Before you sort the jewellery box
What counts as scrap gold?
Scrap gold is any gold item valued primarily for its recoverable precious-metal content—but “broken” does not automatically mean “scrap”.
Request an assessmentCommon items buyers can assess
Broken chains, single earrings, rings with missing stones, bent bangles, dental gold, coins without collector value and damaged watch cases may all contain recoverable gold. Mixed colours—yellow, white and rose—can still be gold alloys.
Gold-plated, gold-filled and rolled-gold pieces contain only a thin layer of gold and are different from solid gold. Vermeil is gold plated over silver. These items may not have enough recoverable gold for a purchase offer.
Reading familiar UK marks
Common fineness marks include 375 for 9ct, 585 for 14ct, 750 for 18ct and 916 for 22ct. A complete UK hallmark can also include the sponsor’s mark, assay office mark and, on some pieces, a date letter.
A missing mark does not prove an item is fake, and a stamped number alone is not conclusive. Small pieces, old jewellery and imports may be unmarked or marked differently, so testing is the safer basis for a purchase.
Pause before selling by weight
Do not clean, dismantle or remove stones before an expert has seen potentially important jewellery. Maker’s marks, period construction, provenance and original settings can create value beyond the metal.
Keep boxes, receipts, certificates and any family history with the piece. Even when the eventual route is scrap, those details make the assessment clearer and help prevent a collectible object being melted unnecessarily.
Questions, answered
Before you
send it in.
Can broken jewellery still be sold?
Yes. Broken or incomplete solid-gold jewellery can retain metal value, and some pieces may also be repairable or collectable.
Can white gold be sold as scrap?
Yes. White gold is a gold alloy and is assessed by its purity and eligible weight, just like yellow or rose gold.
Is gold plate scrap gold?
Gold-plated items contain a very thin gold layer and generally have little recoverable gold. They should not be represented as solid gold.