A free gold valuation should give you a written estimate of what a buyer will pay, with no obligation to sell. In France it is standard practice: reputable dealers weigh your gold, check its fineness and hallmark, then quote a price based on the public daily spot rate minus their margin. The estimate is free, non-binding, and worth comparing across several buyers before you commit.
A valuation measures the objective properties that set your gold's melt value, not a dealer's opinion of it. Four factors drive the figure: fineness (24k=999, 22k=916, 18k=750, 14k=585, 9k=375), weight in grams, the hallmark that certifies purity, and the spot price of gold on the day. A professional will weigh each item, test or read the hallmark, and separate pieces by carat because an 18k chain and a 9k ring are not worth the same per gram. The core equation is simple: pure gold content multiplied by the day's spot price gives the raw metal value, from which the buyer's margin is deducted to reach your offer. Coins and bars may carry an extra numismatic or collector premium above melt.
The estimate is free because valuation costs the dealer little and attracts sellers who are comparing offers. A genuine free valuation should be written, itemised, and non-binding: you leave with a figure and no pressure to sell. Ask for the weight recorded, the carat identified per item, and the buyback rate applied. Be wary of any buyer who values your gold in a back room out of sight, refuses to itemise, or ties the estimate to an on-the-spot decision. Condition matters less for scrap gold destined for melting, since a scratched ring melts the same as a polished one, but it matters a great deal for collectable coins and branded pieces where wear affects the premium. A good valuation makes clear which basis, melt or collector, it is using.
Compare the buyback rate, not the headline number. The spot price is public and identical for every dealer, updated daily and quoted per gram of pure gold. What varies from one buyer to the next is the margin they keep, expressed as the percentage of spot they actually pay you. A dealer who publishes or states this rate is being transparent; one who quotes only a lump sum may be hiding a wide margin. To compare like for like, get several estimates on the same day for the same items, since the underlying price shifts daily. Note the payment terms too: in France a professional gold purchase must be settled by traceable means, bank transfer or cheque, never cash, and the buyer must record your ID in a police register. You can compare gold buyers in your city to line up several free valuations at once.
If you accept an offer, the transaction is regulated. The buyer verifies your identity, logs the sale in a mandatory register kept for the authorities, and pays you by bank transfer or cheque. On tax, France applies one of two regimes: a flat tax on precious metals levied on the sale price, or, if you can produce a dated proof of purchase, the capital-gains regime, which taxes only the profit and tapers with how long you have held the item. Keep any original invoice or inheritance document, as it can materially change what you owe. None of this affects the free valuation itself, which remains an estimate you are free to walk away from.
Yes. A proper free valuation gives you a written, itemised estimate with no requirement to sell. If a dealer pressures you to decide immediately or refuses to itemise, treat that as a warning sign and seek another estimate.
Because the spot price is identical for everyone, but each buyer applies a different margin. The difference is their buyback rate, the percentage of spot they pay you. Comparing that rate, on the same day, is the only fair way to judge offers.
No. A professional gold purchase must be settled by traceable means, meaning bank transfer or cheque. The buyer must also record your ID in an official register. A cash offer is a sign the transaction is not being handled lawfully.