The Coin Cellar · Debasement Basement Tools
How much is my gold jewelry worth? Chains, rings and class rings, no scale needed
Pick the piece, the karat and its size, and see roughly how much gold is in it before anyone puts it on a scale.
By Joel Perkes · Data updated October 2026
At the gold price of $3,996.90 an ounce (Oct 24, 2026), a plain 14K band, size 9 and 4 mm wide, holds about $433.09 of gold. A solid 14K Cuban chain, 5 mm wide and 24 inches long, holds about $3,418.19, and a men’s 10K class ring about $1,124.40. Those are melt values: the pure gold inside at today’s price. A buyer pays a percentage of it. Pick your piece below for an estimate; if you can weigh it, the scrap gold calculator is exact.
Gold jewelry value calculator
Dental alloys vary. The estimate uses about 47.9% gold, with a range from 40% to 75%; weigh the metal only, without the tooth or porcelain.
Estimates assume solid gold. A chain stamped but hollow weighs much less, and gold filled or plated pieces are worth almost nothing at melt. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Estimated melt value
A 14K band, size 9, 4 mm wide holds about 3.4 g of pure gold, worth about $433.09 at melt.
A wedding band is the one piece of jewelry most people never weigh, the way most people know their shoe size but not how much their shoes weigh.
How this is calculated
- 1. Rings. A band is a ring of metal, so its volume is its average circumference times its width times its thickness. The inside diameter comes from the US ring size: 11.63 mm plus 0.8128 mm per size. Volume times the alloy’s density gives the weight: 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter for 24K, 17.8 for 22K, 15.6 for 18K, 13.1 for 14K and 11.6 for 10K. You choose the thickness: light (1.3 mm), standard (1.7 mm) or heavy (2.2 mm) are our three guesses.
- 2. Chains. Typical weights per inch for solid 14K Cuban, rope and Franco chains, from TraxNYC’s September 2026 count of about 3,000 listings, scaled to other karats by density.
- 3. Class rings. One maker’s published weights for its standard men’s and women’s rings. Larger sizes weigh a little more, and a stone adds weight but no gold.
- 4. Gold and value. Pure gold = weight × karat ÷ 24 (24K counted as 99.9%). Melt value = pure gold in troy ounces (31.1034768 g each) × the spot price. The offer line applies the 35% to 70% that jewelers and pawn shops paid in a Consumer Reports test.
Limits: this is an estimate of a typical piece, not a measurement of yours. Hollow chains, engraving, stones, sizing and wear all change the weight, so treat the result as a starting point and weigh the piece before you sell.
Sources: ring sizes, Ring size, Wikipedia; densities, Stuller’s specific-gravity table, as used in our guide to testing gold; chain weights, TraxNYC, September 20, 2026, and a Robinsons Jewelers listing for the hollow box chain; class rings, Joy Jewelers college ring FAQ; dental alloys, PGS Gold & Coin (ADA classes) and Specialty Metals (47.9% average); buyer offers, Consumer Reports, as summarized in our guide to selling. Spot price from gold-api.com, refreshed about every 20 minutes. Data updated October 2026.
How much does a gold ring weigh?
A plain band’s weight grows with its width, its thickness and its size. A 14K band of standard thickness weighs roughly this, with the gold in a size 9 at the October 24, 2026 price:
| Width | Size 5 | Size 7 | Size 9 | Size 11 | Gold in size 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mm | 2.4 g | 2.7 g | 2.9 g | 3.1 g | $216.55 |
| 3 mm | 3.7 g | 4.0 g | 4.3 g | 4.7 g | $324.82 |
| 4 mm | 4.9 g | 5.3 g | 5.8 g | 6.2 g | $433.09 |
| 5 mm | 6.1 g | 6.7 g | 7.2 g | 7.8 g | $541.37 |
| 6 mm | 7.3 g | 8.0 g | 8.7 g | 9.3 g | $649.64 |
| 8 mm | 9.7 g | 10.6 g | 11.6 g | 12.5 g | $866.18 |
Width does most of the work: an 8 mm band holds about four times the gold of a 2 mm band. A men’s size 11 weighs only about a quarter more than a women’s size 5 of the same width. In 18K, add about 19%; in 10K, take off about 11%.
How much does a gold chain weigh?
Chains vary more than rings, because the style decides how much air is between the links. Typical solid 14K Cuban chains weigh about this, from TraxNYC’s count of 1,053 listings:
| Width | 18 in | 20 in | 24 in | Gold in 24 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mm | 9 g | 10 g | 12 g | $899.52 |
| 3 mm | 14 g | 16 g | 19 g | $1,439.24 |
| 4 mm | 22 g | 25 g | 30 g | $2,248.81 |
| 5 mm | 34 g | 38 g | 46 g | $3,418.19 |
| 6 mm | 50 g | 56 g | 67 g | $5,037.33 |
| 7 mm | 66 g | 73 g | 88 g | $6,566.52 |
| 8 mm | 97 g | 108 g | 130 g | $9,714.85 |
| 9 mm | 119 g | 132 g | 158 g | $11,873.71 |
| 10 mm | 151 g | 168 g | 202 g | $15,111.99 |
A rope chain of the same width weighs about the same as a Cuban; a Franco is heavier, about 51 grams at 4 mm and 24 inches. Chains under 2 mm aren’t in that count, and they can weigh just a few grams: one jeweler lists an 18-inch hollow 14K box chain at 3.04 grams. If a chain feels light for its size, it is probably hollow, and the only honest answer is a scale.
How much is a gold class ring worth?
Most US class rings are 10K, and the heavy men’s styles hold more gold than people expect. One maker’s standard weights, with the gold in each:
| Style | Weight | Gold if 10K | Gold if 14K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s traditional | 21 g | $1,124.40 | $1,574.17 |
| Men’s contemporary | 14.6 g | $781.73 | $1,094.42 |
| Women’s traditional | 8.71 g | $466.36 | $652.90 |
| Women’s contemporary | 4.8 g | $257.01 | $359.81 |
Check the inside of the band for the stamp: 10K, 14K, or a maker’s mark like Jostens, Balfour or Herff Jones next to it. A ring with no karat stamp may not be gold at all; the stamps guide explains the marks.
How much is dental gold worth?
Less per gram than jewelry of the same color, usually, because dental gold is an alloy chosen for strength. The American Dental Association’s “high noble” class requires at least 40% gold and 60% precious metals in all, and one refiner says most dental gold runs from 10K to 18K, about 47.9% gold on average. Refiners also pay for the palladium, platinum and silver in it.
Weigh only the metal. Porcelain, cement and tooth are worth nothing, and a buyer will deduct them. Then choose “Dental gold” above and enter the weight for a range.
Outside the US
The tool shows values in your own currency if you pick it above. In the UK, Ireland and Australia gold is marked in carats, and 9ct (37.5% gold) is one of the UK’s legal standards. We have no density figure for 9ct, so this tool can’t estimate it from size. Weigh a 9ct piece and use the scrap gold calculator, which lists 9ct. UK pieces above 1 gram must carry a hallmark, which the stamps guide decodes.
Questions people actually ask
How much is a gold chain worth?
It depends on its weight and karat. A solid 14K Cuban chain 5 mm wide and 24 inches long typically weighs about 46 grams and holds about $3,418.19 of gold at the October 24, 2026 price of $3,996.90 an ounce. A thin or hollow chain can weigh just a few grams. Weighing it is the only way to be sure.
How much does a gold chain weigh?
A solid 14K Cuban chain weighs about 0.5 grams per inch at 2.5 mm wide, 1.9 grams per inch at 5 mm and 8.4 grams per inch at 10 mm, based on 1,053 listings TraxNYC measured in September 2026. A 10K chain weighs about 12% less, an 18K chain about 18% more, and a hollow chain much less.
How much is a 14K gold ring worth?
A plain 14K band, size 9 and 4 mm wide, weighs about 5.8 grams and holds about $433.09 of gold at the October 24, 2026 price. Wider, thicker and larger rings hold more. A buyer pays a percentage of that melt value.
How much is a gold class ring worth?
One maker lists its men's traditional class ring at about 21 grams; in 10K, the usual karat, that holds about $1,124.40 of gold at the October 24, 2026 price. Women's class rings are lighter, about 4.8 to 8.7 grams. The stone adds weight but no gold.
How much is dental gold worth?
Dental alloys are not a fixed karat. The American Dental Association's high noble class requires at least 40% gold, and one refiner puts most dental gold between 10K and 18K, averaging about 47.9% gold. Weigh the metal without the tooth or porcelain and multiply by the gold content and the gold price.
How can I tell how much gold is in my jewelry without a scale?
Read the karat stamp, then estimate the weight from the piece's size: a ring's width, thickness and size, or a chain's width, length and style. This calculator does that from typical weights. A kitchen scale that reads to a tenth of a gram is far more accurate.
Is a hollow gold chain worth less?
Yes. A hollow chain is a tube of gold with air inside, so it can look identical to a solid chain and weigh a fraction as much. Gold buyers pay by weight, so a hollow chain is worth much less than a solid one of the same size.
Do gold buyers pay the full melt value?
No. In a Consumer Reports test, jewelers and pawn shops paid 35% to 70% of the gold's value and mail-in buyers 11% to 29%. Coin shops and refiners usually pay more. Get two offers and compare them with the melt value.