Check one listing
Is that jewelry listing actually close to melt?
Enter the listing's weight, purity, asking price, and buying costs. The calculator compares the full amount you would pay with an estimate of the metal inside the piece. It helps you decide whether a listing deserves another look; it does not predict resale value or guarantee a profit.
Price to melt = asking price ÷ estimated melt value. A result of 1.00 means the asking price equals the metal estimate. Below 1.00 means the asking price is lower. Above 1.00 means it is higher. Shipping, tax, testing, and selling costs come afterward.
Calculate one listing's all-in price to melt.
Use the actual metal weight when you can. A stamp is evidence, not proof, and an unfinished auction bid is not a final purchase price.
A ten-gram ring can look closer than it is.
Suppose a 14K gold ring weighs 10 grams, has no stones, and gold is priced at a hypothetical $100 per gram. Fourteen-karat gold is 14 parts gold out of 24. The ring contains an estimated 5.83 grams of gold, giving it an estimated melt value of $583.33. At a $600 asking price, the price-to-melt ratio is about 1.03×.
Now add $25 shipping and $42 in sales tax for this example. The $667 total is about 1.14× the same metal estimate. If two grams of the ring's weight are stones or other non-gold parts, the gold-bearing weight falls to eight grams. Estimated melt falls to $466.67, and the $667 total becomes about 1.43× melt.
The $100 gold price and 7% tax in this example are just round numbers for the math, not current quotes or a tax rule. Use the gold calculator with a current reference price or enter your own price per gram.
Bidding at auction? Use the maximum-bid calculator to work backward from your melt-value limit after the buyer's premium, tax, shipping, and fixed fees.
Check the parts the ratio cannot see.
Weight and purity: A stamp such as 585 or 925 is a clue, not proof. Use only the weight of the stated metal. Stones, weighted bases, plated surfaces, and mixed-metal repairs can change the answer.
The actual buying price: Add shipping, tax, buyer fees, and any testing cost. For an auction, a current bid is not the final price. A low ratio based on an unfinished bid can disappear before the sale closes.
Availability and resale: Open the seller page again before buying. A listing can sell, return to stock, or change price. A refiner or dealer may pay less than the quoted metal value, and condition or authenticity can change the result.
The same calculation works for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium when you use the right purity and price per gram for that metal.
Spend less time doing this by hand.
SpotMelts keeps current catalog listings together. Members can search them and sort pieces with enough price and weight information by price to melt, then check the seller page and buying path for themselves. Listings without enough information remain visible rather than being treated as bargains.
Search the full catalog by price to melt.
Membership opens the complete searchable catalog, with no credits or per-listing charges. Search current and sold-out records, then sort listings with enough price, weight, and purity evidence by how close they are to estimated melt value. $9.99 for the first month, then $49.99/month.
See membership →