
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 prepaid Royal Mail label in, a written offer back, and a free return if you decline.
Barnstaple in context, and how we handle what you send
Barnstaple is the principal market and administrative town of North Devon, sitting at the head of the Taw estuary inside the EX postcode area. A hallmark rubbed thin by fifty years of daily wear costs you nothing here: purity is read by XRF, not by eye. The reading is taken on a small cleaned area of each piece, so a faint stamp holds nothing up.
If the written offer is not what you hoped for, say no. Items go back free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery, and you keep the XRF figures and the offer as a record of what you have.
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. We send a free Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and signed for, or a QR code for the Post Office 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, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
- Your decision. Accept for payment by Faster Payments, or decline for a free, tracked, signed-for return.
What a photo tells us, and what it cannot
Before your gold or silver is posted, a few clear pictures let us give you an honest quick indicative figure and point out anything you should know.
From a good photo we can usually read the hallmark and the mark of the assay office that tested the piece. We can spot purity stamps such as 375, 750, 916 and 925, which stand for 9ct, 18ct and 22ct gold and for sterling silver. We can judge approximate size and weight against a coin or ruler, and tell whether an item looks solid or plated. Marks like "GP", "rolled gold" or "EPNS", or base metal showing through worn edges, usually mean plating. Set stones, clasps and non-gold fittings are not precious metal, so we explain separately how they affect the value.
The valuation, in plain terms
We do not eyeball a figure. Each item is XRF-assayed for purity and weighed on calibrated scales, then valued against the live market rate, and you see the working in writing before you decide. The method is set out in full on how we value gold.
Posting from a Barnstaple EX-postcode in North Devon
Barnstaple and the wider North-Devon district use the Royal Mail EX postcode area, from EX31 and EX32 in the town centre out through Pilton, Sticklepath, Newport and Bickington. Special Delivery handles any EX postcode on the standard one-working-day clock into our address.
A parcel that arrives in the morning is assayed the same working day. The offer is emailed to you itemised (weight, measured purity and the figure for each piece) and nothing is agreed until you reply to it.
From a Barnstaple counter the parcel routes overnight via the regional Mail Centre to our address. The thirteen-character tracking reference on the counter receipt is the single document you keep; a phone photograph at the counter closes the chain on your side.
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.
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 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
How long does a parcel from Barnstaple take to reach you?
Royal Mail Special Delivery from any EX-postcode address normally reaches our address the next working morning. We weigh and XRF-assay your items the same day, and the written offer is emailed back to you during working hours on the day it arrives.
Can I ask questions before I post anything?
Yes, and we recommend it. Message us on WhatsApp or call, ask anything about the items, the cover, the testing process, or the return route if you decline. Nothing has to be posted until you are satisfied with the answers.
How is the parcel cover arranged?
The label we send is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, fully tracked and signed for. 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. If your items may exceed that figure, send a rough total weight beforehand and we will confirm the appropriate postal option before any label is issued.
What happens if I do not accept the offer?
Your items are returned to you free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery. There is no fee, no pressure and no obligation to accept. You keep the XRF certificate and written offer as a record of what your gold is worth.
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.
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.
Related pages
- Sell gold by post UK
- Sell scrap gold
- Sell gold & silver coins
- Sell silver
- Sell platinum
- Sell bullion
- Sell diamond jewellery
- Probate & inheritance
- Gold & silver calculator
- Sell gold in Torquay
- Sell gold in Paignton
- Sell gold in Newton Abbot
- Sell gold in Bideford
- Sell gold in Ilfracombe
- All locations
- Gold price today, UK rates
- Silver price today, UK rates
- UK gold hallmark guide
- How we value gold
- Sell Asian gold
- Sell coin collections
- Sell gold chains by post, anywhere in the UK