Ask first, post later
Start with a question, not a parcel. Send a photo on WhatsApp or call, and you will get a straight answer on what testing tier suits your item and what the report will cover. None of it commits you to posting anything.
This is a UK-wide postal testing service. There is no shop to visit and no counter. Wherever you live, the process is the same: ask first, then decide.
How diamond grading differs from gem triage
Gem triage separates real from costume at the parcel-arrival stage and flags pieces that may deserve a specialist look. Diamond grading is the specialist look — a documented 4Cs read on a submitted stone against GIA / IGI conventions. The two services are separate because the right answer is different: a triage is a yes/no on "worth sending to a graded report", a grading is the graded report itself. Both are fire-walled from any offer to buy, consistent with the independence pledge.
Your 14-day cancellation right
How the grading service works
Gem work is handled in-house by GoldPaid’s gem specialist. We are not a UKAS-accredited gemmological laboratory; if you need a UKAS-accredited grading report (for example for a high-value insurance schedule), we will tell you straight and point you at AnchorCert Gem Lab as the escalation route. For most consumer, probate and trade gem questions, the in-house report is the right tool at the right price.
- WhatsApp a photo. A photo of the stone (loose or set) is enough for us to give an honest read on whether grading is the right tier and confirm the £85 fixed price. There is no charge for this step.
- Combined parcel. Send the stone in our prepaid Special Delivery pack. If you are also testing metal, both travel in one parcel.
- In-house grading. Our gem specialist runs the full grading workflow: 4Cs measurement, dimensions and proportions, inclusion plotting, lab-grown screen.
- Written report. A clear grading report with a plain-English summary, returned with the item.
- Item returned by Special Delivery. Same tracked, signed-for return route as the metal-testing service. Return postage included.
What decides your offer
Every parcel is opened at our Bristol office and each piece is handled on its own. Nothing is averaged across the parcel.
- Weight. Each item is weighed on scales. Stones, steel springs, non-gold clasps and cores are not paid as gold. The written breakdown explains the payable metal weight for each item, rather than treating everything on the scales as precious metal.
- Purity. Each item is tested with an XRF analyser, which reads the metals at the points tested without marking the item. A surface reading alone cannot establish the composition of a plated or filled piece. Hallmarks, construction and different components all need to be considered alongside the test.
- The market on the day. Gold and silver are priced against the live precious-metal market at the time your parcel is assessed, not at the time you posted.
- Condition and intact value. Broken is fine and does not reduce a metal offer. Where a piece is worth more intact (a named maker, a collectable coin, a locket with provenance) we tell you before testing, so you can choose.
- Anything that is not gold or silver. Plated, rolled-gold and base-metal items are listed on the offer at nothing and returned to you free. We never quietly keep them.
Why we do not publish a per-gram price list. A single printed rate hides the things that change the figure: hollow versus solid, stones, mixed carats in one bag, a mark that does not match the metal. We would rather show you the weight, the tested purity and the figure for each item, in writing, and let you decide. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
What you see before you decide. A written, itemised offer by WhatsApp or email: every item, its weight, its tested purity, and its figure. Accept and we aim to pay by bank transfer within one working hour. Decline and the whole parcel comes back by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost. No fee, no deduction, no questions.
What a full grading report contains
A full grading report measures and records: carat weight, colour grade, clarity grade, cut grade, polish and symmetry grades, fluorescence, dimensions and proportions, an inclusion plot, and a screen for lab-grown identification. The report is written for a non-specialist with a plain-English summary on the front page.
For most consumer, probate and trade purposes (sale, family record, or an insurance schedule that does not call for a UKAS-accredited report) the in-house report is the right document. Where a UKAS-accredited record is specifically required (typically for high-value scheduled insurance under a named-scheme policy), the report flags it and points you at AnchorCert Gem Lab in Birmingham or London as the escalation route.
When triage is the right step instead
If the question is "is it a real diamond at all", the £40 gem triage screen is the cheaper and faster route. Full grading is the right step when the diamond is genuine and you need a written record, for sale, insurance, or estate paperwork. Ask first and we will tell you straight which tier suits your stone.
How we run the test
- WhatsApp the photo. Tell us what you have, what you are trying to confirm, and what you would like the report to cover.
- Choose the pack. Single item, family pack, estate pack, probate pack, plating check, or an in-house gem report. Pricing is on the pricing page.
- Free tracked label. Special Delivery, tracked, signed for. Print at home or scan a QR at the counter.
- Tested at multiple points. A handheld Niton XL2 reads the elemental composition of every item. Plating, low-purity solder joints and unusual alloys are flagged.
- Report and return. PDF report inside 5 to 7 working days. Item returned by Special Delivery the same day. Nothing kept, nothing held back.
Postal cover and safety
Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used, and if a parcel may be worth more than that we split it across more than one prepaid label at no charge, each with its own tracking number and cover.
Tracking begins the moment the parcel is scanned at the Post Office counter. You receive the tracking reference straight after we issue the label, and again the moment the parcel arrives with us.
What you get back, and when
Your item is returned by Royal Mail Special Delivery on the same working day the report is issued. Return postage and its cover are included in the testing fee. There is no separate return charge.
If, for any reason, an item cannot be tested (badly damaged surface, non-metallic core, equipment misalignment), we tell you straight, refund the testing fee, and return the item the same day.
Testing is testing
Plenty of gold buyers will offer a "free test" if you send your item in. That is a sales tool, not a testing service. This page is the other way round: you pay for the test and the report stands on its own. Whether you sell anything afterwards is a separate decision, and one we do not get involved in unless you ask.
The full reasoning is on the testing pledge page.
What this report is, and what it is not
The report identifies the elemental composition of an item to the accuracy of the analyser. It does not replace a UK hallmark, an Assay Office fire assay, or a written valuation from a qualified valuer for insurance reinstatement purposes. We say so in plain English on the front page of every report.
If a report leaves any doubt, we will tell you what the next step would be, typically a UK Assay Office fire assay (destructive but definitive) for high-value disputes, or a written insurance valuation from a qualified independent valuer for reinstatement cover.
Why sell by post with GoldPaid
Three differences from 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 signed for, so obtaining the valuation costs you nothing.
Common questions
Can the stone be graded while set in a piece of jewellery?
A full grading report needs the stone loose. The triage screen will say honestly whether your stone needs to come out of its setting first. If it does, we can recommend a trusted UK setter.
How long does it take?
5 to 7 working days from receipt. Faster if the triage has already happened by WhatsApp.
Is £85 the total price?
Yes, £85 covers the grading, the written report and Royal Mail Special Delivery return postage. Nothing is added at the end.
Will the report value the diamond in pounds?
A grading report grades the stone; it does not value it in pounds. Market value depends on grading plus supply and demand and is set by the trade. For a written reinstatement value, the report can be taken to a qualified independent valuer, or we can add the Insurance Valuation Add-on (+£25) for an insurer-friendly figure.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Speak to us before you post
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you. We give a rough estimate where possible and arrange postage with you after our conversation. Your final offer follows inspection.