Pawn shops buy gold by evaluating its "melt value"—the raw value of the metal—and typically offer between of that market price . Unlike jewelry stores, which may value brand or design, pawn shops primarily focus on the intrinsic value of the gold content itself to ensure they can profit even if they have to sell the item to a refinery. The Evaluation Process

: Scratching the gold on a testing stone and applying acid. If the mark remains, it matches that karat level.

: Since gold is non-magnetic, a strong magnet is used to quickly rule out many fakes.

: Expect an offer of $32–$38 per gram for 10K gold or $56–$72 per gram for 18K gold, depending on current market fluctuations.

When you bring gold to a pawn shop, the broker follows a systematic appraisal: