Short answer
GoldPaid buys gold wedding rings by post UK-wide, including bands from relationships that have ended and rings inherited from family members. Each ring is weighed and XRF-tested for purity; the written offer is built on the measured metal. Free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, bank transfer on acceptance, free tracked return if declined.
The decision that brings a wedding ring to scrap
Most wedding rings reach a buyer's bench after a divorce, after a bereavement, or after years of being kept in a drawer because the relationship simply ended. None of those circumstances need explaining to us, and there is no script attached to the transaction. The metal value is what it is.
The first-time question we get on wedding-ring sales is almost always whether we treat the conversation differently because of the circumstance. We do not. The same XRF reading is taken, the same per-gram rate is applied, the same written offer is sent. Whether you accept or decline is your decision, free of any pressure.
What plain bands typically weigh and contain
A standard British plain wedding band weighs between 3 and 8 grams depending on size, profile (court, D-shape, flat) and width. Most are 9ct, 18ct or occasionally 22ct gold. The metal is usually consistent across the band; the XRF reading on the inside of the band confirms the carat directly.
Patterned bands (etched, milgrain edges, faceted, hammered) weigh similarly to plain bands of the same size and width because the pattern is cut into the existing metal rather than added to it. The pattern does not change the metal value.
Eternity rings, half-eternity, and the stone question
Eternity rings (a continuous line of stones around the band) and half-eternity rings (stones across the front half) are usually 18ct or 14ct gold with diamonds, sapphires, rubies or emeralds. The metal valuation and the stone valuation are separated on the written offer. Where the stones are diamonds and the total carat weight is meaningful, the stone value often exceeds the metal value and we say so explicitly on the offer.
The stones in an eternity ring are usually visually graded on arrival (we do not provide formal gemmological certification, but we can tell good diamonds from poor ones, real from imitation, and we are honest about quality calls). Where a stone is unusually fine, we recommend a specialist sale rather than scrap and explain how.
Wedding rings from a previous relationship
Wedding rings from previous relationships make up a meaningful share of UK postal-gold parcels. The honest practical answer most ex-partners arrive at, after enough time has passed, is that the metal is worth more cleared than kept. We process those parcels exactly the same way as any other — itemised written offer, no comment on circumstance, free decline if you change your mind once you see the figure.
Some people prefer to keep wedding-ring sales off any joint account record; the Faster Payments narrative on our outbound transfer reads as a plain reference number rather than naming the transaction. Payments can be made to any UK account you nominate.
The process, step by step
- Get in touch and show us. A WhatsApp photo of your wedding rings is all we need to give you an honest quick indicative figure before anything is posted.
- Get your free label. We send a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, fully tracked. If you have no printer, a QR code for the counter does the same job.
- Send it at your own pace. Wrap it in any padded envelope and hand it in at a Post Office whenever it suits you.
- See the written offer. We weigh and XRF-assay every item, then send an itemised breakdown showing exactly how the figure was reached.
- Decide. Say yes and the money is sent by Faster Payments. Say no and your items come straight back, free and insured.
Getting it here safely
Royal Mail Special Delivery cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. 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.
Declining, made simple
A quick message is all it takes to decline, and you do not need to give a reason. Your items are then returned free of charge on a tracked, insured service, with no fee and no pressure to reconsider. What happens if I decline the offer covers it fully.
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
Do you buy wedding rings that no longer fit?
Yes. Whether the ring fits any current finger is irrelevant to the scrap value. We pay for the gold by weight and measured purity.
What if my wedding ring has small diamonds set into it?
The stones are assessed separately from the metal on the written offer. Where the stones are good-quality diamonds and the total weight is meaningful, the stone value can exceed the metal value, and we tell you that.
Can I sell only my ring and not my partner's?
Yes. Each ring is its own line on the offer. You can post one or both, and you can accept one and decline the other if you change your mind once the figures are in writing.
Will you engrave-remove or polish the ring before paying?
No, because the ring is going to scrap rather than resale; engraving makes no difference to the metal value and we never alter pieces before assay. The engraving stays as it is.
How quickly does payment go out after I accept a wedding-ring offer?
Faster Payments goes out within minutes of your acceptance reply during banking hours. The transfer normally clears in your account within minutes of that.