Most people have got various old, or broken items of gold jewellery tucked away someplace safe. This may be necklaces, odd earrings, rings, bangles, fobs or gold wristwatches that don’t work. Should you retrieve this old gold in the back of a jewellery box, you may think that nobody could possibly buy it. In reality, regardless of how bent or damaged, gold will always hold worth.

Scrap gold will be melted and subsequently remade into something else…another item of jewellery or possibly gold coins. Many years in the past, coinage in use was made from solid gold or silver. This made it possible for the wealthy, who amassed a multitude of gold coins, to have them melted down and fashioned into things to adorn their houses or themselves. If they found that they needed some extra ready money, the trinkets could be made back into coinage over again.

Gold is a fixed resource; it can’t be manufactured and can be near indestructible. As this is the case almost all the gold that has ever been mined is still around someplace.

For years, the cost of gold has commonly increased. While it varies from one year to the next and even day by day, we can say with certainty that in future gold will cost more than it does today.

Should you have gold that you could part with, what will be the best method to sell it? When you require cash for the gold swiftly, then there are currently one or two alternative ways to sell scrap gold swiftly. Your simplest is to take your scrap gold items to your district jeweller, even though you may not obtain the highest price here and you will probably have to prove your identity.

The second method may be to avail yourself of one of the gold purchasing businesses that often advertise on television and on the internet at this time. They will give you a set price based upon the weight and fineness of your scrap gold and can ordinarily pay you very fast, often within 48 hours.

An alternative system to sell gold anytime you aren’t in such a hurry could be to put it on eBay. Using this way could get you a good price but do be sure to weigh, portray and also illustrate your gold for sale.

You need to provide the weight in grammes, without including any gemstones or non-gold pieces. You will also have to understand the carat of your scrap gold. Much gold jewellery produced in the UK will be 9 carat or 18 carat and gold sovereigns are 22 carat gold. Pure gold is 24 carat.

The majority of scrap gold dealers should notify you at once the price for each gram they will pay you for the various carats of gold. It is improbable that any scrap gold dealers can give you the full scrap value for your gold items as they need to make a profit as well. The one method that you may perhaps get higher than the present scrap value for old gold is if you sell it on eBay, however then you will have to pay sale expenses so, as a result, you will most likely be no better off in the finish.

The alternative to this, can be if you hold some vintage gold jewellery to sell that is in good condition or old gold coinage. These items could be worth better than scrap worth so you need to take them to a jeweller’s shop or your nearest auction house for a further valuation prior to opting for selling them as scrap.

If you discover any gold items that you think may possibly be of greater value it would be sensible discovering what the hallmarks mean. Each and every item of gold jewellery should be hallmarked. These marks provide the carat of the gold items, the place where it was hallmarked, the year it was made and the maker’s mark. Should you come across an item that has no hallmarks then often it is possibly very old, very worn or not really real gold at all.

You might be able to get the information you will need about the hallmarks on the internet or ask your nearest jeweller, or auctioneer. You may simply get a hallmarks book in online stores. Usually modern gold sold in the UK should be hallmarked with either .375 which denotes the item is 9 carat value, or .750 which is 18 carat value.

Learning whether your gold pieces are 9 carat value or 18 carat value before selling to a jeweller will give you a much improved indication of what your scrap gold is worth. It is not likely that you will discover any pure 24 carat value gold, unless you have stored any gold bullion under the floor!

Undiluted gold is too malleable to be used for jewellery or coins. Gold that bears a lesser carat value than 24 will have had other types of metal included for durability. The less the carat value number the less the pure gold content. Now, as a rule silver or copper are used with the pure gold to give it more strength.

The most vital detail to remember is the fact that the higher the carat value, the more your gold is worth. So the scrap worth for 18 carat value will be double that for 9 carat value. If you are aware of the carat value of your gold scrap, the next most essential factor is the weight.

It is important to get an accurate weight for your unwanted gold – your bathroom scales will not do the job. You want a digital jewellery weighing machine. If you do not own one of these, you may acquire one on ebay for a few pounds. Or take your old gold to your nearest jewellers and ask them to weigh it for you.

You will need to know the weight of your scrap gold in grammes. When you know the carat value and the weight of your gold scrap it is straightforward to work out its price. For instance, if a jeweller tells you that they will shell out £7 per gram of 9 carat value and you own a broken necklace, a bracelet and a couple of charms that jointly weigh 24 grammes, then this jeweller should pay you £168.

It will soon become obvious that, to know whether this is a great price, you need to pay attention to today’s scrap value of 9 carat gold. There are a lot of sites where you will find this. Some newspapers will publish daily prices for gold.

But be careful, the price you notice may perhaps be for pure gold and additionally most likely per ounce, not per gram. This calculation can be somewhat more awkward and you will probably have need of a calculator.

Divide the value given of gold an ounce by 31.3 – this will give the price for each gram.

Next divide this figure by 24 and multiply by 9 if your gold is 9 carat, or 18 if 18 carat value.

This will then give you today’s value for your scrap gold per gram.

Now simply multiply this sum by the amount of grammes of scrap gold you want to sell and this gives you the rightful price.

If the scrap gold dealers offer is much below this then look elsewhere or sell your gold jewellery on eBay. But no jeweller will give you 100% of the price as they need a cut for themselves.

Gold can be melted down and then remade into something else…a new piece of jewellery or even gold coins. There was a time, many years ago, when money in circulation was made from gold or silver. This made it possible for the rich, who accumulated lots of coins, to have them melted down and made into items to decorate their homes or themselves.

In the event that they needed some extra cash, their items could be melted down and turned into coins again. Gold is a finite resource; it cannot be created and is virtually impossible to destroy. Because of this almost all the gold that has ever existed is still around somewhere.

Over the years, the value of gold has an upward trend. Even though it fluctuates from year to year and even day to day, we can say with confidence that in years to come gold will be worth more than it is today.

If you do find that you have some scrap gold that you would like to sell, what is the best way to sell it? If you need cash for your scrap gold quickly, then there are a couple of different ways to sell gold quickly. The first is to take your gold items to a local jeweller, although you may not get the best price here and you will have to prove your identity.

The second way is to use one of the gold buying companies that constantly advertise on TV and online at the moment. They will offer you a set price calculated from the weight and quality (carat) of your gold and will usually pay out very fast, often within 24-48 hours.

One other way to try to sell your gold if you are not in quite such a rush is to use eBay. This can get you a good price but do make sure to weigh, describe and photograph your scrap gold for sale accurately.

You will have to give the weight in grams, not including any stones or non-gold items. You will also need to know the carat of your gold. Much of the gold jewellery made in the UK is 9 carat or 18 carat and gold sovereigns are 22 carat. Pure gold is 24 carat.

Most dealers will tell you in advance how much per gram they will pay for the different grades of scrap gold. It is unlikely that any dealer will offer you 100% of the scrap value for your gold as they need to make a profit too. The only place that you may get more than the current scrap price for your gold is if you sell it on eBay, but then you will have to pay sales costs so you will probably be no better off in the end.

The exception to this of course is if you have vintage or antique gold jewellery to sell that is in good condition or old gold coins. These things can be worth a lot more than there scrap value so you should always take them to a jeweller or your local auctioneer for a valuation before considering selling them as scrap.

If you have any gold that you think may possibly be valuable it would be worthwhile finding out what the hallmarks mean. Every piece of gold jewellery should have hallmarks which will tell you the carat quality of the gold, the place where it was hallmarked and the maker.

You may be able to find the information you need about the hallmarks online or ask your local jeweller, antiques dealer or auctioneer. Modern jewellery sold in the UK will usually be hallmarked with either .375 which means the item is 9 carat gold, or .750 which is 18 carat.

Knowing whether your gold items are 9 carat or 18 carat before selling to a dealer will give you a much better idea of what your gold is worth. It is unlikely that you will have any pure gold (24 carat) unless you have any gold bullion stashed under the floorboards!

Pure gold is too soft to be used for jewellery or coins. Gold that has a lower carat value than 24 has had other metal added to it for durability. The lower the carat number the less the gold content. Commonly silver or copper are used to mix with the gold and make it stronger.

The most important thing to remember is that the higher the carat number, the more valuable your gold is. So the scrap value for 18 carat gold should be twice as much as for 9 carat gold. Once you know the carat value of your gold, the next most important thing is the weight.

It is essential to get an accurate weight for your scrap gold…your kitchen scales will not do the job. You need a digital jeweller’s scale. If you do not have access to one of these, you can buy one online for a few pounds. Or take your gold to your local jeweller’s shop and ask them to weigh it for you. They may make a small charge for this.

You need to know the weight of your gold in grams. Once you know the carat value and the weight of your scrap gold it is simple to calculate what it is worth. For example, if a dealer tells you that they will pay £7 a gram for 9 carat gold and you have an old chain, a bracelet and a couple of rings that together weigh 24 grams, then this dealer would pay you £168.

Of course, to know whether this is a good offer, you need to know the current scrap value of 9 carat gold on the open market. There are a number of websites where you can find this. Cooksonsgold.com will give you a good idea. Some newspapers also give daily values for gold.

However, bear in mind that the value given in the newspaper will be for pure (24 carat) gold and also probably per ounce, not per gram. This calculation is a little more complicated and you will need a calculator.

Divide the price of gold per ounce by 31.3 – this will give you the price per gram.

Then divide this result by 24 and multiply by 9 if your gold is 9 carat, or 18 if 18 carat.

This will then give you today’s value for your gold per gram.

Now just multiply this by the number of grams of scrap gold you have and you will have the true value.

If you find that the dealers offer is dramatically below this then look elsewhere or try selling on eBay. But don’t forget that no dealer will offer you 100% of the value as they need to make a profit themselves.