The list, straight up
This page exists to save you a wasted trip to the Post Office. GoldPaid buys gold, silver, platinum and palladium in almost any form and condition, along with diamonds, watches, coins, medals, medallions and stamps. The categories below are the ones we decline, with the honest reason each time.
- Gold-plated, gold-filled and rolled gold. A thin layer of gold over a brass, copper or steel core. The layer is measured in microns and cannot be recovered economically by any refiner, so no scrap buyer can pay a meaningful figure for it.
- Costume and fashion jewellery. No precious-metal content at all: base metal, glass, resin, paste stones. Some of it has real resale value, just not to a metal buyer. More on that below.
- Silver plate. EPNS, A1, "silver on copper", hotel plate and most unmarked canteens. As with gold plate, the silver layer is too thin to refine. Sterling (925) and Britannia (958) silver are different, and we buy those readily.
- Anything without clear ownership. We ask about provenance as a matter of routine, particularly on church silver, medals, memorial pieces and estate items, and we cannot buy anything where the right to sell is not clear.
How to check before you post
Most plated and costume pieces identify themselves if you know where to look. Check the marks first. GP, GEP, HGE, RGP and "rolled gold" all mean gold-plated; 1/20 or 1/10 marks mean gold-filled; EP, EPNS, A1 and "plate" mean silver-plated. Solid precious metal carries fineness hallmarks instead: 375, 585, 750, 916 or 999 for gold, 925 or 958 for silver, 950 for platinum.
Beyond the marks: a strong pull to a magnet points to a steel core, though a failed magnet test proves nothing on its own, since many base metals are non-magnetic too. Brassy wear on high spots, edges and clasp backs shows plating wearing through. And a piece that feels light for its size is usually not solid.
"We don't buy it" is not the same as "it is worthless"
We decline items on one narrow test: whether they contain refinable precious metal. Plenty of things fail that test and still have genuine value to the right buyer.
- Signed designer costume jewellery. Pieces by names such as Trifari, Miriam Haskell, Dior and Chanel sell well at auction and to specialist costume dealers, sometimes for more than a plain 9ct chain. Check the back for a signature before you assume a piece is worthless.
- Silver-plated canteens and trays. Little scrap value, but complete canteens by good makers such as Mappin & Webb or Walker & Hall sell steadily at general auction and on eBay.
- Vermeil. Gold-plated sterling silver, usually marked 925. The gold layer is unrecoverable, but the sterling core is real silver, so we can buy vermeil at its silver value. Worth a photo.
- Wearable fashion jewellery. Charity shops want it, and bulk lots sell on eBay and Vinted. It does more good there than in a drawer.
Where to take what we decline
| Item | Why we decline it | A better home for it |
|---|---|---|
| Gold-plated and gold-filled jewellery | Gold layer too thin to refine | Charity shop, or eBay and Vinted if wearable |
| Signed designer costume pieces | No precious metal | Auction house or specialist costume-jewellery dealer |
| Silver plate (EPNS, A1) | Silver layer too thin to refine | General auction, charity shop, house-clearance sale |
| Everyday costume jewellery | No precious metal | Charity shop, or bulk lots on eBay |
| Items without clear ownership | We cannot buy without provenance | Resolve ownership first; an executor or solicitor can advise on estate items |
If something we don't buy arrives in your parcel
Mixed parcels are normal and nothing to apologise for. Most jewellery boxes we receive contain a blend of real gold, real silver, plated pieces and costume, and you are not expected to sort them before posting. Here is exactly what happens to the pieces we cannot buy:
- Identified, not guessed. Every item in your parcel is tested by XRF on arrival, so plated and costume pieces are confirmed rather than judged by eye.
- Listed on your valuation. The written offer shows them separately as no-offer items, so you can see exactly which pieces carried value and which did not.
- Returned free, never held or disposed of. They come back to you by tracked post at our cost, alongside payment for anything you accept an offer on, or with everything else if you decline. Nothing you send is ever kept back or thrown away.
When in doubt, send a photo before the Post Office
The whole point of the ask-first process is that you never need to guess. Send a clear photo of the piece and any marks on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth posting. "No, keep it" and "try an auction house" are answers we give every week. There is no charge and no obligation either way.
Common questions
Is gold-plated jewellery worth anything to sell?
Not to a scrap-gold buyer. The gold layer is a few microns thick and cannot be recovered economically, so no honest buyer can pay a gold price for it. If the piece is signed by a known designer, or is attractive and wearable, it may still sell as costume jewellery at auction, on eBay or through a charity shop.
Will you buy costume jewellery?
No, because it contains no precious metal to refine. If costume pieces arrive mixed in with real gold or silver, we identify them by XRF, list them on the written valuation as no-offer items and return them to you free of charge. Signed designer costume jewellery is worth offering to a specialist dealer or auction house instead.
Do you buy silver plate such as EPNS?
No. EPNS, A1 and "silver on copper" pieces carry a silver layer too thin to refine. Sterling (925) and Britannia (958) silver we buy readily. If a canteen or tray is unmarked, send a photo of any marks and we will tell you which it is.
What happens if you find items you don't buy in my parcel?
They are identified during XRF testing, listed separately on your written valuation and returned to you free of charge by tracked post, whether you accept the offer on the rest or decline it. Nothing you send is ever held back or disposed of.
My jewellery has no hallmark. Does that mean you won't buy it?
No. Unhallmarked solid gold and silver are common. Older pieces, imports and dental gold often carry no mark, and the XRF assay reads the true metal content regardless. A missing hallmark does not reduce the offer; the metal that is actually present sets it.
How do I know if my jewellery is worth selling at all?
Send a clear photo of the piece and any marks on WhatsApp. We give an honest steer at no charge, including "keep it" or "try an auction house" where that is the truthful answer. Offers themselves always follow inspection and depend on weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, condition and the market rate on the day.