Short answer
Gold lockets are often kept long after they stop being worn, which makes them a common item to clear by post. We weigh and XRF-test each locket on arrival, so the offer is built on measured gold content at the carat the reading confirms, with any attached chain noted separately. Request a free prepaid Royal Mail label, read the written offer the same working day, take bank payment on acceptance, or have the locket returned free.
Locket weights and why they vary so much
A small late-Victorian heart-shaped 9ct gold locket weighs roughly 3 to 5 grams. A substantial Victorian or Edwardian oval locket with a heavy front engraving and a glass interior can weigh 12 to 20 grams of 9ct or 15ct gold. A modern 9ct locket from a high-street retailer typically weighs 4 to 7 grams. The XRF reading and calibrated scales handle every range identically.
Lockets are hinged at one or both edges and hold one or two photographs or pieces of hair behind glass or a thin gold disc. The contents are usually paper and have no metal value; we never discard them without your consent. If you decline the offer, the locket is returned with its contents undisturbed.
Engraving, monograms and antique value
Most Victorian and Edwardian lockets are engraved on the front with a monogram, a date, or a decorative pattern. The engraving does not change the metal weight; the gold is weighed as the metal mass. Where the engraving identifies a named individual (initials with a year, or a fully spelled name), the piece can have provenance value that exceeds scrap, particularly if it ties to a documented historical figure.
Lockets engraved on the back with a maker mark or sponsor mark plus a UK assay-office mark and a date letter are easier to date and trace. The four UK offices and their marks are the same as for any other gold piece; the date letter cycle identifies the year.
The interior, the glass and the photographs
Open the locket gently before posting if you want to check the contents. Many Victorian lockets contain a single oval photograph behind glass; some contain hair-work or a small fabric token. Removing the photograph for sentimental reasons before posting is fine and does not affect the metal valuation. If you want the photograph returned with the locket on a decline, mention it when you message us; we will keep it intact.
The glass inside the locket is a separate component; on older lockets it is sometimes cracked or missing. Neither affects the metal weight or the metal value. We do not charge for handling the contents.
Lockets with chains attached
Many lockets arrive on a chain. Where the chain is intended to be sold with the locket, the XRF reading on the chain is taken separately and the chain weight is itemised on its own line of the offer. Where the locket is intended to be kept on a particular chain (for sentimental reasons), the chain is excluded from the parcel before posting.
A locket and chain in different carats — a 15ct Edwardian locket on a 9ct modern chain, for example — is valued at each segment's own carat rate, never blended together.
The full process, start to finish
- Ask, then send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with a few clear photos of your gold lockets. Lay items flat, in daylight if you can, and include any hallmarks or carat stamps in shot. We reply with a quick indicative figure 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, attach the label, and 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 on calibrated scales and tested by XRF spectrometry to confirm purity. You receive a written, itemised offer showing the weight, the purity, the rate used and the figure for each item.
- Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer on Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, insured post. The choice is entirely yours, and you do not need to give a reason.
New to posting valuables? Read the flagship guide on selling gold by post in the UK for a fuller walk-through of every step.
Getting it here safely
Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. We post you a Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label: tracked end to end, signed for, and arranged with that cover per parcel. If your items are worth more, the rule is simple, message us before posting and we will sort the right approach. There is more on postage and insurance.
If you decide not to sell
There is never any obligation to accept. If the offer is not for you, simply decline, and we return everything free of charge by tracked, insured post, with no fee and no follow-up pressure. The full return process is on what happens if I decline the offer.
How payment reaches you
Accept the offer and the money is sent by Faster Payments straight to the bank account you provide. There are no cheques, no delays of that kind, and no strings.
The proof, not the promise
Anyone can say "best price". GoldPaid does not. Instead the process is laid bare: a measured XRF assay, calibrated weighing, the live market rate, and a written breakdown you read at home before you commit to anything. The reassurance here is structural, built into how the service works, rather than asserted in a slogan.
Common questions
Does an engraved monogram lower the metal value?
No. The XRF reading measures the gold by weight regardless of surface engraving. Engraved pieces are paid the same per-gram rate as plain ones.
What if the locket's hinge is broken?
A broken hinge does not change the metal weight. We pay for the gold present; the functional condition of the locket does not change the figure.
Are lockets with hair-work worth more than scrap?
Sometimes, particularly Victorian mourning lockets with clear maker marks. We flag any piece we believe is worth more on the antique market on the written offer rather than processing it as straightforward scrap.
Do you buy gold-plated lockets?
Generally no; the gold layer on a plated locket is too thin to recover economically. If the locket turns out to be plated, the XRF reading shows that and the piece is returned at no cost.
Can a locket be sold without its chain?
Yes. Lockets are valued by their own weight and purity. The chain, if present, is a separate item on the offer; you can sell one and keep the other.