I have just obtained hundreds of pieces of 12-14k gold filled jewelry. Do you think its value could be more than the postage to send it to you? Thanks. – From Jamie in Springfield, Missouri
I have some scraps of 14k/20 gold filled pins which I usually make earrings with. I thought about tossing them out, but I did some research and read that it might have value to it. Do you know if my 14k/20 gold filled pins have any value to them and will it be worth it to take these to a refinery? – From Elle in Lincoln, Wisconsin
I have two pairs of eye glasses that except for the lens are gold-filled. They are old glasses so the frame isn’t light. I am sorry I do not have a picture but am glad to post one if you do buy gold filled. Thank you for your time. – From Randy in Greensboro, North Carolina
Hi Jamie, Elle and Randy,
The term “gold filled” refers to a technique used to make items look like they are made from solid gold, but that cost substantially less.In some ways, it is similar to gold plating in that a thin layer of gold is applied to a base metal in order to achieve the gold appearance.Unlike plating, however, gold filled items typically utilize a hollow 10k or 14k gold tube that is filled with another less valuable metal such as brass and are marked with a “GF.”A similar process known as “rolled gold” or “rolled gold plate” employs the same methodology, but utilizes a sheet of thin gold laminated to the base material.
While not solid gold, gold filled and rolled gold items typically contain much more gold than the microscopic layer of gold placed on items with today’s electroplating processes.Gold filled also differs from electroplated gold and gold plate because in the US it is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and has to contain a certain amount of gold to be marked GF. Given this, gold filled jewelry can return a value, but you typically need a fairly significant amount of material to refine to make it worthwhile.
The math in determining the value of gold filled jewelry is a little more complex than trying to determine the value of a solid gold item.Gold filled pins marked 14k/20 should indicate that the pins use 14K gold, but that only 1/20 of the items weight can be attributed to the 14K gold content.To determine the items approximate value, you should take the item’s weight and divide it by 20.You can then plug this weight into our gold value calculator to get a feel for the amount of gold in the item.Obviously, determining the weight can prove to be very challenging if the item includes other elements aside from the gold filled components.
In addition, since there is very little gold content in these items, the time and energy to refine the precious metal from the other metals is greater than with solid gold.Given this, gold filled jewelry is typically not worth very much unless you have very large quantities of it.
14 comments
i have 15 lbs of 14/29 gold filled earring post is it worth having it refined if so where should i bring it i live in rhodr island thanks
I have 12 american optical 12k gf frames aviator type that have been striped down of any plastic due to aging and plastic deterioration.Due these have any sizeable gold weight value??
price of 14k gold filled spoon weight 10.9
Hi @Chris. Unfortunately because you only have one spoon, we would not be able to comment on the value of your piece. As stated above, you really need very large quantities of gold filled material to receive a return. However, if your piece is desirable for reasons beyond the gold content, you may be able to sell it to a reseller of jewelry. Good luck!
Great post! Been reading a lot about working with gold. Thanks for the info!
gold filled is a thin layer of karat gold, then a thick layer of base metal such as brass (an alloy of copper and zinc) or copper, then another thin layer of karat gold. These three layers are then heated and then rolled thin and then used to make jewelry. The amount of gold can be calculated like this; 1/20 12k GF = .05 (1/20) times .500 (12k/24k) = 0.025 or 2.5% gold. So, if you had 100 grams of 1/20 12k gold filled scrap you could expect to yield about 2.5 grams of pure gold from your 100 gram sample go GF scrap. Please see my video on you tube “Gold Refining Gold Filled Scrap Complete Process” my user name there is “sreetips”
I have collected 7.200 pounds of scrapped jewelry.it takes up most of the room in my garage.most of the weight comes from movie props from warner brothers in Hollywood ca.that i bought in a auction back in 1959.and collected a lot from yard sales and estate auctios.would this be worth recycling.someone told me it could be worth $400 to $500 dollars.could it really be worth a couple hundred dollars.thanks sizemorenoble@gmail.com
Hi Larry,
Thank you for your question. It is difficult to advise you on the best course of action. Some of the items you have may have a higher value as collectors items than the base value of the silver or gold the items may contain. Additionally, for items that do not have value as collectors items, the items need to contain precious metals in order to be worth refining. It would probably be best to discuss your collection with an antiques expert (or a few antiques experts) to get their opinion on what to do with your items in order to ensure that you get the best value for your collection.
Thanks.all item’s are marked gold fill.the Hollywood props are mainly gold statues from 3 movie’s made in the 20’s.and they have been tested for gold content.i have 5 to 6 hundred pocket watch cases each full hunter Mosley size 18 and marked 1/20 20 year.i have 50 pound’s of ring blanks that were intended for signet rings from a jeweler estate sale.purchased in 1964.i have a 500 ft roll of 10 gauge gold wire that i purchased in 1976 from a tele communication contractor in the 80’s.although i can’t tell but the wire may be solid gold.
Hi Larry,
For any items that you would like to have refined, you can visit our main website and request an estimate. We highly recommend that you provide as much specific information on the form as possible, including images if you have them available, as well as any appraisal forms specifying an item’s value and precious metal content. It sounds like you have large quantities, so if our online form isn’t sufficient for your needs, please feel free to give us a call at (573) 581-3110 (Direct) or (800) 835-0478 (Toll-Free); you can also send us an email at info@archenterprises.com
Please keep in mind: While we are happy to give estimates on precious metal items, we are NOT antiques dealers, researchers, or retail sellers. As a precious metal refiner, we only consider the weight and amount of precious metal available to extract during the smelting and refining process. If you think that some of your items may be worth more as collectors items, we recommend that you approach an antiques dealer about selling your items instead. Once an item has been melted down, there is no way to recover it, and we cannot be held responsible for the value lost on items worth more than their precious metal content alone.
I have a 24kt flatware set is it worth anything at all?? Just curious in knowing.
Thank You Mrs.Mack
hello can anyone please help me i need to separate gold filled item form other melts i need to no what too get to do this i have tried to buy nictic acid but they wont sell it too the public
I have many pieces of gold filled with only a karat mark but no fraction. For instance, the markings are like this: “12K Gold Filled” or “12K GF”.
Is there a standard fraction that I can assume such as 1/20 or 1/10 since there is no marking?
Trying to figure out best way to seperate gold plated silver contact on copper from relays, i have about 7200 of them,silver is 65% and gold is 25% each weigh .204 grams, what is best way to recover silver and gold
By submitting a comment you grant Precious Metal Refining Blog from Arch Enterprises – Gold & Silver Refiners a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.