Short answer
GoldPaid buys gold brooches by post, Victorian mourning brooches, Edwardian bar brooches, mid-century novelty pieces and contemporary designs all included. Each brooch is assayed on calibrated XRF, weighed, and itemised on the written offer with any stones assessed separately. Free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, bank payment on acceptance, free return if declined.
Why brooches sit in drawers for so long
Brooches went out of everyday fashion in the late twentieth century and have not returned. The result is that a significant share of British gold-brooch inventory has been sitting in drawers for thirty or more years without being worn. None of that affects the metal value; gold does not degrade in a drawer.
The brooches most commonly received as postal parcels are Victorian and Edwardian bar brooches (typically 9ct or 15ct gold, often with small seed pearls or turquoise), mid-twentieth-century novelty pieces (animals, flowers, ribbons, often 9ct or 18ct gold with marcasite or small stones), and the occasional fine Edwardian brooch with a documented maker mark.
The 15ct gold question
15ct gold was a UK hallmark standard from 1854 to 1932. It is 62.5% gold, sitting between 14ct (58.5%) and 18ct (75%). It appears on a meaningful share of Victorian and Edwardian brooches and is worth knowing about because the rate per gram is materially higher than for 9ct and slightly higher than for 14ct.
Pieces stamped ".625" or "15" with an associated assay-office mark are 15ct. The XRF reading on arrival confirms the purity, and the rate per gram is set at the measured 62.5% value. Many sellers do not realise 15ct is not 9ct and are pleasantly surprised when a brooch they assumed was the lower carat assays to the higher one.
Pins, catches and the metal under the gold
The pin and the catch on a brooch are sometimes the same metal as the brooch and sometimes a separate harder alloy (gold-plated steel for strength, or a higher-carat gold for the pin and a lower-carat gold for the body). The XRF reading separates the two; the pin and catch are valued at their own measured metal.
On older brooches the catch is occasionally a base-metal replacement (the original gold catch having worn through and been replaced by a watchmaker in the 1950s). That is normal and the affected metal is simply excluded from the precious-metal weight.
Mourning brooches and antique resale value
Victorian mourning brooches (typically gold and jet, or gold and woven hair under glass) sit in a specialist antique-market category where the designed-piece value can exceed the scrap-metal value by a wide margin. A jet mourning brooch with hair-work behind glass and a clear maker stamp can be worth ten or twenty times the scrap value of the gold mount alone.
Where we believe a brooch is in that category, the written offer flags it explicitly. The metal valuation is shown for transparency, and a note is added explaining that the piece is likely worth more through a specialist antique dealer or auction route. We do not pressure on scrap when the antique market is the better route.
How it works
- Ask first and send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with photos of your gold brooches 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. 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: 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, insured post.
Cover in transit
Royal Mail Special Delivery cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. The prepaid label is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: full tracking, a signature on delivery, arranged with that cover per parcel. Higher-value items are no problem, but please message us first so the cover and the packing approach match the value. Postage and insurance explains it fully.
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.
Payment, once you accept
When you say yes to the written offer, GoldPaid pays by Faster Payments bank transfer to your nominated account. You give those details only at the point you accept, never as a condition of getting an offer.
Why this is a calmer way to sell
Three things make GoldPaid a steadier route than a counter sale. You see a measured valuation in writing, not a verbal estimate. You decide at home, with nobody waiting. And if you decline, the return is free, tracked and insured, so obtaining the valuation costs you nothing.
Common questions
Are mourning brooches worth more than the gold?
Often yes, particularly Victorian jet-and-gold or hair-work pieces with clear maker marks. We flag any piece likely to be worth more on the antique market on the written offer rather than processing it as scrap.
Do you buy brooches with damaged pins?
Yes. A bent or missing pin does not change the metal weight or the precious-metal value. We pay for the gold present, regardless of the brooch's functional condition.
Can you tell the era of a brooch from a photograph?
Often yes. Hallmark date letters, style cues, fittings and stone setting all help identify the era. A clear photo of the back of the brooch (where most marks live) plus the front is usually enough.
What if my brooch has small turquoise or seed pearls?
Both are common on Victorian and Edwardian brooches. We note them on the written offer; their market value is usually low compared with the gold, but where a piece is unusually fine we will tell you.
Are mid-century novelty brooches worth selling at scrap?
It depends on the maker and the design. Some twentieth-century designer brooches have collector value above scrap; others are worth their gold weight. We assess each piece individually and tell you which is which.