What 20K gold is worth and how dealers price it
20K contains 83.3% gold. It is an uncommon standard in Europe today, found mainly in older pieces and some jewellery from Asia and the Middle East.
Look for the hallmark 833 or 20K. 20K is typical of Middle-Eastern and older Portuguese jewellery. Because 20K is rare, pieces are sometimes mis-marked or re-marked; an XRF test is the safest way to confirm the content before selling.
Dealers weigh the piece, deduct stones and non-gold parts, and multiply the net weight by 0.833 to get the fine gold content. They then multiply by the PLN 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 12 g 20K pendant and chain holds 10.00 g of fine gold. Enter 12 g and 20K in the calculator above to see its live melt value in PLN. Ask for the tested fineness in writing — a buyer who pays you at 18K rates on a 20K piece keeps about 10% of the value.
Polish jewellery carries marks from the state Assay Office (Urząd Probierczy), which uses a numbered fineness system; 585 and 750 are the most common. Pawnshops (lombardy) are widespread, but specialist buyers usually pay more.