Methodology, not a league table
How to compare gold buyers in Dublin
There is no honest league table of Dublin gold buyers, because most do not publish a price and the ones who do move with the market. What works is a method: ask every buyer the same six questions, score the answers, and compare the net price per gram for your carat on the same day. We publish ours, today 34.59 euro per gram for 9ct and 74.45 euro for 18ct, live as of 08 Nov, 18:13 Dublin time, so you have one checked number before you start.
How this page was written, and by whom
This page is written and maintained by Andrew Liffey, Founder of Liffey Metals (Liffey Metals Limited, CRO 829257), a gold and silver dealer and refiner in Dublin. We are a party to the comparison, so we have not filled in any other buyer's column, not even the well-known names (Goldbank, Cash for Gold Ireland, Merrion Gold and others). We have not collected reviews, we do not quote competitors' prices, and we do not rank anyone. The criteria, the scoring and the description of each type of buyer are the whole of our contribution; our own answers are shown so that you can check them against what we actually do.
If a buyer, including us, scores badly on a question, that is useful information. If you think a criterion is unfair to a type of buyer, write to andrew@liffeymetals.com and we will consider the argument in public on this page.
The six questions, with scoring
Score each answer from 0 to 3 as described; 18 is the maximum. Price is the sixth criterion in effect, compared separately as a number, because a buyer who scores 18 but pays a third less per gram is not the right buyer.
| Ask | Why it matters | Scoring | Our answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is your net price per gram for 9ct and 18ct today? | The only number that makes offers comparable. A buyer who answers with a percentage of spot, a per-pennyweight rate or 'it depends' has not answered. | Published on their website: 3. Given straight over the phone: 2. Only after seeing the piece: 1. Refused: 0. | Published for every grade and updated through the day from the live London price. Today, 9ct and 18ct figures are below. |
| How do you test, and can I see the result? | XRF reads the actual gold content without marking the piece. Acid tests read the surface and depend on the tester. 'We can tell by looking' is not a test. | XRF with the reading shown: 3. XRF, result not shown: 2. Acid test: 1. No test or unspecified: 0. | XRF on every piece, on camera, and the reading is in your itemised offer. |
| How do you weigh, and are stones excluded? | Weight to 0.01 g with stones removed or deducted openly. Rounding down, weighing stones as gold, or using pennyweights all cost you money quietly. | Grams to two decimals with stones handled openly: 3. Grams, stones unclear: 2. Pennyweights or rounded: 1. Weight not disclosed: 0. | Grams to two decimal places on a calibrated scale; stones are weighed out and either quoted for or returned. |
| Is the offer itemised, and is there any deduction after it? | An offer should list every piece with weight, carat and price per gram, and the total should be what lands in your account. Testing fees, handling fees and 'refining charges' deducted afterwards turn a good headline rate into a poor one. | Itemised, no deductions: 3. Itemised with disclosed deductions: 2. Total only: 1. Total with later deductions: 0. | Itemised, line by line, and the figure on the offer is the figure paid. Postage on small lots is the only deduction and it is stated on the price page before you post. |
| What happens if I say no? | A free return with no fee and no pressure means the buyer expects you to accept on price. A return fee or a 'we have already melted it' means they do not. | Free insured return: 3. Return at your cost: 2. Return only within a short window: 1. No return: 0. | Everything is returned free, insured, within two working days of a decline. |
| Who are you, legally, and where? | An Irish registered company with a CRO number, a named owner and a Dublin address you can visit. Anonymous postal brands and pop-up hotel events are the hardest to hold to anything. | Named company, CRO number, named owner, address: 3. Company and address only: 2. Trading name only: 1. Nothing checkable: 0. | Liffey Metals Limited, CRO 829257, run by Andrew Liffey, based in Dublin; details on the about page. |
Our price today, for the price column
The figures below are what we pay per gram of the item, net, for the common grades. Take the relevant one to the other buyers as the number to beat.
| Grade | Hallmark | We pay per gram | 10 g fetches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | 375 | €34.59$38.62£28.85 | €345.90$386.20£288.53 |
| 14ct gold | 585 | €56.02$62.55£46.73 | €560.20$625.46£467.29 |
| 18ct gold | 750 | €74.45$83.12£62.10 | €744.50$831.23£621.02 |
| 22ct gold | 916 | €90.93$101.52£75.85 | €909.30$1,015.23£758.49 |
| Sterling silver (925) | 925 | €0.89$0.99£0.74 | €8.90$9.94£7.42 |
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1165 (ECB reference rate, 6 Nov 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8341 (ECB reference rate, 6 Nov 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
How each type of buyer usually fares
These are patterns from the trade, not verdicts on any firm. A particular jeweller may beat a particular refiner on the day; the method above is how you find out.
Refiner or bullion dealer (we are one)
Buys for melt or resale as metal. Usually the highest net price per gram for scrap because there is one margin, not two or three. Less interested in design; should still tell you when a piece is worth more intact.
Watch for: Minimum lot sizes, postage deductions on small lots, how bullion premiums are handled.
Independent jeweller
Buys scrap as a sideline and sells it on to a refiner, so the price is usually a step below a refiner's. The right place for a signed piece or a fine stone, which they can resell as jewellery.
Watch for: Acid testing, offers in store credit, pricing by colour rather than by test.
Cash-for-gold counter or kiosk
Convenient and quick. Rents, staff and advertising are paid for from the margin, so the net price per gram is often the lowest of all; ask for the number before you hand anything over.
Watch for: Per-pennyweight rates, rounding, 'testing fees', pressure to decide on the spot.
Pawnbroker
Primarily a lender; buying is secondary and priced to leave room for resale from the window. Useful if you want a loan against the piece rather than a sale.
Watch for: Loan terms presented as a sale, low cash offers.
Postal buyer (UK or Irish)
Ranges from excellent to poor. The good ones match a refiner's price and show the process on camera. The poor ones rely on you accepting a low offer rather than asking for the piece back.
Watch for: Insurance in transit, return terms, a checkable Irish or UK address, exchange-rate deductions from UK buyers.
Auction house
Best for pieces with collector value: good antiques, signed jewellery, rare coins. Seller's commission, photography and a wait of weeks to months, but the hammer price can be well above melt.
Watch for: Commission and fees, reserve prices, unsold lots.
Door-to-door or hotel-event buyer
Short-notice events and callers who come to the house. Some are legitimate; the format itself removes your chance to compare, which is the point of it.
Watch for: Decide nothing on the day. Get the weight and carat in writing and check the price per gram against a published one.
Where the rules come from
Hallmarking in Ireland is governed by the Hallmarking Act 1981 and administered by the Dublin Assay Office. Consumer rights when selling to a business are more limited than when buying, which is why the written itemised offer matters; the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) publishes general guidance on dealing with traders. Gains on selling gold may be subject to capital gains tax; see is selling gold taxable in Ireland and Revenue's own guidance. Nothing on this page is legal or tax advice.
Questions people ask
Who pays the most for gold in Dublin?
Nobody can honestly answer that for every day and every piece, because most buyers do not publish a price and the ones that do move with the market. What you can do is get the net price per gram for your carat from three buyers on the same day and compare those numbers. This page is the method; the calculator gives you our figure to start from.
Why does this page not rank the buyers by name?
Because we are one of them. A comparison table filled in by a competitor is marketing, whatever it says. We show the criteria and how to score them, and we fill in our own column in public so you can check it; the other columns are yours to fill in with a phone call or a visit.
Is a jeweller or a dealer better for selling gold?
For scrap, a dealer or refiner usually pays more because the metal goes straight to melt with one fewer margin on the way. For a signed piece, a good antique or a fine stone, a jeweller or auction house may pay more because the piece is worth more intact than melted. A fair buyer of either kind tells you which you have.
Are postal gold buyers safe?
The good ones are: insured in transit, opened on camera, itemised offer, free return if you decline. Check those four things in writing before you post anything, and check that the company has an Irish registered address and a CRO number you can look up.
What should I bring or send to get a proper quote?
The pieces themselves; photos give an estimate at best. If you can, weigh them on a kitchen scale and note the hallmarks first so you can check the buyer's weight and carat against your own.
Start the comparison with a number you can check
Our price per gram for every carat is on the calculator now. Take it to two other buyers, ask the six questions, and sell to whoever scores best.