On , real gold is bought back by Gold & Silver Company, a Belgian refinery open to private clients, at 79.88 €/g for 18-carat, 98.75 €/g for 22-carat, 61.04 €/g for 14-carat and 37.44 €/g for 9-carat; the 20 F Napoleon at 648.34 € per coin. Before talking price, you first need to be sure it is gold: here is how to find out, at home first, then in the laboratory.
The hallmark: the first indication, not a proof
A piece of gold jewellery normally bears a fineness hallmark: 750 for 18-carat, 585 for 14-carat, 375 for 9-carat, 916 for 22-carat, 999 for fine gold; these are the legal finenesses in Belgium. Jewellery from other origins may also carry the carat marking (18K, 14K), and sometimes a maker's mark. A magnifying glass is enough to read it, on the inside of a ring, the clasp of a chain or the post of an earring. But a hallmark may be missing on an old or foreign piece, worn away, or quite simply fake; it points the way, it does not prove anything. The markings “GP”, “GF”, “HGE”, “plaqué” or “doublé” (plated or gold-filled) and “vermeil”, on the other hand, indicate a gilded metal, not solid gold.
Three simple tests at home
The magnet: gold is not magnetic. A piece attracted by a strong magnet is not solid gold; a piece that is not attracted may be gold, or may be brass, copper or gilded silver, which are not magnetic either. Density: pure gold weighs 19.3 g per cubic centimetre, an 18-carat alloy around 15 to 16 depending on its composition; by weighing the piece in air and then immersed in water, you obtain its density, and a result well below that betrays another metal or a hollow piece. The streak: rubbed on unglazed ceramic, gold leaves a golden streak; plated metal or brass leave a black or greenish streak. None of these tests distinguishes 18-carat from 14-carat, or solid gold from thick plating: they rule out the obvious cases, nothing more.
The touchstone and acid: the professional's test
The piece is rubbed on a touchstone; the streak is brought into contact with an acid calibrated for a given fineness. If the streak holds, the metal is at least of that fineness; if it disappears, it is below it, or it is not gold. This is the test carried out at the gold-buying counter, quick and reliable for confirming a fineness, but it reads only the surface: thick plating over a core of another metal can fool it, which is why it is also worth testing at a spot where the surface has been cut into.
Laboratory analysis: certainty, and the exact price
At the office of our refinery, in Dottignies (Mouscron), your jewellery is analysed before your eyes: Gold & Silver Company is a smelter-refinery approved by the Royal Mint of Belgium and an approved assayer, that is, a laboratory authorised to certify the fineness of precious metals. The analysis measures the actual fineness of the metal, in thousandths, and it is this measured fineness, not the hallmark, that determines the price per gram. A piece hallmarked 750 whose alloy assays slightly higher is paid at its actual fineness; a piece without a hallmark is paid for what it contains. The examination is free and without obligation, and you leave with your items if you do not sell.
And if it is not gold?
A plated, brass or gilded steel piece has no buyback value by gold weight: the layer of gold is too thin to be recovered. Vermeil, for its part, is gilded silver and is bought back at the silver price. To know where you stand before making the trip, do the magnet test and look for the hallmark; if in doubt, bring the item to the office of our refinery, without an appointment during opening hours, or send it by registered post after a call to +32 56 33 19 96: the analysis costs nothing, and if it is gold, you know its net price the same day, aligned with our private client rates.
To find out what your gold is worth, the simplest thing is to bring it to us: the office of our refinery, rue Arthur Roelandt 22 in Dottignies (Mouscron), is open on Mondays from 10am to 1pm, Tuesday to Thursday from 10am to 12pm and from 1:30pm to 5pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm, without appointment; weighing and analysis before your eyes, immediate offer at the published price, and you remain free. Too far? One call to +32 56 33 19 96 and your registered shipment is taken care of in the same way. Our prices today: private client rates.
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell if a piece of jewellery is gold without a hallmark?
With the magnet and density tests at home, with the touchstone or laboratory analysis at a professional's; a piece without a hallmark that assays 750 thousandths is paid as 18-carat, today 79.88 €/g.
Is gold attracted by a magnet?
No. A piece attracted by a magnet is not solid gold; but not being attracted does not prove that it is gold.
What do 750, 585 and 375 mean?
The fineness in thousandths of fine gold: 750 = 18-carat, 585 = 14-carat, 375 = 9-carat; 916 = 22-carat and 999 = fine gold.
How do you recognise gold plating?
Markings “GP”, “GF”, “HGE”, “plaqué” or “doublé” (plated or gold-filled), a black or greenish streak on ceramic, wear revealing a grey or red metal, and a density that is too low.
Where can you have your gold tested for free in Belgium?
At the office of our refinery, in Dottignies (Mouscron), without an appointment: weighing and laboratory analysis before your eyes, free estimate with no obligation.
Is a piece of jewellery without a hallmark worth less?
No: the price depends on the fineness measured in the laboratory and on the gold weight, not on the hallmark; at the same fineness, a piece with or without a hallmark is bought back at the same price per gram.
See also: What is the buyback price of 18-carat gold today? · How much is my gold worth today? · Our buyback prices of the day (private clients) · Selling your gold in Belgium: price, expertise and the precious metals chain.