Sell old gold: what old jewellery is worth to a buyer, and how to get it

You can sell old gold at full value whatever its age or design. A buyer pays for the purity and the weight, and a piece from forty years ago is worth the same per gram as a new one of the same purity. We are in Noida Extension (Greater Noida West), and pickups cover Delhi NCR. Our sell gold page for Noida Extension has the address and the details.

Does old jewellery sell for less?

No. Many people expect it to. The chain is worn, the design is out of fashion, and the clasp has been repaired twice. That feels like it should lower the price.

It does not, because a buyer is not buying the jewellery as jewellery. The gold in it will be melted and reused. The shape, the age and the fashion all disappear at that point. Only two things are left: how much gold there is, and how pure it is.

We cover the buyer's side of this in why a buyer does not care how old your gold is. The short version is that age is not an input.

Why can old pieces test higher than you expect?

Many families assume that old gold must be weaker. Often it is the reverse. Pieces made decades ago for weddings and festivals were commonly made in 22 karat, and some in purer gold than that. Much of today's lighter fashion jewellery is made in lower karats.

We cannot promise that your pieces will test high. Some old pieces are lower than their stamp suggests, and some have no stamp at all. That is why the test matters more than any guess, yours or ours.

A piece you have kept in a cupboard for thirty years has not lost purity. Gold does not wear away in the cupboard. A little may rub off a worn chain over the years, so the weight on the scale is what counts, not the weight someone remembers.

What matters when you sell old gold?

Two things set the figure, and a third explains the day it is quoted.

• Weight. How many grams of the piece are gold. Stones, enamel and lac do not count as gold. See stones, meena and clasps.
• Purity. How much of the piece is gold, tested on a karatmeter. A 22 karat piece is mostly gold with some copper or silver mixed in to make it hard enough to wear.
• The rate. The gold rate on the day, which is set by the market. You can see how we publish it on our gold rate page.

We do not print a figure for any piece here, because it cannot be known until the piece is tested and weighed. At the counter, we work it out in front of you from these inputs.

What should I expect at the counter?

Nothing complicated. The steps are the same for a bangle from 1985 and a ring from last year.

1. You hand over the pieces. Nothing leaves your sight.
2. We weigh each piece on the scale in front of you.
3. We test your gold on a karatmeter while you watch. The reading is shown to you. Our page on how a karatmeter reading is taken goes through it step by step.
4. We work out the figure from the weight, the purity and the rate, and tell you what it is.
5. If you agree, we ask for photo ID and pay you. If you do not agree, you take your gold back. Nothing has to happen today.

Bring a photo ID. If you have an old bill, bring it, but its absence does not stop a sale. See selling gold without the original bill and what to bring.

What should I not accept?

When you sell old gold, you will meet a few things that should make you pause. You can say no to any of them.

• A discount for age or style. "This design is old, so we will take something off." Age is not an input. Ask what the purity reading is instead.
• A test you cannot see. If the piece goes into a back room, or the reading is not shown to you, ask for it to be done in front of you. If they refuse, go elsewhere.
• Weighing out of sight. The scale should face you. You should see the number.
• A rate that is not named. Ask which rate is being used and what it is. Ask whether any deduction is being made, and for what.
• Pressure to decide quickly. A fair buyer lets you leave and come back. If someone makes you feel you must decide at once, that tells you about the buyer.
• A lump sum with no working. You should be able to follow how the figure was reached from weight, purity and rate.

For more on this, read five questions to ask any buyer and why two shops quote different rates on the same gold.

Should I polish or repair the piece before selling?

No. Do not spend money repairing a chain or cleaning a bangle. A broken piece weighs what it weighs, and a tarnished piece tests the same as a shiny one. Leave it as it is. Our page on broken pieces and single earrings covers this.

Keep any stones or enamel on the piece. We weigh the gold, and we do not buy stones. We do not pay for them and we do not test them.

What if the pieces are family jewellery?

Old gold often carries memories. A piece may have been your mother's, or part of your own wedding set. You do not have to sell all of it, and you do not have to sell on the first visit.

Come in, have each piece tested, and hear the figure. Then go home and think. If you want to keep one piece and sell the rest, that is fine. See selling one piece or the whole set and selling jewellery you inherited.

If you cannot travel, or you would rather not carry gold, we can come to you within Delhi NCR. Call or WhatsApp 9217742656 to ask about a pickup or to check anything before you decide. Cash for gold is the plain description of what we do. If you search for "purana sona" or "gold bechna hai", our Hinglish page says the same in the words you use at home.

Questions people ask

Can I sell old gold jewellery that is out of fashion? Yes. Fashion does not change the price. The buyer pays for the weight of gold and its purity, tested on a karatmeter.

Will old gold test lower than new gold? Not necessarily. Many older pieces were made in 22 karat and test well. The only way to know is to have the piece tested.

Can I ask about a pickup or check a piece before I come? Yes. Call or WhatsApp 9217742656 and tell us what you have. We will explain how a visit or a pickup works. The figure for your pieces is only given after they are tested and weighed.

How the karatmeter reading is taken · Why the published rate is not your payout