Scrap gold in Ireland
What is scrap gold worth in Ireland?
Scrap gold is worth its weight in grams, times the fineness of its carat, times the live gold price, less the buyer's margin. Today that comes to 34.20 euro per gram for 9ct and 73.60 euro per gram for 18ct with us, live as of 26 Oct, 12:03 Dublin time, net, paid per gram of the item. A broken 15 g 9ct chain is worth 513.00 euro; a 4 g 18ct wedding band 294.40 euro.
The formula
Every scrap gold price in the world comes from the same three numbers.
- The spot price. Gold trades in US dollars per troy ounce on the London market; divide by 31.103 and convert to euro and you have the price of one gram of pure gold. It moves all day.
- The fineness. Carat is gold content in twenty-fourths. 9ct is 0.375 gold, 14ct is 0.585, 18ct is 0.750, 22ct is 0.916, 24ct is 0.999. The hallmark number is the fineness in parts per thousand.
- The weight of the metal, in grams, with stones and non-gold parts excluded.
Spot times fineness is the melt value of one gram of the item. A buyer pays that less a margin to cover refining, testing, insurance and profit. We take that margin off once, publish the result as a net price per gram for each carat, and pay exactly that figure. The reasoning behind each number is on gold price per gram in Ireland.
What we pay today, per gram
| Grade | Hallmark | We pay per gram | 10 g fetches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | 375 | €34.20$38.28£28.63 | €342.00$382.80£286.35 |
| 14ct gold | 585 | €55.38$61.99£46.37 | €553.80$619.87£463.69 |
| 18ct gold | 750 | €73.60$82.38£61.62 | €736.00$823.80£616.24 |
| 22ct gold | 916 | €89.89$100.61£75.26 | €898.90$1,006.14£752.63 |
| 24ct gold | 999 | €98.03$109.72£82.08 | €980.30$1,097.25£820.79 |
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1193 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8373 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
There are no testing or handling fees. The only deduction we ever make is 12 euro return postage at cost on postal sales that complete, shown as its own line and waived when the parcel's melt value is over 500 euro.
Worked examples at today's rates
Typical pieces, typical weights, and what each pays today at the published rate. Weigh your own on a kitchen scale and the calculator does the rest.
| Item | Carat | Weight | Pays today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine 9ct neck chain | 9ct | 4 g | 136.80 euro |
| 9ct curb chain, broken clasp | 9ct | 15 g | 513.00 euro |
| 9ct signet ring | 9ct | 7 g | 239.40 euro |
| 14ct bracelet | 14ct | 12 g | 664.56 euro |
| 18ct wedding band | 18ct | 4 g | 294.40 euro |
| 18ct ring, stone removed | 18ct | 5 g | 368.00 euro |
| 22ct bangle | 22ct | 20 g | 1797.80 euro |
| Mixed drawer of 9ct odds and ends | 9ct | 40 g | 1368.00 euro |
Notice the bangle. 22ct is 91.6 percent gold, so Indian and Middle Eastern jewellery hallmarked 916 pays far more per gram than Irish 9ct. Never let a buyer price it as “yellow gold” at a 9ct rate.
What counts as scrap, and what does not
Scrap is anything sold for its metal: broken chains, odd earrings, worn rings, bent bangles, dental gold, old watch cases and bracelets, snapped clasps, and good jewellery nobody wears any more. Condition is irrelevant to the price; a kinked chain and a perfect one of the same carat and weight pay the same.
Not priced as scrap: bullion coins and bars, which are priced on their fine gold content (see selling gold coins); branded watches, which are bought by quote only; and pieces with collector or antique value above their metal, which we flag rather than melt. Not gold at all: plated, rolled and gold-filled items (marked GP, RGP, HGE, 1/20), which carry almost no gold. Our hallmarks guide shows the marks that mean plate.
How to get the full published rate
- Sort by carat before you weigh, so a 9ct rate is not applied to an 18ct ring in a mixed lot.
- Check the rate per gram for your carat against this page the day you sell. Our figure is the figure paid.
- Ask for an itemised offer: each piece, its carat, its weight and the rate. A total for the lot hides the rate.
- Unmarked gold is still gold. Every piece we buy is XRF tested, so an unhallmarked piece is paid at the rate for what it actually is.
Questions people ask
What counts as scrap gold?
Any gold item sold for its metal rather than as a piece of jewellery: broken chains, single earrings, worn or out-of-fashion rings, dental gold, old watch cases, damaged bangles, and perfectly good jewellery nobody wears. Condition does not matter; carat and weight do.
How is scrap gold value calculated?
Weight in grams, times the fineness of the carat (0.375 for 9ct, 0.585 for 14ct, 0.75 for 18ct, 0.916 for 22ct), times the live gold price per gram, gives the melt value. A buyer pays that less a margin. We publish the resulting net price per gram for each carat and that is what is paid.
What is scrap gold worth per gram today?
The live figures for 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, 22ct and 24ct are on this page and at liffeymetals.com/prices, refreshed through the day. They are net: the amount paid per gram of the item, with no testing or handling fees.
Is scrap gold worth more than its melt value?
Occasionally. A signed piece, a good antique, a collectable coin or a piece with a fine stone can be worth more intact than melted, and we say so when we see one rather than melting it. For ordinary broken or unworn jewellery the metal value is the value.
Do buyers pay full melt value for scrap gold?
No. Every buyer pays below the spot value of the fine gold, because refining, testing, insurance and the buyer's margin come out of the difference. What varies is how much below, and whether the buyer tells you. Compare buyers on the net price per gram for your carat; ours is published.
Is gold-plated jewellery worth anything as scrap?
Almost nothing. Plate is a layer of gold a few microns thick over base metal, so a plated chain that weighs 20 grams might carry a few hundredths of a gram of gold. Marks such as GP, GEP, RGP, HGE and 1/20 indicate plate or rolled gold. We tell you rather than make a token offer.
Ready to sell?
Check the net price per gram for your grade first, then request a free insured postal pack. Every item is tested on camera, the offer is itemised, and anything you decline comes back free.