How to get the most from your free Gold Appraisal

April 05, 2026 - Goldie is iGuide's award-winning gold appraisal tool. It's always free of charge.

Goldie is the safe and secure way to instantly learn the value of your gold from the privacy of your home without any personal information such as your name, email, or phone number. Goldie is completely private—your data is not saved unless you choose to save it.

What Can Goldie Appraise?

Goldie can instantly tell you the current market value of gold jewelry, gold coins, gold earrings, gold necklaces, gold bracelets, and even gold teeth!

How Goldie Works

Goldie needs to know a couple of things about your gold. The purpose of this article is to teach you how to get these details so you can enjoy the most accurate gold appraisal possible.

It’s Simple – Purity and Weight

To determine the value of your gold, Goldie requires just two pieces of information:

Purity – 10K, 14K, 18K or whatever.

Weight – The weight of your gold item in grams.

Know Your Weight

To get an accurate weight, you need a kitchen scale with a "gram" setting or a jewelry scale. Available on Walmart or Amazon, a decent gram scale is affordable at around $10 for a 20 gram capacity. If you have heavier items a 100 or 1000 gram capacity is best. The scale should be able to handle decimals — for example 10.2 grams.

Simply place your gold item on the scale and jot down the number. Make sure the weight is recorded in grams, not ounces, as Goldie uses grams to calculate value.

Know Your Purity

What is purity? Goldie asks for the purity of your gold because the higher the purity, the more valuable the gold.



All gold jewelry, rings, and bracelets are marked (hallmarked) with a number that indicates purity. It will be in tiny letters somewhere on the piece.

In the U.S., common markings include:
10K = 41% gold (marked as "10K" or "410")
14K = 58.5% gold (marked as "14K" or "585")
18K = 75% gold (marked as "18K" or "750")

Modern gold coins are usually imprinted with a purity statement like "999 fine gold", meaning nearly pure gold. Antique gold coins have no markings. For these consult our free coin appraiser.

Yellow gold dental work (gold teeth) is typically 16K.

Is It Real Gold or Not?

Not all gold-colored items are solid gold. If it's marked 14K it's real gold. Marked 14K HGE or EGP or 14K GF it's not real gold. Here’s how to tell the difference:

NOT REAL


Solid Gold: This is pure or alloyed gold with no plating.

REAL (750 is same as 18K)


Gold-Filled: Contains a thicker layer of gold but is mostly base metal underneath.



Gold-Plated: A thin gold layer over another metal. Common markings include “GP” (Gold Plated) or “HGE” (Heavy Gold Electroplate).



Markings to Look For: If your item says “925,” “GE,” “HGE,” or “GF,” it is not solid gold.

The Magnet Test

One quick way to test for real gold is with a strong magnet.

Gold is not magnetic, so if your item is attracted to a magnet, it is not pure gold.

However, this test does not work on gold-plated brass or copper, as these metals are also non-magnetic.

What About the Stones?

Goldie only calculates the value of the gold itself, not any attached stones. Keep in mind:

Most small diamonds and semi-precious stones have little to no value in scrap gold appraisals. Tiny diamonds, amethysts, and similar stones do not affect your gold’s value. Amethyst, for example, is just a form of quartz and is considered inexpensive.

Ready to Get Started?

Once you have your WEIGHT and PURITY, head over to our Goldie app and get started today. It’s FREE.

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Summary

By knowing the purity and weight of your gold, you will receive a fair and honest appraisal from the privacy of your home—without the misinformation and high-pressure tactics used by pawn shops and jewelry stores.

Goldie provides an actual appraisal report that you can save, share, download, and print. Help us do the best job possible by providing accurate information. Try Goldie today!