At today’s gold spot price of $172.69 per gram, 18.7 grams of pure 24-karat gold is worth approximately $3,229. But that number changes significantly depending on the purity of the gold you actually have, and what you’d realistically get if you sold it.
Value by Karat Purity
Gold jewelry and scrap gold are rarely pure. The karat rating tells you what percentage of the item is actually gold, with the rest being alloy metals like copper or nickel. Here’s what 18.7 grams is worth at each common purity level:
- 24K (100% gold): $3,229
- 22K (91.6% gold): $2,958
- 18K (75% gold): $2,422
- 14K (58.3% gold): $1,884
- 10K (41.7% gold): $1,346
The formula is straightforward: multiply the weight in grams by the purity percentage, then multiply by the current price per gram. For example, 18.7 grams of 14K gold works out to 18.7 × 0.583 × $172.69 = roughly $1,884.
How to Check Your Gold’s Purity
Look for a small stamp on the piece, usually on the inside of a ring band, near a clasp, or on the back of a pendant. You’ll see either a karat marking (10K, 14K, 18K) or a three-digit fineness number. The number 750 means 75% gold (18K), 585 means 58.5% gold (14K), and 417 means 41.7% gold (10K). Stamping is mandatory on gold objects weighing at least one gram, so a piece weighing 18.7 grams should have one.
If there’s no stamp, or if you suspect the stamp is inaccurate, any jeweler or gold buyer can test the purity with an acid test or electronic tester, usually for free if you’re considering selling.
What You’d Actually Get When Selling
The values above reflect the melt value of your gold, meaning what the raw gold content is worth on the open market. When you sell to a dealer or gold buyer, you’ll receive less than that. A reputable dealer typically pays around 80% to 90% of the gold’s melt value. At 80%, your 18.7 grams of 14K gold would net you closer to $1,507 instead of $1,884.
Pawn shops tend to pay less, sometimes 50% to 70% of melt value. Online gold buyers and local coin shops generally offer better rates, especially for larger amounts. If your gold is in the form of recognizable coins, bars, or designer jewelry, expect a higher payout because those items carry value beyond just their gold content.
If you’re selling scrap gold to a refinery, expect fees on top of the spread. Refining charges typically run around 2% for lots under 50 troy ounces (your 18.7 grams, or about 0.6 troy ounces, falls well under that threshold), plus a flat assay fee of around $30 per lot. For a small amount like this, those fixed fees eat into your return more than they would for a larger batch.
Gold Prices in Context
Gold has been on a historic run. Prices climbed as much as 55% in 2025, surpassing $4,000 per troy ounce for the first time. That surge was driven by tariff uncertainty, strong demand from central banks, and heavy buying through gold ETFs. J.P. Morgan projects prices could reach $5,000 per troy ounce by late 2026, which would push the per-gram price above $160 (where it currently sits) even higher.
That means the value of your 18.7 grams today is significantly higher than it would have been even a year ago. Whether it’s worth waiting to sell depends on your circumstances, but gold is trading near all-time highs right now.
A Note on Weight
Gold markets price by the troy ounce, which is 31.1 grams, not the standard 28.35-gram ounce you’d use in a kitchen. Your 18.7 grams equals about 0.60 troy ounces. If you’re comparing your gold’s value to quoted per-ounce prices, make sure you’re using the troy ounce conversion or you’ll overestimate by about 10%.