Damage does not destroy gold
Gold does not corrode, degrade or evaporate. A chain that snapped twenty years ago contains precisely the gold it did the day it broke. What damage removes is the item's value as jewellery — which for mass-produced pieces was usually never above the metal anyway.
What typically comes in as scrap
- Snapped chains and stretched links.
- Odd earrings whose partners are long gone.
- Rings that have been resized, cut off or bent out of shape.
- Charms, broken clasps, bent bangles and worn wedding bands.
- Jewellery that is simply out of fashion and never worn.
What to keep back for a closer look
Set aside anything with a maker's name, a stone larger than a chip, an obviously old-fashioned construction, or a coin mounted in a frame. Those items may be worth more complete — see selling inherited gold.
Stones, clasps and non-gold parts
Stones are not gold and are not counted in fine gold weight. Neither are steel spring bars, watch pins or base metal safety chains. These are separated before weighing so you are not paid for them and, equally, so their weight is not quietly included in a total.
Do not tidy it up first
There is no need to untangle, polish or repair anything. Cleaning removes nothing of value but repairs cost money that a scrap valuation will not return. Bring it as it is.
