14k gold scrap price per gram

A refiner buys in bulk and pays closest to melt, usually 90 to 95%, but most will not deal with a member of the public bringing in one ring. A high street gold buyer or a reputable mail in service pays 70 to 85%. A pawn shop treats scrap as a sideline and often lands between 50 and 70%.

None of these are scams. Each is running a different business with different costs. The mistake is comparing a pawn shop offer against the melt value and concluding you were robbed, when the real comparison is against what the next buyer down the road would pay.

A buyer will check the hallmark, then verify it. An acid test on a streak of the metal is standard and destroys nothing visible. Electronic conductivity testers and XRF machines are faster and non destructive, and a shop that owns an XRF is usually the more serious operation.

Verification matters because plated and filled items are stamped in ways that look convincing. If your piece turns out to be gold filled rather than solid, the value drops to a fraction of the melt figure.

Sort by karat before you go, weigh everything yourself, and remove stones where you can do it without damage. Get two quotes. Refuse any offer given before your gold has been weighed in front of you.

Do not accept a single blended price for a mixed bag. A shop quoting one rate for 10k and 14k together is quoting you the 10k rate.