Gold Value Chart FAQ
Values on this page use gold spot at $4,048.80/oz · updated
Quick answer: Short answers to the questions readers ask most about gold values: how to read the chart, how karat and weight change a price, what a seller can expect, and what to know before buying. Each answer points to the page that goes deeper. Every figure uses live spot, $4,048.80 per troy ounce as of October 28, 2026.
Reading the chart
What does the number at the top of each page measure?
It is the spot price of gold, meaning the going rate for one troy ounce delivered now, quoted in US dollars. Everything else is arithmetic on it. The main gold value chart shows that figure beside a one-year line and the value of a gram in every karat.
Why does the last point on the chart differ from the big number?
The line plots COMEX futures closes, while the headline is spot. The two are separate quotes that normally sit near each other, and right now they are +$12.80 apart. That gap is expected. The gold price per ounce page explains how futures and spot relate.
How far back does the data go?
The long-range chart starts at the year 2000 and runs to today, with a table of yearly highs, lows and changes. Find it on the gold price history page. If you only want the recent decade, the 10-year gold price chart is built for that.
Should I trust a 10-year line more than a 1-year line?
Neither is more correct; they answer different questions. A short line shows recent momentum, while a long one shows how large recent moves are against the past. The 10-year page puts both side by side and explains why the last twelve months can look so different from the decade.
Can the chart tell me where gold is heading?
No. It records what has already happened and carries no forecast. Analysts often point to interest rates, the dollar, central-bank buying and crises when explaining past moves, but those are explanations after the fact, not predictions. The history page lists the big turning points.
Karat and weight
What does karat actually mean?
Karat counts parts of gold out of 24. A 14K piece is 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metal, or 58.3% pure. Pure gold is 24K. The gold purity chart lists each karat with its percentage and the number stamped on the metal.
Which karat is most common in American jewelry?
Many wedding bands and chains are 14K, which is why it gets the most searches. It currently comes to $75.93 per gram at melt. See 14K gold price per gram for a 1 to 100 gram table and the reasons buyers pay less than that figure.
Is 10K really gold?
Yes. In the US, 10K is the lowest karat that may be sold as gold, and it is 41.7% pure. A gram has a melt value of $54.24. The 10K gold price per gram page explains the 417 stamp and how 10K compares with 14K.
Why do 18K and 22K cost so much more per gram?
Because they contain more gold. At spot, 18K is $97.63 per gram and 22K is $119.32. Higher karat means a softer, more valuable metal. Details are on the 18K and 22K pages, including why Eagle and Krugerrand coins are 22K.
What is a pennyweight, and why do jewelers use it?
A pennyweight, written dwt, is one twentieth of a troy ounce, roughly 1.555 grams, so it is worth $202.44 in pure gold. Jewelers and refiners adopted it long ago and many still quote in it. The gold price per pennyweight page converts every karat.
How do I turn grams into a dollar value?
Multiply the weight by the per-gram figure for your karat. For example, 10 grams of 14K comes to $759.34 at today's price. The gold price per gram table covers all karats, and the gold value calculator does the sum for you.
Selling
Will a buyer pay me the value shown here?
Almost never. The table shows melt value, which works as a ceiling. A buyer covers testing, refining and a margin, so offers come in lower. A 12 pennyweight, 14K piece has $1,417.08 in melt, and an offer at 80 percent of it would be $1,133.66.
What percentage of melt do buyers usually pay?
The trade reports wide ranges: refiners, often with a minimum lot, about 90 to 98 percent; mail-in and online buyers 70 to 90 percent; local buyers and jewelers 60 to 85 percent. Pawn shops often pay well under that. These are typical ranges, not quotes, so compare more than one.
What should I weigh and test before selling?
Weigh only the metal, leaving out stones, clasps and anything that is not gold. Read the stamp, confirm it against the gold purity chart, then enter the numbers into the gold value calculator so you hold a melt figure before you hear an offer.
Why does my scale reading differ from a buyer's?
Small differences come from calibration, rounding and what each side counts. A buyer may subtract plated parts or findings that you included. Ask to watch the piece weighed, and check whether the figure is in grams or pennyweights, since the units are easy to mix up.
Is a plated or gold-filled item worth the karat on the tag?
Usually not. Plating is a thin surface layer and filled items hold far less gold than the stamp suggests. The purity page explains how at-home and dealer tests, such as acid or XRF, can reveal this. Read the gold purity chart before you rely on a stamp.
Buying gold
Why does a coin cost more than the price on the chart?
A dealer adds a premium over spot for minting, distribution and profit. Assume a 4 percent premium as an example: a one-ounce coin that would sell for $4,048.80 at spot would cost about $4,210.75. The where to buy gold guide explains premiums and what to ask.
What does one ounce of gold look like in a coin or bar?
An American Gold Eagle is 22K but contains exactly one troy ounce of gold, so it weighs more than an ounce on a scale. Bars come in one-ounce, ten-ounce and kilo sizes. The gold price per ounce page lists all of them with live values.
Is it better to buy coins or bars?
It depends on size, premium and how you plan to resell. Bars often carry a lower premium per ounce, while recognizable coins can be easier to sell in small amounts. The buying guide weighs both and lists ten questions to put to any dealer.
Who is the one company you recommend?
Augusta Precious Metals, which suits a larger purchase: it has a $50,000 minimum, whether you buy with cash or for an IRA, so it is not for a single coin. Our button requests a free Gold & Silver IRA information kit, followed by a call from Augusta. Details are in the where to buy gold guide.
Is pure 24K gold available as a gram bar?
Small bars exist, often at a higher premium per gram than larger ones. The 24K gold price per gram page covers purity of 99.9 and 99.99 percent, with $130.04 as the current melt value of a gram of 24K.
About this site
Where do the numbers come from?
Spot comes from the gold-api.com feed and the charts use COMEX futures closes retrieved through Yahoo Finance. Everything else is arithmetic on those two. The about page lists each source, how often the site refreshes and how we handle corrections.
How does Gold Value Chart US make money?
Through one partner link to Augusta Precious Metals. If a reader follows it and becomes a customer, we may be paid a referral fee at no extra cost to the reader. The full wording is in the advertising disclosure, and it never changes a figure on any page.
Do you give financial advice?
No. We explain how gold is measured and priced, and we do not tell anyone what to buy or sell. Questions about your own money are best taken to a licensed professional. The about page describes our editorial standard.