and plated parts excluded. Where a piece looks worth more as a signed branded item than as metal, that is flagged in writing before any offer is made rather than absorbed quietly into a weight-based number.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
One parcel gets one written figure, itemised piece by piece. Any gold or silver jewellery in it is priced on the weight and purity we measure and the live precious-metal market, with our margin already inside the figure.
How your parcel travels
Your items travel on Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, fully tracked and signed for on delivery. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. GoldPaid can confirm the appropriate postal option before you post. If your items may be worth more, message us first and we can split them across more than one prepaid label at no charge. See postage and cover for the full picture. If a parcel is lost on its way to us, the compensation claim goes to Royal Mail from you, the sender, using your Post Office receipt, and we give you our tracking records and help you make it. Lost parcels, step by step.
No obligation, ever
You are free to walk away at any point before you accept. Decline the offer and everything is repacked and returned to you free of charge, fully tracked and signed for. There is no assessment fee and no sales pressure afterwards. The detail is on what happens if I decline the offer.
The written offer is dated and holds for a limited time, because metal prices move. If it lapses before you decide, we re-run it against the live precious-metal market on the day, at no charge. You can also accept part of a parcel and decline the rest, with no minimum and no penalty for splitting it.
Identification and ownership
Cartier items are high in value and heavily counterfeited, so the checks are firmer than on a bag of scrap chain. Every seller confirms in writing that the item is theirs to sell, and photo identification is required on every transaction, Cartier or otherwise. We cannot buy anything without clear ownership.
If the piece was inherited or came from an estate, mention it at the photo stage. It is an ordinary situation with an ordinary route through it, set out on our probate and inherited jewellery page.
Who this helps
This page is for people with one good piece rather than a bag of scrap. A Love bracelet from a marriage that ended, an inherited Tank that has not run in years, a lighter found during a house clearance, a Trinity ring that no longer fits. The uncertainty is usually threefold: what the metal is, whether the piece is genuine, and whether selling it for gold is the right idea at all. Ask first and you get a straight answer on all three.
Being paid
If you accept, we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance, directly to your bank account. It is the last step, and a simple one.
Why sell to GoldPaid
GoldPaid is a small, owner-run UK business built on one promise: show the working. Every item is weighed and XRF-assayed, and every offer is itemised in writing. Postage is free and tracked both ways, and there is never a countdown or a hard sell. If something is worth more to a specialist than to us, we say so.
What decides your offer
Every parcel is opened at our Bristol office and each piece is handled on its own. Nothing is averaged across the parcel.
Weight. Each item is weighed on scales. Stones, steel springs, non-gold clasps and cores are not paid as gold. The written breakdown explains the payable metal weight for each item, rather than treating everything on the scales as precious metal.
Purity. Each item is tested with an XRF analyser, which reads the metals at the points tested without marking the item. A surface reading alone cannot establish the composition of a plated or filled piece. Hallmarks, construction and different components all need to be considered alongside the test.
The market on the day. Gold and silver are priced against the live precious-metal market at the time your parcel is assessed, not at the time you posted.
Condition and intact value. Broken is fine and does not reduce a metal offer. Where a piece is worth more intact (a named maker, a collectable coin, a locket with provenance) we tell you before testing, so you can choose.
Anything that is not gold or silver. Plated, rolled-gold and base-metal items are listed on the offer at nothing and returned to you free. We never quietly keep them.
Why we do not publish a per-gram price list. A single printed rate hides the things that change the figure: hollow versus solid, stones, mixed carats in one bag, a mark that does not match the metal. We would rather show you the weight, the tested purity and the figure for each item, in writing, and let you decide. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
What you see before you decide. A written, itemised offer by WhatsApp or email: every item, its weight, its tested purity, and its figure. Accept and we aim to pay by bank transfer within one working hour. Decline and the whole parcel comes back by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost. No fee, no deduction, no questions.
Not conclusively, and we will not pretend to. XRF measures composition at tested surface areas; it does not establish the maker or by itself prove the composition throughout. From clear photos of the signature, the serial and any hallmarks we can give an honest opinion on whether a piece looks right, and we will tell you when it plainly does not, but a formal verdict needs proper authentication by a specialist or by the brand itself. We never describe an item as genuine Cartier on our own say-so.
What happens if the piece turns out to be a fake?
It comes straight back to you free of charge by tracked post, with no fee of any kind. We do not knowingly buy counterfeit goods and we do not put them back into circulation. You are told what the assay measured, so if the metal is gilded brass rather than gold you at least finish the process knowing what you have.
Do you buy Cartier lighters?
Yes, and we will be straight about them. Most are gold-plated or lacquered over brass, so there is no recoverable metal value; a genuine one in good order is usually worth more as a collectable item than as metal, and we will tell you that rather than quote a scrap figure. A minority were solid gold or silver, and those are weighed and assayed like anything else. Photograph the base, where the name and serial sit, before posting.
Is a Must de Cartier piece worth the same as a Cartier piece?
No. Must de Cartier was the lower-priced line and many pieces are vermeil, gilded sterling silver rather than solid gold, which carries a genuine but modest metal value. They are still properly Cartier and have a secondhand market of their own, often the better route for a complete, wearable item. Keep any box and paperwork with the piece, it matters to a branded buyer even though it makes no difference to a metal figure.
What if I decline the offer?
Everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery. There is no fee for declining, no admin charge and no follow-up pressure.
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.
How to tell what metal your piece is
A genuine piece normally carries three things together, the signature, a unique serial number and a metal mark, on the inner band of a ring, the inside of a bangle, the case back of a watch or the base of a lighter. Photograph all three and we can work with them.
750, 18K or 18ct. 18 carat gold, 75% pure. Most Cartier fine jewellery and every solid gold watch case sits here
An eagle head punch. The French assay mark for 18ct gold, often struck beside the serial with a maker mark inside a lozenge
925, or a helmeted head punch. Sterling or French first-standard silver, and the body metal underneath a vermeil piece
Vermeil or plated markings. Vermeil is gold over solid silver and carries a real if modest metal value. Gold plating over brass carries effectively none, because the layer is microns thick
No mark at all. Neither proof nor disproof of anything. XRF readings support the assessment alongside construction even when no mark is readable
Lighters are misread most often. The great majority are plated or lacquered over brass, marked on the base with the name and a serial, and hold no recoverable metal value whatever the finish looks like. A minority were made in solid gold or silver. Weight in the hand is the first clue and the assay is the answer, so photograph the base before posting. The same caution applies to the pens. For the British marks you may find alongside the French ones, see the UK gold hallmark guide.
The full process, start to finish
Ask, then send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with a few clear photos of your Cartier jewellery, watches and lighters. Lay items flat, in daylight if you can, and include any hallmarks or carat stamps in shot. We reply with an instant estimate and answer anything you want to ask. There is no charge and no obligation.
Request the prepaid label. When you are ready, we email a free Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label, tracked and signed for. No printer is needed: ask for a QR code and the Post Office counter prints it for you.
Pack and post, tracked. Wrap items in any padded envelope or a small box and attach the label. Hand the parcel in over the Post Office counter so you get a receipt with the tracking number. Keep that receipt. There is no deadline.
We weigh, test and value. On arrival each item is weighed and tested by XRF spectrometry to confirm purity. You receive a written, itemised offer showing the weight, the purity and the figure for each item, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer via Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for post. The choice is entirely yours, and you do not need to give a reason.
Your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened at our Bristol office, where each item is weighed and XRF-tested before the written offer is prepared.
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.
Send clear photos of the signature, the serial and any hallmarks on WhatsApp and you will get an honest read before anything is posted. No obligation, free tracked return if you decline.