How Much Is My Gold Worth? Karats, Grams & Melt Value Explained
Whether you're cleaning out a jewelry box or need cash this week, the first question is always the same: how much is my gold actually worth? Here is exactly how we calculate it at DD Pawn Loans in Pompano Beach, the same math any honest gold buyer in Florida should use, and the handful of things to check before you hand over a single gram.
The three numbers that decide your payout
1. Karat (purity)
Pure gold is 24K. Almost all jewelry is an alloy, because pure gold is too soft to wear:
- 10K = 41.7% gold (stamped 417)
- 14K = 58.5% gold (stamped 585, sometimes 583)
- 18K = 75% gold (stamped 750)
- 22K = 91.7% gold (stamped 916)
Look for the stamp on the clasp, the inside of the band, or the back of the pendant. Our hallmark guide decodes the rest. No stamp doesn't mean no gold; it means the piece gets tested. Be aware that plated and gold-filled pieces also carry stamps, and those are worth very little by weight.
2. Weight in grams
Gold is priced per troy ounce, which is 31.1 grams, not the 28-gram ounce on a kitchen scale. Buyers weigh in grams or pennyweights (one pennyweight is about 1.56 grams). Make sure you know which unit is on the display; our grams-vs-pennyweight guide explains why that matters. A kitchen scale gets you close. We use a jeweler's scale that reads to a hundredth of a gram, and we weigh in front of you.
3. The live spot price
Gold is a publicly traded asset and its price changes all day. Offers move with it, so a number you were quoted last month is not today's number.
Melt value = spot price per gram × purity × weight. Our free gold estimator pulls the live spot price and does this instantly: enter karat and weight and see your melt value before you leave home.
What a buyer will actually pay
No buyer pays 100% of melt. Whoever buys your gold has to refine it or resell it, and that margin comes out of the offer. The size of that margin is where buyers differ, sometimes by a lot, which is why it is worth getting more than one number before you sell. A fair buyer will walk you through the math rather than just naming a figure. Ask.
Five things to check before you sell
- Know the spot price. It takes seconds to look up and it is the starting point for everything that follows.
- Don't mix karats. Keep 10K, 14K and 18K separate. A buyer who weighs the whole lot together may pay for all of it at the lowest karat.
- Watch the scale. See it zeroed with the empty tray, see the unit, and see your piece weighed alone. A few tenths of a gram between your scale and the buyer's is normal (why gold scales disagree); a full gram on a small piece is not.
- Expect to show ID. Florida law requires a valid government-issued photo ID for every pawn or purchase transaction. A licensed buyer will ask; one who doesn't is the one to worry about. Here is what paperwork you need.
- Get more than one number. You have something people want. Let two or three buyers compete for it, and compare the offers as a dollar figure for the same piece.
What's worth more than melt, and what isn't
Melt is the floor. Some things sit above it:
- Pieces that can be resold as jewelry rather than refined, in good condition and in a style that sells.
- Natural stones. Diamonds and good sapphires carry value of their own, though the stone's weight is not gold weight. A heavier ring can be worth less for exactly that reason.
- Gold coins. Usually 22K to 24K, closest to spot, and sometimes above it when there is collector value. See selling gold coins and bullion.
And some things people assume are worthless aren't. A snapped chain, a bent ring and a single earring all carry full gold value by weight and karat. Gold is gold.
Sell it or pawn it?
If you don't need the item back and want the full amount in one payment, selling is the simpler choice. If you might want it back, a collateral pawn loan lets you borrow against it instead, with no credit check, and you redeem it when you're ready. Not sure which? Read our pawn-vs-sell breakdown or the collateral loans page.
Selling gold in Broward County
Selling in person means you watch every step, get paid the same day, and can ask questions face to face. We test and weigh on camera and explain how the offer was calculated. Not local? Our insured mail-in gold program brings the same on-camera testing to the whole state. We also buy silver and gold coins and bars.
How much is gold worth at a pawn shop?
A pawn shop values gold the same way any gold buyer does: weight, times purity, times the day's market price, minus a margin for refining or resale. The difference at a pawn shop is that one piece can get two numbers, a purchase offer if you sell it and a loan amount if you pawn it. Ask for both and compare them for the same piece. Before you come in, run your pieces through our free gold estimator so you walk in knowing today's melt value.
14K and 10K gold price per gram at a pawn shop
There is no fixed per-gram price, because the market price of gold moves all day. What does not move is the purity. One gram of 14K holds 0.585 grams of pure gold; one gram of 10K holds 0.417 grams. A pawn shop's per-gram figure for 14K or 10K is the day's price for that much pure gold, less its margin, so 14K always sits above 10K and both move with the market. A per-gram number someone quoted you last week is not today's number.
Working it out by weight: 3.1 grams or 7.3 grams of 14K
Multiply the weight by the purity to find the pure gold inside the piece:
| Piece | Math | Pure gold inside |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 g of 14K | 3.1 × 0.585 | about 1.81 g |
| 7.3 g of 14K | 7.3 × 0.585 | about 4.27 g |
| 7.3 g of 10K | 7.3 × 0.417 | about 3.04 g |
Multiply the pure-gold weight by today's price per gram and you have melt value. The gold estimator does that step with the live price: pick the karat, enter the grams and it shows the figure. Stones, steel clasps and other non-gold parts do not count toward gold weight, which is why we identify them during testing.
Can you pawn 10K gold?
Yes. 10K is real gold, 417 parts in 1,000 pure and usually stamped 10K or 417, and it works as pawn collateral the same way 14K, 18K and 22K do. The loan is based on the tested gold content, so a heavy 10K chain can count for more than a light 14K ring. Gold-filled and plated pieces are different: the gold layer is too thin to recover, so they are not valued by gold weight.
How does pawning gold work?
- Bring the gold and a valid government-issued photo ID, which Florida law requires for every pawn.
- We weigh it on a calibrated jeweler's scale and verify it with electronic testing, with an acid or stamp check when a reading needs confirming, in front of you.
- You get a loan offer based on the gold. There is no credit check.
- Accept it and you leave with cash and a pawn ticket while the piece stays with us.
- Repay by the date on your ticket and you take the piece home. The ticket spells out the terms under Florida's pawnbroker law, Chapter 539.
If you will not want the piece back, selling is the simpler route; our pawn or sell gold guide compares the two, and the collateral loans page explains how our gold loans work.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to sell gold?
A valid government-issued photo ID, required by Florida law, and the items you want to sell.
Do you buy broken or single pieces?
Yes. Broken chains, lone earrings and bent rings all carry full gold value by weight and karat.
Will you tell me how you got the number?
Yes. We weigh and test in front of you and explain how the offer is calculated.
Do you buy plated or gold-filled jewelry?
Rarely, and never by gold weight. The layer of gold is too thin to recover.
Can you pawn 10K gold?
Yes. 10K is real gold and works as pawn collateral the same way 14K and 18K do. The loan is based on the weight and karat after testing, and you get the piece back when you repay.
How does pawning gold work?
You bring the gold and a valid photo ID, and we weigh and test it in front of you. If you accept the loan offer, you leave with cash and a pawn ticket while the piece stays with us. Repay by the date on the ticket and you take it home, with no credit check involved.
How much is 14K or 10K gold worth per gram at a pawn shop?
It changes every day because it follows the market price of gold. A gram of 14K holds 0.585 grams of pure gold and a gram of 10K holds 0.417 grams, and the offer is the day's price for that gold minus the buyer's margin. Our gold estimator shows today's melt value for your karat and weight.
Is it worth selling gold to a pawn shop?
It can be, if the shop weighs and tests in front of you and explains the math. A pawn shop can also lend against the same gold, so you can compare a sale offer and a loan offer before you decide.
Visit DD Pawn Loans in Pompano Beach
Bring your gold and a photo ID to sell your gold in Pompano Beach. DD Pawn Loans is at 2751 W Atlantic Blvd #101, Pompano Beach, FL 33069, serving all of Broward County. Call or text (561) 774-9292. Hours: Mon–Thu 10am–7pm, Fri 9am–8:30pm, Sat 10am–7pm, closed Sunday. All sales are final — no returns.