Second-hand gold: the real price
Buying used gold makes sense when you pay close to the value of the metal rather than the price of new jewelry, which includes design, labor, margin and VAT. The reference is always the same: the price per gram of the piece's purity.
Metal value per gram today
| Purity | Value per gram |
|---|---|
| 999.9 · 24 carat | €122.55 |
| 916 · 22 carat | €112.26 |
| 750 · 18 carat | €91.92 |
| 585 · 14 carat | €71.70 |
| 375 · 9 carat | €45.96 |
What price is reasonable
Example with an 18 carat chain weighing 10 grams. The metal's value is €919.18; from there, here's how it looks depending on the seller's margin:
| Margin over the metal | Selling price |
|---|---|
| Metal value (no margin) | €919.18 |
| +15% margin | €1,057.06 |
| +30% margin | €1,194.93 |
| +50% margin | €1,378.77 |
Above a 50% margin over the metal's value, you're paying new-jewelry prices for a used piece.
What to check before buying
Visible hallmark. 750, 585 or 375 on the clasp or inside the band. Without a hallmark, insist on a purity test in front of you.
Weight on a scale. Don't buy "by the piece": ask for grams and work out the metal's value yourself.
Condition of clasps and solder joints. A repair can cost 30 or 40 euros and is often done with lower-purity gold.
Invoice or guarantee. Professional buying and selling entitles you to an invoice; it's what lets you make a claim if the purity isn't as stated.
Calculate the metal
Open the calculator →If you're looking to sell
Guide to selling gold →Chart
Gold price trend
Gold price per gram in euros over recent months.
| Date | Euros per gram |
|---|---|
| 2026-03-25 | 125.07 |
| 2026-05-09 | 128.63 |
| 2026-06-23 | 115.40 |
| 2026-08-07 | 120.77 |
| 2026-09-20 | 122.56 |
- Period change
- -2.01%
- Start
- €125.07
- Low
- €111.84
- 16 Jul 2026
- High
- €132.64
- 01 Apr 2026
Source: MetalFlow API