14K Gold Scrap Price Per Gram Today
The 14K gold scrap price per gram sits at approximately $81 at today’s spot, the melt value, the starting point for every scrap transaction. What you actually receive is 40% to 93% of that, depending entirely on which buyer you choose, with specialized bulk refiners occasionally paying more for very large quantities.
The single biggest variable in what you walk away with isn’t the gold price. It’s the buyer.
Today’s 14K Scrap Gold Price: Melt Value vs. What You Get
Melt value is the theoretical 100%. No buyer pays 100%; they need margin to cover testing, refining costs, and operations. Here’s what the market actually pays right now.
| Buyer Type | Payout % | $/gram (14K) | On 15g Scrap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawn shop | 40-65% | $32-$53 | $487-$791 |
| Cash-for-gold kiosk | 45-65% | $36-$53 | $547-$791 |
| Local jeweler (scrap buy) | 55-75% | $45-$61 | $669-$912 |
| Dedicated gold buyer | 70-85% | $57-$69 | $852-$1,034 |
| Online refiner (mail-in) | 85-93% | $69-$75 | $1,034-$1,131 |
| Industrial refinery (bulk) | 90-95% | $73-$77 | $1,095-$1,156 |
On 15 grams of 14K scrap, the difference between a pawn shop and a mail-in refiner runs roughly $243 to $644, depending on exactly where each offer falls in its range. The gold is identical. The payout is not.
How 14K Scrap Price Is Calculated
Every scrap buyer uses the same base formula:
Scrap value = weight (grams) × 0.5833 × (spot price ÷ 31.1035)
At a spot price of $4,325/oz:
$4,325 ÷ 31.1035 = $139.05 per gram (24K rate) $139.05 × 0.5833 = $81.11 per gram (14K melt value) A buyer paying 85% offers: $81.11 × 0.85 = $68.94 per gram
This formula never changes. What changes is the spot price (daily) and the buyer’s payout percentage (fixed per business). Knowing both puts you in full control of the negotiation. Try it with today’s actual spot price using the gold melt value calculator.
What Counts as 14K Scrap Gold?
Scrap gold is any piece being sold for its metal content rather than its jewelry value. Common scrap pieces include broken chains and necklaces (kinked, snapped, or missing clasps), mismatched or single earrings (full melt value regardless of the missing pair), bent or damaged rings (same melt value as an intact ring), old pieces you no longer wear, dental gold crowns and bridges (often in the 10K to 16K range, so test before pricing), and watch cases and bands marked 14K (confirm the stamp before selling).
Condition is irrelevant for scrap buyers. A broken 14K chain and a pristine 14K chain of equal weight pay the same. Gold buyers melt everything.
What Is Not Worth Scrapping
Designer pieces, Tiffany, Cartier, David Yurman, and Bulgari among them, have brand value that disappears the moment they get melted. A Tiffany 14K ring with a $300 melt value might sell for $600 or more on eBay or through an estate jeweler. Get it appraised before treating it as scrap.
The same applies to pieces with significant diamonds or colored stones. The stone is a separate asset. Sell it separately.
Is Now a Good Time to Sell Scrap Gold?
Gold has been trading at historically elevated prices through 2026. For the full trend discussion and live chart, see 14K gold price history rather than relying on a specific historical figure here; unused scrap gold has no utility value sitting in a drawer, and at current prices, holding it generally makes less financial sense than it would have at lower price points.
How to Get the Best Scrap Price for Your 14K Gold
Three steps before you sell anything.
Weigh everything. Use a digital scale in grams. A $15 jewelry scale gets you within 0.1g. Knowing your weight prevents the most common tactic buyers use: quoting in pennyweight to make the number look larger.
Find your melt value. Use the free calculator on this site; that’s your 100% baseline. Any buyer quoting below 65% of that number is below market.
Get at least two quotes. One in person, one online. The spread between the two usually makes the comparison obvious. For pieces over $300 in melt value, the mail-in quote is almost always better. For the full negotiating playbook, see how to sell 14K gold for the best price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is today’s 14K gold scrap price per gram?
The 14K scrap melt value is approximately $81 per gram based on current COMEX spot prices. Buyers pay 40 to 93 percent of that, roughly $32 to $75 per gram depending on buyer type. Check the live price for today’s exact rate.
Is scrap price the same as melt value?
No. Melt value is the theoretical 100% of gold content at spot price. Scrap price is what buyers actually pay, always a percentage below melt to cover their refining costs and margin. The gap ranges from as little as 7 to 15 percent at online refiners to as much as 35 to 60 percent at lower-end pawn shops.
Who pays the most for 14K scrap gold?
Online mail-in refiners consistently pay the highest rates among typical consumer options, 85 to 93 percent of melt. For bulk quantities of 100 grams or more, industrial refineries may offer 90 to 95 percent. Pawn shops and cash-for-gold kiosks consistently pay the least.
Does broken gold have the same scrap value as intact jewelry?
Yes. Gold buyers price by weight and karat only. A broken 10-gram chain has exactly the same melt value as an intact 10-gram chain of identical karat. Condition only matters if the piece has resale value above melt, designer brands, antiques, or pieces with stones.
