Selling Gold for Cash or Bitcoin

How Much Is 18k Gold Worth Per Gram Today?

By Michael Tanguma, Founder & CEO of Heirfolio. Reviewed by Diana Cruz, GIA Graduate Gemologist. Updated continuously.

TL;DR. As of today, 18k gold is worth ${{ liveSpot18kPerGram }} per gram at melt — that's the raw metal value. Most buyers pay 65-88% of that, with the rest kept as spread for refining, margin, and inventory risk. The number below updates every 60 seconds against the live London gold fix. Below it, the math, the spread breakdown, and why 18k often pays more than its melt value when sold the right way.

Live 18k gold price per gram

${{ liveSpot18kPerGram }} per gram · PER GRAM · 18K · MELT VALUE · Updated at {{ timestamp }} · Source: London gold fix

What this number means

The price above is the pure melt value of 18k gold per gram, computed from the live London gold fix and the gold content of 18k — which is 75.0% pure gold. It's what a refinery would pay if all that mattered was the metal.

For 18k, the metal is usually not all that matters. More 18k pieces carry brand premium, design value, or stones than any other karat. The next sections separate the floor (melt) from the ceiling (resale).

→ Get a real quote in 60 seconds

How 18k gold pricing works

Gold purity is measured in karats out of 24. The breakdown:

Karat	Pure gold content	Common uses
24k	99.9%	Investment bars, coins, Asian jewelry tradition
22k	91.7%	Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Middle Eastern jewelry
18k	75.0%	High-end designer pieces — Cartier, Tiffany, Bulgari, Van Cleef
14k	58.5%	The American workhorse — wedding bands, chains, rings
10k	41.7%	Class rings, lower-cost jewelry, mass-market chains

To compute 18k gold's melt value per gram, the math is:

(spot price of pure gold per gram) × 0.750 = melt value of 18k per gram

So if pure gold trades at $97.65 per gram (about $3,037 per troy ounce), 18k is worth $97.65 × 0.750 = $73.24 per gram at melt. The live number at the top of this page runs that calculation every 60 seconds against the current London fix.

→ Use the gold melt value calculator

What you'll actually get paid (the spread question)

Melt value is what your gold is worth to a refinery. What you'll be paid is melt minus a spread.

The spread covers:

Refining costs. Melting 18k and separating pure gold from copper, silver, or palladium costs $0.50–$2.00 per gram.
Operating margin. The buyer is a business.
Inventory risk. Gold moves daily. A buyer holding 18k for two weeks is exposed to that volatility.
Customer acquisition. Advertising costs come out of the spread.
Insurance, shipping, processing. All baked in.

Typical spreads on 18k by channel:

Where you sell	Typical spread on 18k gold
Direct platform with published spread (e.g., Heirfolio)	8–12%
Mail-in gold buyer (Express Gold Cash, SellYourGold, Gold Guys)	12–25%
Local jeweler buying for melt	18–30%
Local jeweler buying for resale	5–20% (if the design or brand resells)
Pawn shop	35–60%
Auction or branded consignment (for designer 18k only)	18k above melt — see brand premium below

If the melt value of your 18k chain is $73.24 per gram and you're selling a 20-gram piece:

20 grams × $73.24/gram = $1,464.80 raw melt value

Channel	What you'd actually be paid
Heirfolio (10% spread)	~$1,318
Mail-in buyer (20% spread)	~$1,172
Local jeweler for melt (28% spread)	~$1,055
Pawn shop (50% spread)	~$732

That's a $586 difference between the best and worst legitimate melt channel. For an 18k piece, the channel decision often matters more than karat math — and if the piece is designer, the right resale channel can beat all of these by a wide margin.

→ Paste any quote into our spread checker — see what's fair

Brand premium: when 18k is worth more than melt

This is the part most articles skip. 18k is the karat of choice for nearly every major design house — Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, David Yurman, John Hardy, Buccellati, Pomellato. If your piece carries a recognized brand and the original construction is intact, the resale market often pays well above melt.

A rough sense of what brand does to the math:

Brand & piece	Typical resale as % of retail	Typical multiple of melt
Cartier Love bracelet, 18k yellow	65–75% of retail	2.5–4x melt
Tiffany T bracelet, 18k	55–70% of retail	2–3x melt
Van Cleef Alhambra pendant, 18k	60–80% of retail	3–5x melt
David Yurman cable bracelet, 18k accents	40–55% of retail	1.3–2x melt
Unmarked 18k chain or band	At melt	1x melt

A piece that would yield $1,318 at a melt buyer might yield $3,000–$5,000 at the right consignment house or auction. The trade-off is time — branded resale takes 30–90 days versus 5–10 days for melt. For a deeper walk-through of one specific case, see our Cartier Love bracelet resale value guide.

The rule: if it's branded and stamped 18k, never sell it for melt without getting a second quote from a brand-aware buyer.

How to verify your gold is really 18k

Before you sell, verify the karat. Five tests, fastest to most accurate:

1. Look for the hallmark

Genuine 18k is stamped. Look for: 18K, 750, .750, 18KT, or 18 K. The stamp will be on a clasp, the inside of a ring band, or the back of a pendant. Designer pieces also carry a maker's mark and often a serial number. No stamp doesn't always mean fake — some older or imported pieces aren't marked — but it raises the question.

2. Magnet test (free, 30 seconds)

Gold is not magnetic. Hold a strong magnet next to the piece. If it sticks, the core isn't solid gold. Necessary but not sufficient — plated copper passes this test.

3. Acid test ($15 home kit)

Buy a small gold testing kit (Amazon, eBay, $15–25). Apply the 18k acid to a small scratch in an inconspicuous spot. If the scratch holds, it's 18k or higher.

4. Electronic gold tester ($60–200)

A more accurate version of the acid test. Reads electrical conductivity through a probe. Reliable for plain pieces; less reliable for pieces with stones or layered construction.

5. XRF testing (professional)

X-ray fluorescence reads the exact metallic composition non-destructively. Most jewelers do it for free if you're considering selling. Heirfolio runs XRF on every piece received.

→ Read the full karat verification guide

How to weigh your gold

Spot price is quoted per gram or per troy ounce. Accurate weight is non-negotiable.

A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 grams works for any piece over about 5 grams. They cost $15.
For smaller pieces (a single earring, a thin band), use a jewelry scale that reads to 0.01 grams. Same price range.
Weigh in grams. Most buyers quote in grams, and pennyweight conversions hide the math.

A few gotchas:

Stones add weight. Diamonds, sapphires, or other stones count on the scale, but a reputable buyer won't pay for them at melt. They'll weigh the piece, estimate stone weight, and pay you only for the gold weight. If a buyer skips that step, ask them to.
Clasps, chains, and findings count if they're gold (they should be on a stamped 18k piece, but verify).
18k vermeil (heavy gold plate over sterling silver) is not solid 18k. It's stamped 925 with 18k notation and pays silver-plus-trace.

Common 18k gold pricing scenarios

Some real-world weights to anchor the math:

Piece type	Typical weight in 18k	Melt value at today's spot
Wedding band (men's, 6mm wide)	7–11 grams	${{ wedding_band_melt }}
Wedding band (women's, 2mm wide)	2–4 grams	${{ wb_women_melt }}
Cartier Love bracelet (size 17)	30–34 grams	${{ love_bracelet_melt }}
Tiffany T bracelet	18–24 grams	${{ tiffany_t_melt }}
Designer pendant on 18k chain	8–18 grams	${{ pendant_melt }}
Heavy 18k chain (22 inches)	30–60 grams	${{ chain_heavy_melt }}
Engagement ring (band only, no stone)	4–8 grams	${{ engagement_band_melt }}
Pair of 18k hoop earrings	4–10 grams	${{ hoops_melt }}

These are melt values. For branded pieces, the resale ceiling is often 2–4x these numbers. For unbranded, subtract 10–25% for a typical buyer spread. The gold melt value calculator computes both.

Should you melt an 18k piece or sell it whole?

For 18k specifically, the answer leans heavily toward selling whole.

Sell whole if:

The piece is branded (Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef, Bulgari, David Yurman, John Hardy, Buccellati, Pomellato, Hermès) — branded 18k routinely sells for 2–4x melt.
The piece is in good condition and stylistically current — a jeweler may resell it as-is for a meaningful premium.
The piece has stones of meaningful value — diamonds especially, but also sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and high-quality pearls. Selling stones separately is often the right move; melting destroys their value entirely.
The piece has historical or sentimental value another collector might pay for.

Sell for melt if:

The piece is broken, mangled, or unrepairable.
It's unmarked (no hallmark, no brand stamp).
It's an unbranded 18k chain or band with no design value.
You need cash inside 10 days and don't have time for resale.

Mail-in gold buyers almost always melt what they take in. A jeweler, auction house, or specialist consignment (Worthy, The RealReal, 1stDibs) is more likely to resell as-is and pay you the brand premium.

Why 18k specifically?

A note on why 18k is the global designer standard and what that means for resale.

In Europe and Asia, 18k is the dominant karat for fine jewelry. France required 18k as the minimum legal standard for items sold as "gold" until recent decades. Italy, Switzerland, and most of Asia followed the same convention. American jewelers settled on 14k as the workhorse, but every major U.S. luxury house designs in 18k because the color is richer, the resale market is broader internationally, and the brand association is stronger.

The practical implications for resale:

Designer 18k has a global buyer base. A Cartier piece sells as well in Hong Kong as in New York.
The color difference is real. 18k yellow has a deeper, butter-yellow tone than 14k. 18k rose has a softer pink than 14k rose. Buyers who know the difference pay for it.
18k is softer than 14k. It scratches more easily and bends faster on daily-wear bands. This matters for condition — a worn 18k band may need refurbishment before resale.
Some 18k pieces are stamped 750 instead of 18K. Both mean the same thing. Older European pieces almost always use 750.

What changes the price you see on this page

The number at the top updates every 60 seconds. It moves because the underlying spot price of gold moves. Spot is driven by:

Macroeconomic conditions — inflation expectations, real interest rates, currency strength (especially the U.S. dollar).
Geopolitical events — gold rises during uncertainty.
Central bank buying — when the Fed, ECB, China's PBOC, India's RBI, or Turkey's central bank buys, the price moves.
Industrial demand — gold is used in electronics.
ETF flows — the major gold ETFs (GLD, IAU, SGOL) hold real gold. Inflows push spot up.

If you're trying to decide when to sell, the honest answer: short-term timing is hard, and the variance in spread (10–60% depending on channel) is much bigger than the variance you'll capture by timing spot within a few weeks. Pick the right channel first, time the sale second.

Frequently asked questions

How much is 18k gold worth per gram today?

As of the latest London gold fix, 18k gold is worth ${{ liveSpot18kPerGram }} per gram at melt. That's the raw metal value. Buyers pay 65–88% of that, with the rest as spread (refining, margin, inventory risk). The number on this page updates every 60 seconds.

What's the difference between melt value and what buyers actually pay?

Melt value is the raw worth of the pure gold content if it were melted and refined. What buyers pay you is melt minus their spread — typically 12–35% on 18k depending on the channel. Direct platforms with published spreads pay closest to melt (8–12%). Mail-in buyers and local jewelers fall in the middle (12–30%). Pawn shops are widest (35–60%). For branded designer 18k, the resale ceiling is often 2–4x melt, far above any of these numbers.

How is 18k different from 14k or 24k?

The number indicates how much pure gold is in the alloy out of 24 parts. 24k is 99.9% pure gold. 18k is 75% pure gold. 14k is 58.5%. Higher karat means more pure gold per gram and a higher melt value, but softer metal that wears faster. 18k is the global standard for designer fine jewelry; 14k is the American workhorse for daily-wear bands.

Is 18k real gold?

Yes. 18k contains 75% pure gold by weight, alloyed with copper, silver, or palladium to add strength and adjust color. It's genuine gold, recognized by every refinery and dealer. Pieces stamped 18K, 750, or 18KT are 18k gold. Pieces stamped GF (gold-filled), GP (gold-plated), or 925 with 18k notation are not solid 18k — they're plated or vermeil and pay far less.

How do I test if my 18k gold is real?

The fastest free test is a magnet — gold isn't magnetic, so if it sticks, the piece isn't solid gold. A $15 acid testing kit from Amazon tells you the karat reliably. The most accurate test is X-ray fluorescence (XRF), which most jewelers do for free if you're considering selling. For a Cartier or Tiffany piece, also verify the serial number with the brand — counterfeits are common on the resale market.

What's the typical spread on 18k gold?

Direct platforms with published spreads charge 8–12%. Mail-in gold buyers charge 12–25%. Local jewelers buying for melt charge 18–30%. Pawn shops charge 35–60%. To check any quote: divide the offer by (weight in grams × today's 18k melt value per gram). The result is what percent of melt you're being offered. Anything under 75% on 18k is below industry-fair for a private seller. And again — for branded 18k, melt is often the wrong frame entirely.

Where is the best place to sell 18k gold?

It depends on the piece. For unbranded 18k chain or scrap, a direct platform like Heirfolio or a reputable mail-in buyer pays closest to melt. For a branded piece (Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef, Bulgari), online consignment (Worthy, The RealReal, 1stDibs) or an auction house pays 2–4x melt because of the brand premium. For pieces with significant stones, sell stones and metal separately. Read the full where-to-sell comparison.

Is 18k worth more if it's branded?

Yes, substantially. An unbranded 18k chain sells at or near melt. A Cartier Love bracelet sells for 65–75% of retail, which is often 3x melt. A Van Cleef Alhambra pendant sells for 60–80% of retail. The key is finding a buyer whose customer is willing to pay for the brand, not just the metal — that's a different channel from a mail-in gold buyer. Always get a brand-aware quote before melting designer 18k.

Why does my 18k piece weigh less than I expected?

A few reasons. Hollow construction is common in chains and hoops — the piece looks bulky but is light. Stones don't count toward gold weight. Some pieces are constructed with non-gold internal components (steel cores in some designer cuffs, for instance). Always check the hallmark and ask the seller (if you bought it new) what the gold weight is versus the gross weight.

Should I clean my 18k gold before selling?

For melt sales: no. The buyer is going to melt it anyway, and aggressive cleaning can scratch the piece. For resale (consignment, auction, jeweler resale): yes, gently. A soft toothbrush, warm water, and a drop of dish soap will remove surface dirt. Don't use silver polish or ultrasonic cleaners on pieces with stones — you can dislodge settings. For high-value designer pieces, professional cleaning before resale often increases the offer.

Tools mentioned in this article

Gold melt value calculator — input weight + karat, see live melt value
Karat converter — convert between karats and pure-gold percentages
Spread checker — paste any dealer's quote, see what spread they're keeping