You might already know that the carat (ct) is the traditional unit used to denote the purity of gold alloys. The higher the number, the more 'pure' the gold, i.e. the alloy has more gold content and fewer other metals. It's spelt 'karat' (k / kt) in the United States. The formula used by the gold industry measures carat purity as 24 x the purity by mass. So 14ct gold is 14 parts gold, 10 parts other metal. In percentage terms, that's 58.33% fine gold. You'll see on the hallmark for 14ct gold in the UK is generally expressed in millesimal fineness these days. A convention exists in continental Europe to round up the figure to 58.5%, hence the hallmark figure of '585'. The colour 14-carat gold is available in yellow, rose and white. An alloy of copper will give a more red colour (rose gold), whilst metals such as silver, zinc and palladium will provide a more white colour. An even mix of copper and silver will produce a yellow colour.
How much is 14ct gold worth per gram in the UK today?
There are two rates to consider here, and it's important to understand the difference between them.
- The 'live' bullion market rate for 14ct gold is often called the 'spot price'.
- A gold or bullion dealer offers the 'scrap' price for 14ct gold.
The live 'spot' price of gold is changing constantly, which is the price that gold trades at in international markets. It's important to note that you will never receive the spot price for your scrap gold, as this doesn't consider any processing costs or operating profits for the dealer. Beware of any company that only quotes the gold spot rate on their website - they're doing this to deceive, and you will almost certainly receive just a fraction of the figure quoted.
The scrap price is the amount a dealer will offer you per gram for your unwanted gold.
- The live spot price of 14ct gold is currently £52.97 / g.
- Gold Traders scrap price for 14ct gold is currently £48.31 / g.
If you'd like a comprehensive view of all our scrap gold rates, then have a look at our Scrap Gold Prices page. We encourage you to shop around and find other quotes to compare against. We're confident that we have some of the best rates in the market for 14ct gold, so if you do come across another firm offering a better rate, then let us know!
'Free' Envelope Rip-Off
Now that you have a fair and honest offer for your 14ct gold, the next question is: How are you going to get your precious metal to the buyer? There are a few options.
- Fill out our claim form and post your gold to us. We recommend Royal Mail Special Delivery as it's insured and tracked. Remember to retain your proof of postage slip.
- Visit us at our trade counter in person and sell your gold face-to-face. We welcome walk-ins, and our operating hours are between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. We have two secure precious metal counters, one in Royal Wootton Bassett and one in Bodmin.
Contrast this with certain 'cash-for-gold' firms, who send you a 'free' postage bag or envelope. This is just marketing bluster. Scratch the surface a bit on these companies and you'll find they don't advertise their rates (most likely because they're not as good as ours), their pre-paid mailers don't provide any additional protection for your items and despite their claims of paying 'top prices', the worst players pay over 60% less than us!
If you've stumbled on this page after sending your items away to a freepost company, all is not lost! Take advantage of our free gold price match tools to help you negotiate a better payout.
How Do You Identify 14-carat Gold?
From the customer's end, the easiest way to identify 14-carat gold is to check the hallmark. It'll be labelled as '585', with some older items carrying the label '14ct' or just '14'. We can accurately test gold on our premises using an XRF (x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy) machine, which leaves no mark on the items. 14ct gold is a popular purity in countries such as Greece and Italy. Customers should be aware these countries have no official guarantee or hallmarking standard. In our experience, items marked as 14 carat (14k) from Greece are often slightly less pure due to 'under carating' - around the 55% purity mark.
14ct Gold Jewellery
14ct gold is sometimes used for men's rings, as the higher carats, such as 22ct and 24ct, while more valuable, are considered a little soft and less able to withstand prolonged wear. It's a popular purity in countries such as Greece and Italy. Customers should be aware that these countries have no official guarantee or hallmarking standard. In our experience, items marked as 14ct from Greece are often of slightly lesser purity – around the 55% purity mark.
Selling with Gold-Traders UK
If you weigh your scrap 14ct gold, you can use our online calculator to get an accurate quote. Look at our page about how to weigh your scrap gold, but don't worry if your own scales aren't that accurate - we will use our calibrated and Trading Standards-approved scales to determine the exact weight and make sure you get an exceptional offer for it.
