How To Weigh Gold & Calculate Its Value

This guide shows you how to weigh gold at home, avoid common mistakes, and estimate its value step by step. Learn how to calculate gold’s value using tools you may already have. Whether you’re checking your jewelry or getting ready to sell, you’ve come to the right place.

Identifying the Karats and Purity

Most people are aware that gold’s weight plays a significant role in determining its value. But there’s another as important factor: its purity. Purity refers to how much actual gold is in your piece, and it matters as much as weight.  

Not sure what karat your gold is? Without testing, the simplest way is to take a very close look all around your piece. Typically, you will see a stamp somewhere on your item that indicates the karat of your piece. It can be small so that you may need a magnifying glass.

The chart below offers a quick breakdown of the karats and purity of gold. As you’ll see, the higher the karat, the more pure gold your item contains.

Now that you know the karat of your piece, it’s time to move on to the next step: weighing it.

How to Weigh Gold and Calculate Its Value at Home

If you are looking to find the value of one or a couple of pieces of gold, there is no need to buy a fancy jeweler’s scale. You may already have a scale that can do the job. 

As long as you have a scale that can weigh in grams and ounces, that should work well. Grams are generally good enough to get an idea of your gold’s value.

If you don’t already have a scale and need to buy one, a kitchen or postage scale is a great option. It can weigh your item at the gram or ounce level. These scales also typically have a digital display, making it very simple to read the weight.

You can find small digital scales for around $10 at stores like Walmart or Target.

Now that you have your scale, it’s time to move on to the next step: understanding the unit by which you should measure your gold.

Gold weight measurements 

Jewelers and gold buyers weigh gold in various units of measurement. You may see grams, ounces, troy ounces, and pennyweights used to refer to gold weight. The term “spot price” refers to the current market price of gold for one troy ounce, for example. One troy ounce is equal to 31.10 grams.

You can use either grams or ounces when determining the value of your gold item. If you want to convert the weight to troy ounces or pennyweights, you will need to perform some math. When you sell your items, ensure that both you and the buyer are using the same unit of measurement.

Use our gold calculator below to check the current value of your gold and receive a free instant estimate if you’re considering selling.

Considering the weight of stones

Often, the piece of jewelry you are looking to sell features a diamond or another type of gemstone. How does that affect the price of your valuables?

Photo by The Glorious Studio

If you know the total carat weight of the diamond, you can use this simple formula to subtract the weight of the stone: “A 1-carat diamond weighs 0.2 grams, which is also 200 milligrams.” source 

Your stone won’t significantly impact the weight of your valuable unless it is over one carat. You can still get a reasonably accurate estimate of your gold’s value.

Diamonds under one carat do not have a high resale value, which means they are not sought after by precious metal or jewelry buyers.

image source

If your item includes diamonds or gemstones, you might get more by selling it on peer-to-peer marketplaces like eBay or Etsy. This option takes more time, as you’ll need to create listings and wait for the right buyer, but it can help you get the full value for the stones.

Calculating Value

Using a gold value calculator

Now that you know both the karats and the weight of your gold, you are ready to calculate your gold value. Select the corresponding options for your valuables from each of the drop downs. Enter the info into the calculator and click on “Calculate Value” to receive your estimate.

The calculator displays the current market value (spot price). If you are looking to sell your valuables, you will also see an estimate. Request your free Alloy Appraisal Kit to get a no-obligation evaluation and offer.

Our licensed experts provide a complimentary evaluation, which includes a thorough inspection, precise weighing, x-ray testing, and advanced laboratory tools. Once complete, they will give you a free, no-obligation offer. 

Click here to get a free offer and expert evaluation with your Alloy Appraisal Kit!