Articles · Updated
You hear the gold price on the news, but it is quoted in dollars per ounce, and your jewellery box holds 9ct chains and 18ct rings weighed in grams. This guide shows how the gold price per gram is worked out in euro, what it means for each carat, and why the price a buyer pays is always lower than the market figure.
From troy ounce to gram in euro
Gold is traded worldwide in US dollars per troy ounce. A troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, a little heavier than the ounce used for cooking. The best-known reference is the LBMA Gold Price, set twice every working day in London and also published in euro.
To turn an ounce price into a gram price, you divide by 31.1035. If you only find a dollar price, you also convert it to euro at the day’s exchange rate.
You may also notice that bullion dealers show two figures: a higher price they sell gold for and a lower price they buy it back at. Neither is the same as the market price itself, which is the reference both are based on.
Example · not today’s price
€3,110 per troy ounce÷31.1035 g≈€100 per gram of pure gold
We use this round €100 per gram throughout the article to keep the maths simple. It is an example for practice, not a live gold price and not a price from Gold Arthur.
Gold price per gram by carat
Very little jewellery is pure gold. It is mixed with other metals to make it harder and to change its colour. The carat tells you how much of every gram is gold, and in Ireland the hallmark shows this as a number in thousandths: 375 for 9ct, 750 for 18ct and so on. So one gram of 9ct jewellery contains 0.375 g of gold, and its gold value per gram is 37.5 % of the pure gold price.
| Carat | Irish mark | Gold value per gram |
|---|---|---|
| 9ct | 375 |
€37.50 |
| 14ct | 585 |
€58.50 |
| 18ct | 750 |
€75.00 |
| 22ct | 916 |
€91.60 |
| 24ct | 999 |
€99.90 |
This column is what most people mean when they search for the “9ct gold price per gram” or the “18ct gold price per gram”: the value of the gold in one gram of that jewellery. Notice how the gap grows with weight. A 9ct chain has to weigh twice as much as an 18ct one to contain the same amount of gold.
Colour doesn’t change this. White, yellow and rose gold of the same carat contain exactly the same share of gold; only the other metals in the mix differ. What counts is the number in the hallmark and the weight on the scale.
Why the price you’re paid is below the market price
The market price, often called the spot price, is the wholesale price of large bars of refined gold traded between professionals. An old ring is not a bar. Before its gold can be sold on, it has to be tested, melted, separated from the other metals and refined. Each step costs money, and the buyer also runs a business. That is why every buyer, anywhere, works with a price below spot.
From market price to your price · illustration, not to scale
1. Market price of pure gold in large bars
2. Only the pure gold in your piece counts
3. Testing, melting and refining
4. The price a buyer pays you
The fair question is not “do you pay the spot price?” but “how did you reach this price?”. A transparent buyer tells you the weight and carat they found and how the price relates to the day’s gold price. The same logic applies to damaged pieces, as you can read in our guide to what broken and scrap gold is worth.
Common belief
“The gold price on the news is what I’ll get for each gram of my jewellery.”
How it actually works
The news price is for pure gold in bars. Your piece contains less gold per gram, and the price paid sits below spot because the gold still needs processing.
What moves the gold price day to day
The euro price per gram changes every day, sometimes several times a day. Four things move it most:
⇅
The dollar price
Gold is priced in dollars first, so the global price is the starting point.
€ ⇄ $
The exchange rate
A stronger euro can lower the euro price even when the dollar price stays still.
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Demand
Central banks, investors and jewellery makers all buy gold.
%
Interest rates and news
Rate changes and world events shift how people see gold.
The price can fall as well as rise, and nobody can reliably predict it. There is no need to rush a decision because of a headline, and no need to wait for a “perfect” day either.
Estimate the gold in your own jewellery
You need three numbers: the weight in grams, the fineness from the hallmark and the day’s price per gram of pure gold. Multiply them together and you have a rough market value of the gold inside.
Example · 10 g 9ct chain
10 g × 0.375 = 3.75 g of pure gold. At the example price of €100 per gram, that gold has a market value of €375. The price a buyer pays would be lower than this, for the reasons above.
A 4 g 18ct ring works the same way: 4 g × 0.75 = 3 g of pure gold, or €300 at the example price. A light 18ct ring can therefore hold almost as much gold as a heavier 9ct chain.
At home, this stays an estimate. A kitchen scale is rarely accurate enough, hallmarks wear away, and stones, clasps or steel springs add weight that isn’t gold. Some pieces that look like gold are only plated.
If you’re not sure whether a piece is solid gold, our guide on how to tell if gold is real and read Irish hallmarks walks you through the simple checks and their limits.
Is there tax when you sell gold jewellery in Ireland?
For most private sellers, usually not. Revenue treats personal belongings you can move and touch as “chattels”. Under Revenue’s guidance, a gain on a chattel is not chargeable to Capital Gains Tax if you sell it for €2,540 or less. Above that amount, the tax is capped at half of the difference between the sale price and €2,540.
Getting a price for your own gold
If you’d rather know than estimate, Gold Arthur comes to local stopping points across Ireland. You book a free, private appointment of about 15 minutes. The expert weighs your gold on a scale you can see, tests the carat in front of you and explains how the price relates to the current gold price. You then decide freely; there is no obligation to sell. If you do sell, payment goes to your bank account no later than the fifth banking day. We never pay in cash. Bring everything you’re unsure about, from single earrings to broken chains; there’s no need to clean or sort it first. You can read every step in what happens at a gold valuation.
Frequently asked questions
What is 9ct gold worth per gram?
Multiply the day’s price per gram of pure gold by 0.375. At an example price of €100, the gold in one gram of 9ct is worth €37.50. A buyer’s price will be lower.
Where can I check today’s gold price in euro?
Financial news sites and bullion dealers show it, usually per troy ounce. Divide by 31.1035 for the price per gram.
Do stones count towards the weight?
No, only gold counts. At Gold Arthur, stones are removed with your permission or their weight is deducted.
Is broken gold worth less per gram?
No. A snapped chain contains the same gold as before, so the gold content per gram doesn’t change.
How am I paid if I decide to sell?
By bank transfer, arriving no later than the fifth banking day. Gold Arthur never pays in cash.
Sources
- Revenue: Chattel exemption and wasting chattels (Tax and Duty Manual 19-07-02)
- LBMA: LBMA Gold Price
Information checked on 20 October 2026.
