What counts as karat gold jewelry

Almost anything stamped with a karat mark belongs in this category: rope and figaro chains, tennis bracelets, class rings, wedding bands, charm bracelets, hoop earrings and pendants. We buy 10K, 14K, 18K and 22K, in yellow, white and rose, whether it is wearable or snapped in half. Gold-filled, gold-plated and vermeil pieces carry only a microscopic layer of gold over base metal and are not karat gold, even when they look identical; a hallmark reading GF, GP, HGE or 1/20 12K is the tell. Italian chains often read 585 or 750 rather than 14K or 18K, which are the same purities written as parts per thousand. If a diamond, sapphire or signed designer piece is in the mix, tell us — that jewelry is often worth more intact than melted, and we would rather buy it whole than reduce it to metal.

Karat is a purity fraction, not a brand

Karat measures how much of the alloy is actually gold, out of 24 parts. 10K is 10 parts in 24, a fineness of about .417; 14K is .585; 18K is .750; 22K is about .916. The rest is copper, silver, nickel or zinc that gives the piece color and hardness but no precious-metal value. This is why two chains that look the same can be worth very different amounts: an 18K rope holds nearly twice the gold of a 10K rope of identical weight. White gold is still gold — the white color comes from the alloy and any rhodium plating, not from a lower gold content — so a 14K white band and a 14K yellow band of equal weight hold the same gold. American jewelry skews heavily toward 14K; pieces from India, the Middle East and much of Asia are frequently 22K or higher and weigh accordingly.

How a jewelry offer is actually built

Every karat is weighed separately, because you cannot average purities. We verify the mark — an acid test on a discreet spot, an electronic conductivity tester, or XRF for anything unusual — and confirm the stamp is truthful, since underkarating and re-stamped pieces do exist. We then weigh the net gold: the metal only, with the actual mass of any stones, clasps or non-gold cores deducted, measured in grams or pennyweight (one pennyweight is one-twentieth of a troy ounce, about 1.555 grams). That verified fineness multiplied by net gold weight, set against the live gold market at the time of the appointment, gives the metal's underlying value. From there the offer accounts for refining, assay, handling and resale cost. We do not post a fixed 'today's price per gram,' because the market moves through the day and a stale number would mislead you. The calculation is done in front of you on a calibrated scale, so you can see the weight and the karat we are paying on rather than taking a lump figure on faith.

What lifts or lowers the number

Higher karat, heavier solid construction and clean sortable lots raise it. Hollow chains, spring clasps and lightweight stampings hold less gold than their size suggests. Solder repairs, base-metal safety chains and non-gold clasps get deducted because they are not gold. Costume pieces mixed into a bag slow the sort but do not reduce the gold that is genuinely there. Monograms and engraving do not lower a piece's gold value, since the metal is weighed either way. One thing that does not help: polishing or cleaning. It removes a trace of metal and changes nothing about the offer, so leave the jewelry as it is.

What to bring or photograph

Sort by color and, if you can read the stamps, by karat, then photograph the pieces spread out on a plain surface with a close shot of any hallmark near the clasp or on the inside of a band. A kitchen scale reading in grams gives us a workable starting weight before we ever meet. Original receipts and boxes are not required and do not set the price, but a receipt for a signed designer piece helps us value it as jewelry rather than as scrap. If a chain is hopelessly knotted, leave it knotted — untangling it is our problem, not yours, and it changes nothing about the weight.

Why a specialist over a mall gold-buyer

Kiosk gold-buyers and pawn counters are built for volume and speed, and many lump every karat together or pay on the lowest stamp in the pile. As a private buyer we sort every karat, weigh net gold on a calibrated scale in front of you, and pay from that, so a bag of mixed 10K and 18K is never paid at the lower karat across the board. There is no storefront markup to cover and no pressure to decide on the spot, and you are free to walk away with your jewelry if the number is not for you. We work two ways: a private appointment in Orange County, or a prepaid insured shipping label if you would rather not travel. Payment is cash or wire once purity, weight and ownership are verified. We are an independent private buyer, not affiliated with any jeweler, refiner or franchise.

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