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Scrap Gold Price Per Pound Calculator

Reviewed by the How Much Is Gold by the Pound Editorial Team · Updated September 29, 2026

Prices on this page use gold spot at $4,169.70/troy oz ($60,808/lb) · updated September 29, 2026

Scrap karat	Gold content	Pure gold per lb	Melt per lb today	Melt per gram today
10k	41.7%	6.08 troy oz	$25,337	$55.86
14k	58.3%	8.51 troy oz	$35,471	$78.20
18k	75.0%	10.94 troy oz	$45,606	$100.54
22k	91.7%	13.37 troy oz	$55,741	$122.89
24k	99.9%+	14.58 troy oz	$60,808	$134.06

Melt values at spot. The table works without JavaScript.

Quick answer. Scrap gold is worth its pure gold content: weight × karat fraction × spot price. A pound of 14k scrap is worth $35,471 in melt today and a pound of 10k is worth $25,337. Mixed lots have to be priced one karat at a time, then added up. The calculator above does that for any mix, in grams, pennyweights, pounds or ounces. What a buyer actually pays is a percentage of that melt figure.

How the Calculation Works

For each karat in your lot:

Pure gold = weight × (karat ÷ 24) Melt value = pure gold in troy ounces × spot ($4,169.70 today)

Then add the lines. The calculator also divides the lot's total melt by its total weight to give a value per pound for your mix, which is useful when a buyer quotes you a single per-pound or per-gram figure for "mixed gold": you can see straight away whether it's in line with what's actually in the lot.

A few conversion constants sit behind it: 1 pound = 453.59 grams = 291.67 pennyweights = 14.583 troy ounces; 1 pennyweight = 1.555 grams; 1 troy ounce = 31.10 grams. The calculator never uses 16 ounces to the pound for gold.

Worked Example: A Typical Mixed Lot

Here's a lot of the kind people actually bring in, and the one the calculator starts with:

Item	Karat	Weight	Pure gold
Chains and bracelets	14k	120 g	70.0 g
Class ring and earrings	10k	45 g	18.75 g
Two rings	18k	30 g	22.5 g
Total	mixed	195 g (0.43 lb)	111.25 g (3.58 troy oz)

At today's spot, the lot's melt value is $14,914.06, which works out to $34,692 per pound of scrap. That's just under the 14k per-pound figure, because the lot is 57% pure gold by weight overall: the 18k rings don't quite make up for the 10k pieces.

Two lessons from this lot:

It's less than half a pound. Most household scrap lots are measured in grams, not pounds. A full pound of scrap gold is a large lot.
The 10k pieces matter less than they weigh. They're 23% of the weight but only 17% of the gold. A buyer who quotes a single "14k price" on the whole lot is overpaying you for the 10k and underpaying for the 18k; one who quotes a "10k price" on everything is simply underpaying.

Weighing Scrap Gold Properly

Use grams. A digital scale that reads to 0.1 g or better is inexpensive and far more accurate for jewelry than a kitchen scale reading in ounces.
Weigh each karat separately. Sort by the stamp first.
Take off what isn't gold. Stones, pearls, steel pins and springs, glass, and watch movements add weight that no buyer pays for. Small diamonds can be worth more removed and sold separately.
Expect solder. Repaired and assembled pieces contain solder, which is usually a lower karat than the piece. A refiner's assay will catch it; your calculation won't.
Know the unit a buyer uses. Many US buyers quote per pennyweight ("per penny"). A pennyweight is 1.555 grams, so a per-dwt price looks 55% higher than the same per-gram price.

Dental Gold, Unmarked Gold and Gold-Filled

Dental gold is an alloy whose gold content varies widely by type and age, and it often contains platinum-group metals too. It can't be priced reliably from weight alone; a refiner's assay is the only accurate answer.
Unmarked gold needs testing. Acid tests, electronic testers and XRF analyzers can identify the karat; until then, don't assume the high end.
Gold-filled (GF) and plated (GP, GEP, HGE, RGP) items contain only a thin layer of gold. Some refiners buy gold-filled scrap in bulk at a small fraction of solid-gold prices; plated items are usually worth little or nothing for their gold.

Selling scrap gold by the pound? The melt value is the ceiling, not an offer. What you'll be paid depends on who buys it and how much you bring:

Refiners often pay 90% or more of melt, usually with a minimum lot size and sometimes assay or processing fees. At a pound or more of scrap, a refiner is worth considering.
Mail-in buyers commonly pay roughly 70–90% of melt, according to 2026 seller guides. Check how they handle returns if you decline the offer.
Local gold buyers and jewelers commonly pay roughly 60–85%.
Pawn shops often pay well under that.

Ask every buyer for the price per gram of pure gold, how they test, and what they deduct. On our worked lot above, the gap between a 60% offer and a 90% offer is $4,474.22.

Buying instead? Scrap is a seller's market. To buy gold by weight close to spot, buy bullion; see how to buy gold by the pound.

FAQ

What is the scrap gold price per pound today?

It depends on karat: $35,471 for 14k, $25,337 for 10k and $45,606 for 18k, in melt value as of September 29, 2026.

How do I price a mix of different karats?

Weigh each karat separately, calculate each line's gold content, and add them. The calculator on this page does it line by line.

Do scrap gold buyers weigh in pounds?

Rarely. Most weigh in grams or pennyweights, and some in troy ounces. Convert before comparing quotes.

How much do refiners pay for scrap gold?

Often 90% or more of melt value, usually with minimum lot sizes and sometimes fees.

Is scrap gold worth more than its melt value?

Usually not, unless a piece has collector, designer or antique value, or carries valuable stones. Check before selling anything unusual as scrap.