Thinking about selling old gold jewelry? You’re not alone. Whether it’s broken chains, single earrings, or pieces you simply don’t wear anymore, selling unwanted gold can put real cash in your pocket.
But before you walk into the first gold buyer you find, there are a few important things to know. At Edward Jewels & Watches, transparency is everything — so here’s exactly how gold buying works.
How Gold Prices Are Determined
Gold is priced by the troy ounce on global commodity markets. The price changes every trading day and is called the “spot price.” You can look it up in real time on sites like Kitco or APMEX.
Key point: Gold buyers don’t pay spot price — they pay a percentage of it. That percentage is where you need to pay attention.
A reputable buyer like us will be transparent about what percentage of spot price we’re paying. Buyers who won’t tell you should be avoided.
Understanding Karat Purity
Not all gold is created equal. The karat (k) indicates how much pure gold is in an alloy:
- 24k — 99.9% pure gold
- 18k — 75% pure gold
- 14k — 58.3% pure gold
- 10k — 41.7% pure gold
The higher the karat, the more pure gold it contains — and the more it’s worth per gram. Your gold should be stamped with a karat marking, typically inside rings or on clasps.
We use professional testing equipment to verify the karat of every piece — you’ll see the entire process happen right in front of you.
What Affects the Value of Your Gold
Beyond karat purity, several factors affect how much you’ll be offered:
Weight: Gold is priced by the gram (or troy ounce). More weight means more value. We use certified, calibrated scales for all weighing.
Market price: Gold prices fluctuate daily. Selling when prices are higher means more money for you.
Condition: Broken or damaged jewelry is fine — we buy it regardless of condition. However, pieces in excellent condition may also have value as jewelry (not just scrap), which could mean a better offer.
Gemstones: Stones in the jewelry are typically removed and not included in the metal value. If the stones have value, we’ll discuss that separately.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Not every gold buyer operates ethically. Watch out for:
- No explanation of pricing — If they won’t explain how they’re calculating your offer, walk away.
- Pressure tactics — A fair buyer never pressures you to accept on the spot.
- No testing in front of you — You should see every test performed.
- Lowball “cash now” urgency — Rushed offers are almost always lowball offers.
Why We Do It Differently
At Edward Jewels & Watches, we believe you should walk away feeling good about the transaction — not wondering if you were taken advantage of.
Here’s what we do:
- We test in front of you using certified equipment
- We explain every step of our calculation
- We show you the current spot price and the percentage we’re offering
- We never pressure you — take the offer or don’t, no hard feelings
We’ve built our reputation on honesty. When people in Willis and North Houston want to sell gold, they come back to us because they trust us.
Ready to Sell?
Walk in any time during business hours — no appointment needed. We’ll give you a free, no-obligation appraisal and a fair offer based on today’s market prices.
Visit us at 12709 Interstate 45 N, Suite 200, Willis, TX 77318, or call us at 936-DIAMOND.
We’d love to earn your business.