Selling old gold? Here's what you should actually get.
Enter weight + karat — see today's fair 22K/24K rate, know what an honest jeweller should pay, and spot the moment to walk away.
Calculate my gold value →How selling old gold really works
Most sellers walk into a shop, hand over their gold, and take whatever offer is made — because they don't know what a fair number is. That gap is exactly where jewellers make their real margin on old-gold purchases: 15–25% below fair value is the standard offer, and it works because most customers accept it.
The Varadhi Gold Sell Old Gold calculator closes that gap. Enter your weight and karat, get today's live rate, and see the four price brackets you should be comparing against. Walk into the shop already knowing the number — and the shop's offer changes the moment they realise you do.
What a fair offer looks like
Every old-gold offer falls into one of four brackets. Here's what each means as a percentage of today's live rate:
How to get a fair price for your old gold
Five steps. Two minutes. Runs in your phone browser before you set foot in the shop.
Real example — 10 grams of 22K
Suppose you have a 10-gram 22K chain and today's 22K rate is ₹13,150/g.
Live rate: 10g × ₹13,150 = ₹1,31,500
Refinery-direct (95%): ₹1,24,925
Fair jeweller (88–92%): ₹1,15,720 – ₹1,20,980
Typical shop (78–85%): ₹1,02,570 – ₹1,11,775
Walk away below: ₹98,625
RULE OF THUMB Target ₹1,18,000 for a clean 22K piece. Below ₹1,00,000 and you're being ripped off.
Frequently asked questions
How much money will I get for my old gold today?
For clean 22K jewellery, a fair jeweller pays 88–92% of today's 22K rate. So on a 10-gram piece with today's rate at ~₹13,150/g, a fair offer is ₹1,15,700 to ₹1,20,980. Typical shop offers are 78–85% of that (₹1,02,570 to ₹1,11,775). Anything below 75% is a lowball — walk away or try another shop.
Why do jewellers pay less than today's gold rate?
Because they have to melt, refine, remake, and pay wastage + margin. Even a fair shop keeps 8–12% to cover this. Anything more is markup on your ignorance — most sellers don't know today's rate, so shops offer 15–25% below fair value hoping you accept.
Should I sell for cash or exchange for new jewellery?
Exchange usually gets you a slightly better rate (94–96% of live) because the shop keeps you as a buyer. Cash gets you 85–90%. If you don't need new jewellery, exchange isn't actually better — you're locked into buying at the shop's making charge, which can eat the entire premium. The Varadhi Gold calculator lets you toggle between cash and exchange modes to compare.
What is the old gold rate today for 1 gram 22 carat?
The live market 22K rate is what jewellers use as their reference — not the retail rate. As of today, it's typically ₹13,000–13,300 per gram (fluctuates daily). Fair jewellers pay 88–92% of this for old gold; that's around ₹11,440 to ₹12,240 per gram for clean 22K. The Varadhi Gold calculator shows today's live rate updated in real-time.
Do I need to test the purity before selling?
If your jewellery has a BIS hallmark (usually stamped as 916 for 22K, 999 for 24K), purity is already certified. If not, the shop will do an XRF or acid test — insist on watching, and get the reading in writing before agreeing to a price. Purity below the stamped value should NOT drop the price by more than the actual purity difference (e.g. 918 tested as 900 = 2% less, not 10% less).
Can I sell old gold online in India?
Yes — services like MMTC-PAMP, Melorra, and some refinery-direct programs buy old gold with pickup and pay refinery-grade rates (95%+ of live). But you send physical jewellery through courier, and the process takes 5–15 days. For most sellers, walking into a local jeweller with today's fair number is faster and safer. Use the Varadhi Gold calculator to know what to expect before you go.
Other free gold tools
Have old gold to sell? Know the fair number.
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