Got a broken gold chain in your jewellery box? A single earring with no pair? A ring that is bent, scratched, or missing a stone? Most people assume these items are worthless. They are not.
Broken gold jewellery is worth exactly the same as intact gold jewellery, gram for gram. Here is why.
Gold Is Valued by Weight, Not Appearance
When you sell gold for its metal content, the buyer is paying for the pure gold contained in the item. A broken 9ct chain weighing 10 grams contains exactly the same amount of pure gold (3.75 grams) as an identical unbroken chain.
The condition of the piece is irrelevant to its metal value. Scratches, dents, kinks, snapped links, and missing components do not reduce the gold content. Gold is gold, no matter what shape it is in.
Common Broken Items People Do Not Realise Have Value
Single earrings. Lost the other one? The remaining earring is still worth its weight in gold or silver.
Broken chains and bracelets. A snapped chain might cost more to repair than it is worth as jewellery, but the gold content has not changed.
Bent or damaged rings. Rings that have been crushed, cut off, or resized badly still contain the same amount of gold.
Jewellery with missing stones. The gold setting has value even without the gemstone. If the stone is a diamond or precious gem, it may have separate value too.
Tangled chains. Even a hopelessly tangled mess of chains has value. We do not need to untangle them.
Old dental gold. Crowns, bridges, and dental scrap contain gold and are absolutely worth selling.
How Much Could You Get?
The value depends on three things: the weight of the item, the carat (purity) of the gold, and the current market price.
To work it out: a single 9ct gold earring weighing 2 grams contains 0.75 grams of pure gold. A broken 18ct gold chain weighing 15 grams contains 11.25 grams of pure gold. Multiply the pure gold weight by the current spot price per gram to get the theoretical value. A buyer will pay a percentage of this to cover refining costs, but even so, you will see that small items add up quickly, especially when you have several of them.
The only way to know for sure is to have your items weighed and tested. We do this for free, with no obligation.
What About Silver?
The same principle applies to silver. A bent sterling silver bangle, a tarnished single cufflink, or a damaged picture frame all contain the same amount of silver as they did when they were new.
Silver is lighter and less valuable per gram than gold, but heavier items like silverware, trays, and teapots can still add up to a meaningful amount.
Stop Leaving Money in Your Drawer
Most people have at least a few broken or mismatched pieces of gold or silver sitting in a drawer doing nothing. With gold prices near record highs in New Zealand, those forgotten items could be worth more than you expect.
We offer free assessments anywhere in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. We come to you, test and weigh everything in front of you, and give you a no-obligation quote. If you are happy, we pay you the same day. If not, you keep your items.
Get in touch by phone, WhatsApp, or email to arrange a time.
Find Out What Your Items Are Worth
We offer free, no-obligation assessments anywhere in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. Same-day bank transfer if you accept.
