Guide · 6 min read · updated 24 Oct 2026
Where to sell gold in the UK: dealers, jewellers, pawnbrokers, auctions and postal buyers compared
The five places people sell gold, what each typically pays as a share of the metal value, how long it takes, and which suits which items.
The best place to sell gold depends on what you have. Scrap and everyday jewellery fetch the most from a specialist buyer who prices by weight and shows a rate per gram. Antique, signed or designer pieces can be worth more than their metal and belong at a valuer or auction. Everything else is a trade-off between price, speed and convenience.
One number to keep in mind: in a 2025 test by North Ayrshire Trading Standards, the same 20 g 9ct bracelet drew offers from £200 to £505 at seven different buyers, and only one of them displayed a price per gram (source). Where you sell can matter more than when.
The five options
| Where | Typical share of metal value | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist gold buyer (in store) | Published rate, usually the high end for scrap; higher still for coins and bars | Same day | Scrap, broken and unwanted jewellery, coins, bars |
| Specialist gold buyer (by post) | Same rate as in store at the best buyers; check it is stated | 2 to 5 days | Anyone not near a shop; small to medium lots |
| High-street jeweller | Often well below a specialist, because they resell scrap to one | Same day | A quick baseline quote before you sell elsewhere |
| Pawnbroker | A loan against the item, not a sale; buy-out offers tend to be low | Same day | Short-term cash when you want the item back |
| Auction house | Can exceed metal value for antique or signed pieces, less 15 to 25% fees plus VAT | 4 to 8 weeks | Period jewellery, designer names, rare coins |
The percentages are not quoted exactly on purpose: they move with the market and between firms. What matters is that a buyer tells you theirs. Ours is on the live price page, for every carat, and the same rate applies in store and by post.
How to compare offers fairly
- Weigh your items at home and note the carat of each (the hallmark guide helps).
- Work out the metal value with the calculator. That is the ceiling nobody will pay.
- Ask each buyer for their price per gram for your carat, on the same day. Offers quoted as a lump sum hide the rate.
- Ask what happens to stones, how and when you are paid, and what the return costs if you say no.
Two places to avoid
- Pop-up events and gold parties. One-day buyers in hotels and halls rely on you not coming back. Offers are typically far below a specialist's and there is no shop to return to if something is wrong.
- Comparison and lead-selling sites. Many “best gold buyer” rankings are paid placements: the site is paid for sending you on, and that cost comes out of your offer.
When auction beats scrap
Melt value is a floor, not a verdict. Signed pieces (Cartier, Tiffany, Boodles and the like), Georgian to Art Deco jewellery, good coloured stones and rare or early coins can sell for several times their metal. If a buyer offers you scrap value for something like this, get a second opinion from an auction house first. We tell you when we think an item is worth more than we can pay.
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