What 16K gold is worth and how dealers price it
16K contains 66.7% gold. It is a historic standard that appears in older Central European jewellery and in some Russian and Soviet-era pieces.
Look for the hallmark 667 or 16K. 16K is typical of older Central European and Russian pieces. Old pieces may carry only a maker's mark and a local assay mark rather than a clear number, so testing is essential.
Dealers weigh the piece, deduct stones and non-gold parts, and multiply the net weight by 0.667 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 10 g antique 16K brooch holds 6.67 g of fine gold. Enter 10 g and 16K in the calculator above to see its live melt value in USD. Antique brooches and lockets often have base-metal pins or glass inserts, which are deducted from the weight before the gold is valued.
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.