Mixed-karat scrap lot · Total melt value · Buyer payout comparison
| Item | Karat | Purity | Weight | Pure Gold | Melt Value | Payout |
|---|
Powered by Toolraxy
Founder & CEO, Toolraxy
Faiq Ur Rahman is a web designer, digital product developer, and founder of Toolraxy, a growing platform of web-based calculators and utility tools. He specializes in building structured, user-friendly tools focused on health, finance, productivity, and everyday problem-solving.
User Ratings:
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
This Scrap Gold Calculator values an entire lot of mixed-karat gold in one place. Add each piece with its karat, weight, and unit, then enter a spot price per troy ounce and a buyer payout percentage. The tool totals pure gold, melt value, and estimated payouts by buyer type. Get a complete scrap valuation without spreadsheet math.
A drawer of unmatched gold broken chains, single earrings, old rings rarely shares one karat stamp. That is exactly the situation this Scrap Gold Calculator is built for. It handles a mixed-karat scrap lot rather than a single item, so you can list each piece separately and still get one clear total. Enter the spot price per troy ounce, add items with their karats and weights, and set a buyer payout rate. The calculator reports total weight, pure gold content, melt value, and estimated payouts from refiners, dealers, pawn shops, and mail-in buyers. It suits estate sorting, jewellery repairs, dental scrap, and anyone comparing offers before selling. Treat it as a transparent starting point for negotiation.
Pick your currency from the dropdown. This changes the symbol only.
Enter the gold spot price per troy ounce. The price per gram fills automatically.
Add each scrap item as its own row.
Choose a karat for every item, or leave Custom if it maps to 0% purity in this version.
Type the weight and select grams, pennyweight, or troy ounces.
Adjust the payout percentage or choose a buyer type to load a preset rate.
Click Calculate to refresh totals, or use the buyer cards to compare payout levels.
Review the totals strip, item breakdown table, and analysis.
The Scrap Gold Calculator converts every item to grams, multiplies by its karat purity, and values the resulting pure gold at the spot price per gram.
Formula: Price per gram = spot price per troy ounce ÷ 31.1034768
Formula: Grams = weight in g, or weight in dwt × (31.1034768 ÷ 20), or weight in ozt × 31.1034768
Formula: Pure gold grams = grams × (karat purity % ÷ 100)
Formula: Item melt value = pure gold grams × price per gram
Formula: Lot melt value = sum of all item melt values
Formula: Payout amount = lot melt value × (payout % ÷ 100)
Formula: Buyer comparison payout = lot melt value × preset buyer % ÷ 100
The payout percentage is clamped to 0–100. A negative spot price is treated as zero. The item karat list includes Custom, which maps to 0% purity in this version; there is no separate purity field for scrap items. The currency selector changes the displayed symbol only and does not perform foreign-exchange conversion. If total melt value is zero, the badge shows Add Items. Payout badges are based on thresholds: 90% or more is excellent, 75–89% is fair, 55–74% is below average, and under 55% is poor. Buyer presets are refiner 96%, dealer 80%, pawn shop 60%, and cash-for-gold 45%.
Suppose your scrap lot contains a 6.4 g 14K ring, a 3.1 g 18K pendant, and an 11.2 g 10K bracelet. The gold spot price is $2,150 per troy ounce, and you want to test an 80% dealer payout.
Step 1: Convert spot price to price per gram.
$2,150 ÷ 31.1034768 = about $69.12 per gram.
Step 2: Calculate pure gold for each item.
14K ring: 6.4 g × 58.5% = 3.744 g pure gold.
18K pendant: 3.1 g × 75.0% = 2.325 g pure gold.
10K bracelet: 11.2 g × 41.7% = 4.670 g pure gold.
Step 3: Add the pure gold.
3.744 + 2.325 + 4.670 = 10.739 g pure gold.
Step 4: Calculate melt value.
14K ring: 3.744 g × $69.12 = $258.78.
18K pendant: 2.325 g × $69.12 = $160.70.
10K bracelet: 4.670 g × $69.12 = $322.79.
Total melt value = $742.27.
Step 5: Apply the payout rate.
$742.27 × 80% = $593.82.
The lot weighs 20.7 g, contains 10.739 g of pure gold, and has a melt value near $742.27. At an 80% dealer rate, the estimated payout is about $593.82. A refiner preset of 96% would show roughly $712.58, which is why comparing buyer types before selling matters.
It values a mixed lot of scrap gold items. You list each piece, choose its karat and weight unit, enter a spot price, and set a payout rate. The tool returns total melt value and buyer payout estimates.
Every row has its own karat selector. The calculator applies the matching purity percentage to that row only, then sums the pure gold and melt value across the lot. This keeps 10K, 14K, 18K, and other pieces separate.
Enter the current gold spot price per troy ounce in your chosen currency. The calculator divides it by 31.1034768 to get the price per gram. It does not fetch live prices, so use a recent quote from a refiner or market source.
Buyers rarely pay full melt value. The payout percentage models the discount a refiner, dealer, pawn shop, or mail-in service applies. Changing this field shows how the same lot would perform under different buyer rates.
Yes. Each item row supports grams, pennyweights (dwt), and troy ounces (ozt). The calculator converts dwt and ozt to grams before applying purity and price, so you can enter weights in the unit stamped on the item or scale.
No. The currency dropdown changes the symbol displayed in the results. It does not perform foreign-exchange conversion. Enter the spot price and payout values in the same currency you select.
Melt value is the market worth of the pure gold content in an item or lot. It is calculated from weight, purity, and the price per gram. It does not include gemstones, craftsmanship, brand premiums, or collector value.
Refiners generally pay the highest percentage of melt value. The calculator’s preset comparison shows refiners at about 96%, dealers around 80%, pawn shops near 60%, and cash-for-gold services around 45%. Actual offers vary by quantity, location, and fees.
You can add as many rows as you need using the Add another item button. The totals strip and breakdown table update with each row. For large lots, the analysis may suggest sorting by karat before requesting quotes.
Payout is lower because buyers charge for refining, assay, shipping, and profit. The difference between melt value and payout is not a calculation error; it is the buyer’s margin and cost structure. Comparing multiple buyer types can reduce that gap.
Yes. The tool is free to use, and the calculations run client-side in your browser. Your item descriptions, weights, and payout entries are not transmitted to a server by the calculator itself.
In this version, the Custom karat option maps to 0% purity. It does not open a field for entering a different purity percentage. To value a non-standard karat, choose the closest preset or use a dedicated karat-to-purity converter first.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
