Gold Price UK – What Is Gold Worth Today?

The UK gold price is set by the global market and quoted in two main ways: per gram and per troy ounce (one troy ounce = 31.1035 grams). The headline rate you see online is for pure 24ct gold, but most jewellery in the UK isn't pure — it's mixed with other metals to make it more durable.

That's why purity matters. 9ct is 37.5% gold, 14ct is 58.5%, 18ct is 75%, 22ct is 91.6%, and 24ct is 99.9% pure. The higher the carat, the more your gold is worth per gram. UK prices change throughout the day as global markets move, so there's no single "today's price" that stays fixed — it shifts continuously.

For an exact figure on your items, the simplest option is a free gold valuation in St Helens using the live rate at the moment you visit.

Gold prices change daily, so we do not publish fixed per-gram prices on this page. The amount you receive depends on the live gold market rate, the carat of your gold, the exact weight, and any stones or non-gold materials that need to be deducted.

For the most accurate price, bring your gold into St Helens Gold for a free, no-obligation valuation. We will test and weigh your items in front of you, explain the rate we are working from, and make you an offer based on the live market at the time.

Gold is a global asset, so its price reacts to events happening well beyond the UK. The main drivers are:

• Inflation — when the cost of living rises, gold tends to hold its value, pushing prices up.
• Interest rates — higher rates often weaken gold demand; lower rates usually support it.
• Global uncertainty — wars, elections and economic shocks send investors towards gold as a safe haven.
• Currency (GBP vs USD) — gold is priced in US dollars, so a weaker pound means a higher UK price, and vice versa.

Because all of these factors move at once, the UK gold price rarely sits still for long.

Two buyers can quote on the same ring on the same day and come back with very different numbers. That's because each buyer applies their own margin on top of the wholesale market rate to cover refining, handling and overheads. Postal buyers and pop-up traders often pay less because of higher processing costs. A local high-street buyer like St Helens Gold can usually offer a stronger rate — and we'll always aim to beat any genuine local quote you bring in.

Online calculators and rough estimates can only ever guess at the value of your gold. An in-store valuation is more accurate because we test each piece to confirm the exact carat, weigh it on calibrated scales to 0.01g, and apply the live market rate at that moment. We test and weigh your gold in front of you and explain exactly how your offer is calculated — no guesswork, no hidden deductions.

It's important to be honest about this: no gold buyer pays the full market "spot" price. The headline rate is the wholesale value of pure gold — buyers have refining costs, handling, business overheads and a small margin to cover, so the price you receive will always be a percentage of that figure.

At St Helens Gold we pay top prices and stay fully transparent. We test and weigh every item in front of you, tell you the per-gram rate we're applying, and explain exactly how the offer is calculated. There's no pressure to accept — and if you've got a quote elsewhere, bring it in and we'll aim to beat any genuine local offer.

The only way to know what your gold is truly worth today is to have it tested, weighed, and valued at the current UK rate. Walk into St Helens Gold inside Cash Generator on Church Street — no appointment needed, and the valuation is completely free.

If you decide to sell gold in St Helens with us, you'll be paid the same day in cash or by bank transfer. For a deeper breakdown of how value is calculated from carat and weight, see our guide on how much your gold is worth in the UK.