Broken gold is worth exactly the same as intact gold of the same fineness and weight. A snapped chain, a single earring or a bent ring is bought for its metal content, not its appearance. What determines your payout is the karat (fineness), the weight, the daily spot price, and above all the buyback rate a dealer chooses to apply.
No. Damage does not reduce the value of scrap gold. A gold buyer melts or refines the metal, so a broken clasp, a missing stone or a worn surface makes no difference to the price of the gold itself. What matters is the fineness stamped on the piece: 24k is 999 thousandths, 22k is 916, 18k is 750, 14k is 585 and 9k is 375. Higher fineness means more pure gold per gram, and therefore more value. The buyer weighs the item, checks the hallmark, and prices the pure gold content against the current market. Gemstones, enamel or non-gold parts are excluded from the weighing, so a stone missing from a broken ring changes nothing on the gold side.
Two things: the spot price, which is public and identical for everyone, and the buyback rate, which is not. The spot price of gold moves every day and is quoted openly on financial markets. No dealer can offer you more spot than another, because it is the same figure for all of them. The real difference is the margin: the percentage of the spot value a buyer actually pays you. One shop may pay a high share of spot, another far less, and dealers are under no obligation to publish this rate. That is why identical broken jewellery can fetch very different offers on the same day. Always ask for the rate as a percentage of spot before you sell, and compare gold buyers in your city rather than accepting the first quote.
Selling gold in France is regulated to prevent trafficking, and the rules protect you. Payment must be traceable: a professional buyer pays by bank transfer or cheque, never in cash. You must present valid photo ID, and the dealer is legally required to log the transaction in a police register recording your details and the item. On tax, sales of precious metals fall under a flat-rate levy on the sale price, or, if you can prove the original purchase with an invoice, the capital-gains regime which allowances reduce over years of ownership. Keep any receipts you have, as proof of purchase can lower what you owe. If a buyer offers cash or refuses ID, walk away.
Sort by fineness, weigh, and keep pieces of different karats separate. A buyer prices each fineness on its own, so mixing 9k and 18k in one lot can pull your average down if it is weighed together. Group items by hallmark where you can read it. Do not attempt to clean aggressively or repair anything: it adds no value and risks losing weight. Remove obvious non-gold attachments only if easy, but let the buyer separate stones professionally. Bring identification, any purchase invoices, and note that plated or filled items are not solid gold and are priced differently. Weighing your own pieces on a kitchen scale gives a rough idea, though the buyer's certified scale is what counts.
Yes. It is priced by its gold weight and fineness like any other piece, so even a lone earring or a snapped fragment has a value based on its metal content.
No. French law requires professional gold buyers to pay by bank transfer or cheque, never in cash, and to record the sale in a police register with your ID.
Possibly. Sales are subject either to a flat levy on the sale price or, with proof of purchase, the capital-gains regime. Keep any original invoices, as they can reduce what is due.
Because the spot price is identical for all, but each dealer sets its own buyback rate, the percentage of spot it pays. That margin, which need not be published, is where offers diverge.