⚖️ Precious Metal Melt Value Calculator
Enter the weight, purity, and spot price per gram to see the intrinsic melt value of a gold, silver, or other precious-metal piece — the raw metal worth behind a coin, a ring, or a find.
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What is melt value?
Melt value is what an object of precious metal is worth for its metal content alone — the figure you get if it were melted into bullion. It is set by three things: how much the item weighs, how pure its metal is, and the current market price of that pure metal. This calculator brings those together into a single reference number.
For a collector of historical coinage or antiquities, melt value is a useful floor but rarely the whole story: age, rarity, condition, and provenance can push a genuine piece far above its metal worth. Use this as a starting point, verify the live spot price, and have valuable or historical items appraised professionally.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How does the melt value calculator work?
It multiplies the item's weight in grams by its purity (as a fraction — 75% for 18-karat gold, 92.5% for sterling silver) and then by the current spot price of the pure metal per gram. The result is the intrinsic metal value: what the piece is worth purely as bullion once melted down.
Does melt value include collector or antique premiums?
No. This is the raw metal value only. Historical coins, medieval artifacts, and antique jewellery routinely sell for many times their melt value because of rarity, age, condition, and provenance — the melt figure is a floor, not a market price. Never sell a genuine historical piece for melt without an expert appraisal.
Where do I find the spot price and purity?
Spot prices for gold and silver are published live by bullion dealers and financial sites, usually per troy ounce (31.1035 grams) — divide by that to get a per-gram figure. Purity is stamped as a karat mark (24k, 22k, 18k, 14k) or a fineness hallmark (999, 925, 750); convert the karat to a percentage if needed.
How accurate is the estimate?
The arithmetic is exact, but the inputs move: spot prices change by the minute, and stated purity can differ from actual assay. Treat the figure as a reference, verify the live price before you transact, and have valuable or historical pieces assayed and appraised professionally.