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Scrap and jewelry value

10k gold price today

Ten karat is 10 parts gold to 14 parts other metal — the most common low-karat jewelry grade sold in the United States. It is usual in class rings and older chain.

Melt value per gram

10k gold · .4167 fine

10 of 24 parts gold14 parts alloy

Fineness
.4167
Also stamped
417
Gold spot
Per troy ounce

The gold price shown was recorded when this page was published. Figures calculated from it appear once the live price loads, so nothing here is worked out from a number the market may have left behind.

What you will actually be offered

Melt is the ceiling, not the price
grams

Weigh only the gold. Stones, clasps and any other metal are deducted — a refiner pays for metal content, not for the piece.

Melt value

Refiner or mail-in buyer

Local jeweler

Pawn shop

Per 10 g of 10k gold. Melt is a ceiling, not a price — it is the metal content before any buyer’s margin, refining loss or handling. We do not collect scrap buy-back prices from anyone; these ranges are typical of the US market and are guidance, not quotes. Get more than one offer.

Common weights

Melt ceiling, and the usual offer range
WeightMelt valueRefiner or mail-in buyer (8090%)Pawn shop (4060%)
1 gA thin ring
5 gA wedding band
10 gA light chain
20 gA heavy chain
1 oztA troy ounce

Before you sell

A 10k piece is under half gold by weight, so its melt value is less than half what the same weight of pure gold would fetch. That surprises most sellers more than the buyer’s margin does.

Weigh everything yourself before you go, and get more than one offer. The spread between a refiner and a pawn counter on the same piece is routinely larger than the entire premium difference this site tracks between bullion dealers.

How this is calculated

Grams ÷ 31.1035 × .4167 × the live gold spot price. Nothing is rounded until it is displayed, and no figure is shown at all when spot is unavailable or the feed is delayed.

Karat is a fraction of 24, so 10k is 10 parts gold to 14 parts other metal. It is a gold measure only — silver is never described in karats.

Common questions

How much gold is in 10k gold?
10k is 10 parts gold to 14 parts other metal — a fineness of .4167. Its melt value is that fraction of what the same weight of pure gold would be worth. The same grade is stamped 417 on European pieces.
Will a buyer pay me the melt value of my 10k gold?
No. Melt value is the ceiling, not the offer. A refiner or mail-in buyer typically pays 80–90% of melt, a jeweller less, and a pawn counter considerably less again — they carry the refining cost and the price risk in between. Getting more than one quote usually moves the number further than shopping the spot price ever could.
How do I weigh 10k gold correctly?
Weigh the metal only. Stones, clasps and any non-gold parts are deducted, because a refiner pays for metal content and not for the piece. Use a scale that reads grams, and remember that a kitchen scale's ounce is 28.35 grams, not the 31.1035 gram troy ounce gold is priced in.

Other gold purities

Same calculation, different fraction