How to Calculate Melt Value Instantly

Published on: September 5, 2025

Have you ever wondered what your gold jewelry or old silver coins are worth based on their raw metal content? This is known as the "melt value," and it represents the baseline value of an item if it were to be melted down and sold for its precious metal content. Our calculators on the gold and silver pages are designed to do this for you instantly.

The Formula for Melt Value

Calculating melt value is a straightforward process based on three key pieces of information:

1. Weight of the Item: The total weight of your jewelry, coin, or scrap.
2. Purity of the Metal: The percentage of pure gold or silver in the item. For gold, this is measured in karats (e.g., 14k is 58.3% pure gold). For silver, it's often stamped (e.g., .925 for Sterling Silver).
3. Current Spot Price: The live market price of the precious metal per unit of weight (e.g., per gram or troy ounce).

The formula is: Melt Value = Weight × Purity × Spot Price

Why Melt Value is Important

The melt value is the fundamental price floor for any precious metal item. While some items, like rare coins or designer jewelry, have numismatic or artistic value far exceeding their melt value, most common bullion and scrap are priced relative to it. Knowing the melt value protects you from unfair offers. If a pawn shop or dealer offers you significantly less than the melt value for your items, you know to walk away. It empowers you to negotiate a fair price based on real data.

Using Our Calculators

Our calculators automate this entire process. Simply select the metal (gold or silver), choose the purity (e.g., 14k Gold, Sterling Silver), enter the weight, and our tool will instantly calculate the melt value based on the live spot price. It's the easiest way to get a quick, accurate valuation of your holdings without any manual math.