How much is 14K gold worth per gram?
14K gold is approximately 58.3% pure. The pure-gold weight is calculated by multiplying the item’s metal weight by its tested purity. Current market prices and the condition of the item inform an offer after evaluation at Cash for Gold in Johnson City.
The arithmetic, using an example chain
For an illustrative example, consider a 14K chain with 12.5 grams of metal weight.
- 12.5 g × 0.583 = 7.29 g of pure gold
- 7.29 g ÷ 31.1035 g per troy ounce = 0.234 ozt
- Multiply pure-metal troy ounces by a current, verified market price to estimate melt value.
Melt value is a reference calculation, not an offer for your item. The gap between the two covers refining, assay risk, and the fact that scrap has to be melted before it is worth spot at all.
Why the number you found online is higher
Almost every "gold price per gram" result quotes pure gold. Your chain is not pure gold. A 10-gram 14K chain contains about 5.8 grams of gold and about 4.2 grams of copper, silver and zinc, and nobody pays a metals price for the copper. This single fact accounts for most of the surprise first-time sellers feel at the counter, and it is arithmetic rather than a haggle.
What changes the weight before the number is calculated
Clasps are often a lower karat than the chain and are weighed separately. Stones come off the weight. Spring rings and lobster claws frequently contain steel. Cash for Gold names each deduction before it changes the number, not after, and writes the arithmetic down so you can take it with you.