> The higher the carat, the more pure gold your item contains, and the more it is worth per gram. 24k is 999/1000 pure, 22k is 916, 18k is 750. That fineness *Source : https://meilleur-rachat-or.fr/en/guides/18k-22k-24k-gold-value-difference/* --- ● Guide # 18k, 22k or 24k Gold: How Much Does the Difference Really Change Its Value? Published on **15/04/2025** · By **Sébastien Joumel** In brief **The higher the carat, the more pure gold your item contains, and the more it is worth per gram.** 24k is 999/1000 pure, 22k is 916, 18k is 750. That fineness figure, multiplied by weight and the day's spot price, sets the intrinsic value of any piece before a buyer's margin is applied. ## What does the carat number actually measure? Carat measures the proportion of pure gold in an alloy, not its size or quality of craftsmanship. The scale is fixed and international: **24k = 999/1000 (99.9% pure), 22k = 916, 18k = 750, 14k = 585 and 9k = 375.** An 18-carat ring is therefore 75% gold and 25% other metals such as copper or silver, added for hardness and colour. This matters directly for resale because a gold buyer values the pure gold content only. A heavy 9k chain can hold less recoverable gold than a lighter 22k one. In France the carat must be certified by a hallmark (poinçon) stamped on the piece, which is why hallmarked items are quicker and safer to sell. ## How does fineness translate into value? **Intrinsic value follows one simple relationship: weight in grams x fineness x the current spot price per gram of pure gold.** Because 24k contains a third more pure gold than 18k, a gram of 24k is worth noticeably more than a gram of 18k of the same weight. The spot price is public, quoted in real time and identical for every buyer in the world. It moves daily, so no fixed euro figure can be honestly promised in advance. What a professional does is weigh your item, confirm its fineness, calculate the pure gold content and then apply their buyback rate. Two dealers looking at the same 18k bracelet start from the exact same spot price; the euros they offer differ only through their margin. ## Why can two buyers offer different prices for the same carat? **The variable is the buyback rate: the percentage of spot value the dealer actually pays you.** Spot is transparent and shared; the margin is not, and buyers are under no obligation to publish it. A dealer paying 90% of spot on 18k will beat one paying 75%, even though both handle identical metal. This is where comparison pays off. Ask each buyer what percentage of the spot price they pay for your fineness, then [compare gold buyers in your city](https://meilleur-rachat-or.fr/en/gold-buyback/). Beware one exception to the carat rule: collectable coins can carry a numismatic premium above their gold weight, so a rare 22k sovereign may be worth more sold to a coin specialist than melted for metal. ## What French rules protect you when you sell? **By law the transaction must be traceable and documented, whatever the carat.** A professional buyer must verify your identity, record the sale in a police register (registre de police) and pay you by bank transfer or cheque. Cash payment for precious metals is prohibited. On tax, you choose between the flat tax on precious metals, levied on the sale amount, or the capital-gains regime, which requires a purchase invoice as proof. Keeping any original receipt or certificate therefore protects your position. These rules apply equally to 9k costume gold and 24k investment bars, so higher carat brings no lighter paperwork. ## Frequently asked questions Is 24k gold always the best to sell? Per gram, 24k yields the most pure gold and the highest intrinsic value. But most jewellery in France is 18k, and what you receive depends as much on the buyer's margin as on the carat, so compare rates rather than assuming purity alone decides the payout. How can I tell the carat of my gold? Look for the French hallmark stamped on the piece: an eagle's head indicates 18k, and numeric marks such as 750, 916 or 999 give the fineness directly. A professional can confirm it precisely; a hallmarked item is faster and safer to sell. Does a higher carat mean lower tax? No. French tax on gold sales depends on the sale amount and your chosen regime, either the flat tax on precious metals or the capital-gains system with a purchase invoice, not on the carat. The same rules cover 9k and 24k alike. ## Read also [ Guide 18k Gold Price Per Gram: How Buyback Rates Really Work in France ](https://meilleur-rachat-or.fr/en/guides/18k-gold-price-per-gram/)[ Guide Diamond Buyback in France: the 4Cs and What a Fair Price Really Means ](https://meilleur-rachat-or.fr/en/guides/diamond-buyback-4c-fair-price/)[ Guide Gold Hallmarks in France: How to Read Them Before You Sell ](https://meilleur-rachat-or.fr/en/guides/gold-hallmarks-france/) ## Sell at the best price near you Compare the gold buyers in your city. [See the rankings](https://meilleur-rachat-or.fr/en/gold-buyback/)