How Much Is 14 Karat Gold Worth Per Gram?

Gold has long been recognized as a valuable commodity, holding significance across various cultures and economies. Its worth is influenced by a complex interplay of market dynamics and its inherent properties. Understanding how gold’s value is determined, particularly for specific purities like 14 karat gold, involves looking at its composition and the broader financial landscape.

Understanding 14 Karat Gold

The purity of gold is measured in karats, a system that indicates the proportion of pure gold in an alloy out of 24 total parts. For 14 karat gold, this means it contains 14 parts pure gold and 10 parts other metals. This translates to approximately 58.3% pure gold, with the remaining 41.7% consisting of various alloys.

Common metals alloyed with gold to create 14 karat gold include copper, silver, zinc, nickel, and sometimes palladium. These additional metals are incorporated to enhance the gold’s durability and strength, as pure 24 karat gold is very soft and prone to scratching and bending. The specific mix of alloys can also influence the final color of the gold, allowing for variations like yellow, white, or rose gold.

Factors Influencing Gold’s Value

The primary determinant of gold’s value is its global spot price, which represents the current market price for pure gold. This price fluctuates continuously throughout the day, driven by supply and demand, economic indicators, geopolitical developments, and the strength of currencies. The spot price is quoted per troy ounce.

The purity of gold directly affects its value. Since 14 karat gold is about 58.3% pure, its value is a direct percentage of the prevailing spot price of 24 karat gold. Therefore, a higher karatage corresponds to a higher value due to greater pure gold content.

Weight also plays a direct role in determining value; a larger quantity of gold will be worth more. Beyond these direct physical attributes, broader economic conditions such as inflation, interest rates, and overall investor sentiment can significantly influence the global spot price of gold. Industrial demand for gold in various manufacturing processes also contributes to its market value.

Calculating the Value of 14 Karat Gold

Calculating the approximate melt value of 14 karat gold per gram involves a few steps. First, obtain the current global spot price of pure gold, which is listed per troy ounce on financial news websites or bullion dealer platforms. As of August 30, 2025, the live gold spot price for one troy ounce of gold is approximately $3,463.39.

Next, convert the spot price from troy ounces to grams; one troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams. For instance, if the spot price is $3,463.39 per troy ounce, one gram of pure gold would be approximately $111.35 ($3,463.39 / 31.1035).

Finally, multiply the pure gold price per gram by the purity percentage of 14 karat gold, which is 0.583. Using the example, the value of one gram of 14 karat gold would be approximately $64.89 ($111.35 0.583). Accurate weighing of your gold item using a digital scale is important for an accurate calculation.

Selling Your 14 Karat Gold

When selling 14 karat gold, the price offered by buyers, such as jewelers, pawn shops, or specialized gold buyers, will be less than the calculated melt value. This difference accounts for the buyer’s profit margin and the operational costs of processing the gold, including testing, refining, and preparing it for resale.

Refining costs include activities such as assaying the material to determine its metal content, melting, chemical separation, and casting the refined gold into standardized forms. These processes incur expenses such as energy consumption, labor, environmental compliance, and minimum lot fees. The buyer’s offer also considers the form of the gold; while jewelry might have aesthetic or craftsmanship value, buyers purchase based solely on the gold’s melt value as scrap.

For sellers, obtain multiple quotes from different buyers to compare offers. Understanding the buyer’s process for weighing and testing the gold is beneficial for transparency. Sellers should inquire about any fees or commissions that may be deducted from the offer price.