What 15K gold is worth and how dealers price it
15K (62.5% gold) was a legal British standard from 1854 until 1932, when it was replaced by 14K. Any piece hallmarked 15 or .625 is therefore at least about 90 years old.
Look for the hallmark 625 or 15K. 15K is typical of Victorian British jewellery made before 1932. Victorian 15K jewellery is often set with seed pearls, garnets or hair lockets — features that interest antique dealers far more than scrap buyers.
Dealers weigh the piece, deduct stones and non-gold parts, and multiply the net weight by 0.625 to get the fine gold content. They then multiply by the USD spot price per gram and apply their payout percentage — usually 60–75% of melt at shops and pawnbrokers, 80–90% at specialist buyers.
Worked example: a 7 g Victorian 15K bracelet holds 4.38 g of fine gold. Enter 7 g and 15K in the calculator above to see its live melt value in USD. Show antique 15K pieces to an antique jeweller first; as period jewellery they commonly sell for more than melt value.
In the US, cash-for-gold shops are regulated at state level and many require ID and a short holding period. Dollar spot prices are the global benchmark, so USD quotes react first when the market moves.