How selling gold from Aldeburgh by post works
GoldPaid serves customers in Aldeburgh by post using a prepaid Royal Mail label. You do not need to visit a shop. We do not run a branch in Aldeburgh and we do not need to: the whole service is built so you never travel, never commit before you are ready, and never accept an offer you have not seen in writing.
You stay in control
Posting valuables should never feel like a leap of faith, so here it does not start as one. Ask your questions first and send photos of your gold or silver on WhatsApp for a no-charge quick indicative figure. Only when you are comfortable do you request a label.
This is a UK-wide postal service with no branches anywhere. Wherever you live, it works the same way: a free insured label in, a written offer back, and a free return if you decline.
What gold and silver does GoldPaid buy from Aldeburgh?
Aldeburgh is a quiet Suffolk seaside town with a long shingle beach and a strong classical-music heritage built around the festival founded there by Benjamin Britten. Its resident population is long-settled and skews older, with many households that have collected jewellery over a lifetime. Selling from Aldeburgh is done by post, anywhere in the UK, so there is no shop to visit and no need to leave this corner of the Suffolk coast.
Seaside-town parcels often mix the generations, a grandparent's gold alongside more recent pieces, cleared together when a family home is finally sorted out.
What happens, from first message to payment
- A photo and a question. Send photos of your gold or silver on WhatsApp. We reply with a quick indicative figure and answer whatever you want to know.
- A prepaid label, on request. Ask for the label when you are ready and we send a free, tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery one, or a QR code for the counter.
- You post it. Any padded envelope is fine, posted whenever you choose.
- We assess and write it up. Calibrated weighing plus an XRF assay produce a written, itemised offer for you to read at home.
- Your decision. Accept for payment by Faster Payments, or decline for a free, tracked, insured return.
What we can check from your photos
Clear photos tell us a surprising amount before your gold or silver leaves the house. They are how we reach a sensible quick indicative figure, and how we flag anything worth knowing before you post.
- Hallmarks and assay marks. A close photo of a hallmark often shows the assay office mark and the fineness, which points to whether an item is 9, 18 or 22 carat gold, or sterling silver.
- Carat and fineness stamps. Numbers such as 375, 750, 916 or 925 stamped on a clasp or band help confirm the metal before testing.
- Approximate weight. A photo next to a coin or a ruler gives a rough sense of size and weight, which feeds the indicative figure.
- Solid or plated. Wear at edges, a worn-through base metal, or marks like "GP", "rolled gold" or "EPNS" usually indicate plating rather than solid precious metal. We will tell you honestly if an item looks plated.
- Stones and non-gold parts. Set stones, clasps, springs, watch movements and base-metal fittings are not precious metal and are accounted for separately, so a photo helps us explain how they affect the figure.
How we value what you send
Every offer is built from three measurable facts: confirmed purity, accurate weight, and the live precious-metal market rate on the day we assess your items. You see each figure in a written breakdown before you decide anything. See how we value gold and XRF testing explained for the full method.
What happens after you post gold from a IP-postcode address?
Aldeburgh sits inside the Royal Mail IP postcode area. Royal Mail does not run a different track depending on where in the area you post from, and a Special Delivery parcel normally reaches our address the next working morning.
Whatever the parcel holds, gold and silver of different carats, broken pieces, odd earrings, the contents are never weighed together as scrap. Every item is XRF-tested and weighed on its own, and the written offer lists each one.
The clerk's receipt shows a thirteen-character tracking reference. That reference lets you, and us, follow the parcel the whole way; a photograph of it at the counter is all you need to keep.
Postage, tracking and cover
Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. Every parcel uses Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, tracked from the counter to our door, signed for on arrival, and arranged with that compensation cover. For anything you think exceeds it, contact us first; we will arrange a suitable approach rather than leave a parcel underprotected. The detail sits on postage and insurance and is it safe to post gold?.
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, insured 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.
Getting paid
Once you accept your written offer, payment is made by bank transfer using Faster Payments, directly to your account. No cheques to wait on, no conditions attached.
Is selling by post right for you? Who we help in Aldeburgh
People sell to GoldPaid from Aldeburgh for all sorts of reasons. These are the most common, and each links to a page that explains that situation in more detail.
- Broken and worn gold jewellery. Snapped chains, single earrings, bent rings, tangled or clasp-less pieces. Condition makes no difference; we pay for the metal.
- Inherited and probate jewellery. Pieces being cleared after an estate, a downsize, or sorting out a family home.
- Scrap gold. Odd, mixed-carat or unhallmarked pieces, each paid at its own measured carat rather than as a lump.
- Gold sovereigns and coins. Flagged separately on the written offer if a coin carries collector value above its metal content.
- Silver. Hallmarked tableware, cutlery, coins and jewellery, weighed and valued alongside any gold.
- Unwanted jewellery of any kind. Gifts that were never worn, pieces from a past relationship, anything simply sitting unused in a drawer.
Whatever the case, the first step is the same: a clear photo on WhatsApp and an honest indicative figure in reply.
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
Can I send photos before I post anything from Aldeburgh?
Yes. Photograph your items and send them to us on WhatsApp. We reply with guidance and answer your questions, and only when you are ready do we send the prepaid label. The photo stage commits you to nothing.
How long does a parcel from Aldeburgh take to reach you?
A Special Delivery parcel from Aldeburgh normally reaches us the next working morning. We test and weigh the contents the same day, send the written offer by email, and pay by Faster Payments the moment you accept.
Can I ask questions before I post anything?
Yes, and we recommend it. Message us on WhatsApp or call, and ask anything about the items, the postal cover, the testing process, or the return if you decline. Nothing needs to be posted until you are satisfied with the answers.
How is the Royal Mail cover arranged?
We use Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, which is fully tracked and signed for. Insured up to £2,500. Tell us first if your items may be worth more and we will confirm the appropriate postal option.
What happens if I do not accept the offer?
Decline and everything comes back free of charge, tracked and signed for. There is no decline fee, no callback chain and no obligation at any stage.
How should I photograph my items before posting?
Lay each item flat on a plain surface in good daylight, then take one clear overall photo and a close-up of any hallmark or carat stamp. Photographing items next to a coin or a ruler helps show their size. From those photos we can usually read hallmarks, spot carat stamps and tell whether something looks solid or plated, which is enough for a quick indicative figure on WhatsApp.
Do I need to clean or polish my gold before sending it?
No. Please send items as they are. Value comes from the weight and purity of the precious metal, not the shine, and gentle wear, tarnish or small repairs make no difference to a postal valuation. There is no need to remove stones or dismantle anything either; set stones and non-gold parts are simply accounted for separately.