How much gold is actually there?
Take the most common mark, 1/20 12K GF. The gold layer is 1/20 — 5% — of the item’s metal weight, and 12 karat gold is half pure gold. Multiply the two and about 2.5% of the metal is pure gold. A 100 gram collection of 1/20 12K GF chains holds roughly 2.5 grams of pure gold.
Thicker layers carry more: 1/10 12K GF is about 5%, 1/10 14K GF about 5.8%. Rolled gold plate marked 1/40 carries half as much as 1/20. You can try any combination in our gold filled calculator.
Why it isn’t paid at the spot price
The gold price you see in the news is the spot price for pure bullion. The gold in gold filled jewellery isn’t bullion yet. Before it is, the jewellery has to be:
- Sorted — stones, glass, springs, steel pins and fittings removed, because they contain no gold.
- Melted — the pieces are melted together, with the gold still mixed through a much larger mass of brass or copper.
- Assayed — tested to establish how much gold the melt actually contains.
- Refined — the small amount of gold is chemically separated from the base metal, with processing losses and fees along the way.
Every step costs time and money, and the costs are much the same whether the batch is small or large. That’s why any honest offer for gold filled is a share of the recoverable gold value — and why the rate improves as the quantity grows.
Be wary of “we pay spot” claims
If a buyer quotes the spot price when you ask about gold filled jewellery, ask what they’ll actually pay per gram of your jewellery, not per gram of pure gold. Those are very different numbers. A clear buyer will explain how the offer is worked out: construction, hallmark, weight, recoverable gold content, and processing costs.
How to get the most for gold filled
- Sell in quantity. Combine pieces — or combine with family members — so the lot is more efficient to process. From around 50 grams you can also request an on-site evaluation.
- Keep marks visible. Don’t polish or clean heavily; worn marks are harder to confirm.
- Don’t strip anything. Leave stones and fittings in place; we separate them properly.
- Check first. Send photos before posting or travelling, so you know what’s worth sending.
- Think about collectability. A few pieces — signed makers, unusual watches — may be worth more to a collector than for their gold. If you think you have one, sell it that way.
The bottom line
Gold filled jewellery is worth something, and in quantity it can add up. It’s just not worth what its weight would be in solid gold. Knowing what’s really there — and dealing with a buyer who explains the numbers — is the best way to get a fair result. Read how we price your jewellery.