The metal itself
Gold is a chemical element, symbol Au, atomic number 79. It is dense, soft, does not rust, does not tarnish in normal air, and conducts electricity well. Pure gold has been used as a store of value for thousands of years for the simple reason that it is rare, recognisable and stable. Nothing on a charity shop sorting table will turn into something else over time, which is why donated gold from decades ago still pays today.
For a charity shop the practical headline is this: pure gold (24ct) is too soft for everyday jewellery, so almost every piece you receive will be an alloy, gold mixed with other metals to make it hard enough to wear. The mix is what carat measures.
Carat, in plain English
Carat (sometimes written karat in the US) describes how much of the alloy is actually gold, expressed in parts out of 24. So 24 parts out of 24 is 24ct, which is pure gold. 18 parts out of 24 is 18ct, which is 75% gold by weight. The rest is other metals, usually copper, silver, palladium or zinc, depending on the colour the maker wanted.
The UK carats a charity shop will see most often are 9ct, 14ct, 18ct and 22ct, with the occasional 24ct coin or bar. The same numbers appear on a piece as a three-digit fineness stamp, because that is the standard the British hallmarking system has used for decades.
| Carat | Fineness stamp | Gold content | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9ct | 375 | 37.5% | UK high-street chains, charms, school rings |
| 14ct | 585 | 58.5% | Imported jewellery, US and European pieces |
| 18ct | 750 | 75% | Fine jewellery, designer pieces, signet rings |
| 22ct | 916 | 91.6% | Wedding bands, Asian gold, sovereigns |
| 24ct | 999 | 99.9% | Investment bars and modern bullion coins |
A volunteer who can read the fineness stamp can sort a pile of jewellery in minutes. A 375 stamp is gold. A 585 stamp is gold. A 750 stamp is gold. A 916 stamp is gold. None of those numbers should be confused with size stamps, ring widths or maker numbers, which we will come back to.
Purity is not the same as colour
Yellow gold, white gold and rose gold are not different purities. They are different alloys at the same purity. An 18ct yellow gold ring and an 18ct white gold ring both contain 75% gold by weight. The difference is the other 25%: more copper makes the alloy redder, more silver and palladium or nickel makes it whiter. White gold pieces are often rhodium-plated on top to brighten the white, which is why an old white gold ring can look slightly yellow at the worn edges.
This matters on the sorting table because a volunteer may see a pale, almost silvery ring and assume it cannot be gold. It can be. Always check for a fineness stamp before judging by colour, and if the stamp is worn or hidden, a clear photo on WhatsApp before posting is the safest call.
Density, weight, and why a small chain can surprise you
Gold is dense. Pure gold weighs about 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre, which is more than twice as heavy as a similar volume of steel. That density is why a small ring feels heavier in the hand than a similar-sized costume piece. It is also why a broken chain, tangled and unwearable, can be worth more than the donor expected. The market does not care that the clasp is broken. It cares about the metal content.
Volunteers sometimes set broken jewellery aside as unsaleable. For costume jewellery that judgement is correct. For hallmarked gold, broken pieces are still gold and still have a fair valuation against the live market rate. A snapped 9ct chain, a single earring with no pair, a bent signet ring, a damaged charm, a worn-thin wedding band: all of them still contain the metal they were made from. None of them belong on a 50p tray.
Rolled gold, gold-filled and gold-plated
Not everything that looks gold is gold. Three terms appear repeatedly on donated jewellery and they all mean a layer of gold over a base metal, not solid gold. Gold-plated (GP) is the thinnest: a microscopic layer of gold electroplated onto brass, copper or silver. Gold-filled (GF) is thicker, a bonded sheet of gold mechanically pressed onto a base metal core. Rolled gold plate (RGP) sits between the two. Markings like 1/20 12K GF mean 1/20th of the weight is 12 carat gold, the rest is base metal.
These pieces are not worthless on the shop floor, especially vintage costume jewellery in good condition, but they do not pay against the metal market. A dedicated charity-shop guide to plating sits at gold-plated vs solid gold. The short version: GP, GF, RGP, 1/20 and "gold tone" all stay on the shop floor. Only solid gold goes in the postal pile.
Why hallmarks are a starting point, not the final word
A UK hallmark is a maker's declaration of intended purity, stamped under the authority of an assay office. A clear 750 on the inside of a ring is a strong indicator of 18ct gold. But the hallmark is not proof of what the metal does today. Real pieces have been repaired over the years: a snapped link replaced with a different alloy, a clasp soldered with a different carat, a setting rebuilt by a jeweller who used what was on the bench. The hallmark on the band does not change when the clasp is replaced.
GoldPaid uses XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectrometry) to read the actual composition of each piece. It is non-destructive, so nothing is filed, scratched or acid-tested, and it tells us what the metal really is, not just what the stamp claims. The hallmark guides the sorting, the XRF assay sets the offer. XRF testing explained for charity shops covers the detail. Pricing then runs against the LBMA benchmark rate on the day of valuation.
A 60-second briefing for a volunteer
If you have a new volunteer joining the sorting table, this is the briefing that gets them useful in a minute.
- 1. Look for a stamp. Inside the band of a ring, on the clasp of a chain, on the post of an earring. Stamps to set aside: 375, 585, 750, 916, 999.
- 2. Set aside, do not price. If you see one of those stamps, put the piece in the gold-pile bag. Do not put a sticker on it, do not put it on the tray.
- 3. Broken still counts. Snapped chains, single earrings, bent rings: still set aside. The metal is what matters.
- 4. Plating does not count. GP, GF, RGP, 1/20, "gold tone", "gold colour", these stay with costume jewellery for the shop floor.
- 5. When in doubt, photo first. A clear close-up on WhatsApp gets a quick read before anything is posted.
What happens after the gold-pile bag is full
When the bag is ready, the shop manager (or head-office contact for a multi-shop charity) sends a photo on WhatsApp 07375 071158 or phones 07763 741067. We give an indicative figure on the day, send a free Royal Mail Special Delivery prepaid label covered up to £2,500 (higher available on request before posting), and the shop posts the parcel at any Post Office counter.
On arrival, each item is XRF-tested for purity, weighed on calibrated scales, and priced against the LBMA benchmark on the day of valuation. A written itemised offer goes back to the charity's head-office contact. If accepted, payment is sent by Faster Payments to the charity's registered bank account, same day where the offer is accepted before 3pm UK time. If declined, every item is returned, free, tracked and insured. Indicative figures move with the market; the firm offer is set only after XRF assay confirms purity and weight of the specific items sent.
Common questions
What do the numbers 375, 585, 750 and 916 mean?
They are millesimal fineness stamps. 375 is 9ct gold (37.5% pure), 585 is 14ct (58.5%), 750 is 18ct (75%), 916 is 22ct (91.6%). All four are real gold and all four should be set aside for postal valuation.
Is white gold worth less than yellow gold of the same carat?
No. Carat measures gold content by weight, not colour. 18ct yellow and 18ct white both contain 75% gold. The difference is the other 25% of the alloy.
A donated chain is broken. Is it still worth posting?
If it is hallmarked gold, yes. The valuation is on the metal content, not the condition. Broken chains, bent rings and single earrings are all valued the same way as wearable pieces.
A piece is marked "GP". Should we still send it?
GP means gold-plated, a microscopic layer of gold over base metal. It does not pay against the gold market and is best kept for the shop floor as costume jewellery.
Can a piece be gold without a stamp?
Yes. Older pieces, foreign pieces, and items where the stamp has worn off can still be solid gold. Send a clear photo on WhatsApp 07375 071158 before posting, and we will give an honest read.
Does the offer change with the gold price?
The indicative figure on WhatsApp uses the live rate at the time. The firm written offer is set when the parcel is XRF-tested on arrival, priced against the LBMA benchmark on that day.
What if we change our mind once we see the written offer?
Free insured return of any item the charity chooses not to sell. No fees, no pressure, no part-accept clauses.