A wedding ring is often the simplest ring to sell and the hardest to let go of. If you have decided to sell a wedding ring, it helps to know that a plain band and a diamond band are valued in quite different ways, and that a matched set may be worth more to some buyers kept together. This page explains each, so the figure you are offered makes sense.
Sell Diamond Engagement Ring is an independent referral service, not a buyer, pawnshop or dealer. When you call or send the form, we connect you with an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer.
Which kind of band do you have?
| Band | How it is usually valued | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Plain gold band | By its karat and its weight | Nothing but the ring; the stamp inside tells most of it |
| Plain platinum band | By its metal and its weight | The ring; ask the buyer to explain the stamp |
| Diamond band | By its stones and its metal | Any receipt giving the total diamond weight |
| Wedding set | As two rings, or as a matched pair | Both rings, and any report for the center stone |
| Designer band | By its metal, stones and maker | The box, papers and receipt if you kept them |
Selling a plain gold wedding band
A plain gold band has no stone to grade, so it comes down to two numbers: how pure the gold is, and how much it weighs. Look inside the band for the karat stamp. Pure gold is 24 karat, so the karat divided by 24 gives the gold share.
| Stamp | Gold share |
|---|---|
| 10K | 41.7% |
| 14K | 58.3% |
| 18K | 75% |
| 22K | 91.7% |
Under the FTC’s jewelry guides, the word gold on its own means 24 karat, a lower karat should be stated before the word gold, and 14 karat should not be called solid gold. A band marked as gold plate, gold overlay or rolled gold plate is a layer of gold over another metal, not a solid gold ring, and it is valued very differently.
How a gold band’s melt value is worked out
Melt value is the weight in troy ounces, times the fineness, times the spot price per troy ounce. Bands are usually weighed in grams or pennyweight. To turn grams into troy ounces, divide by 31.10348; a pennyweight is 1.555174 grams, or one twentieth of a troy ounce. A troy ounce is heavier than a kitchen ounce, which is 28.34952 grams, so a kitchen scale reading will mislead you.
A worked example with placeholders: an 18K band weighing G grams, with spot gold at X dollars per troy ounce, holds G divided by 31.10348, times 0.75, troy ounces of pure gold, worth that figure times X. Melt value is the value of the pure metal only. An offer for metal is usually below it, because the buyer pays to refine the metal and needs a margin. Spot prices change every day, which is why this page gives the method and no figures.
Selling a platinum band
Platinum is a precious metal too, and a platinum band is valued by its metal and weight in the same way as gold. It may carry a stamp of its own, different from a karat mark. Ask the buyer to tell you what the stamp says and what fineness they are using, and to write that on the offer.
Selling a diamond wedding band
A band set with diamonds, such as an anniversary band, a channel-set band or a full eternity band, is valued for its stones as well as its metal. The stones in a band are usually small and are often described together: their number, their combined weight, and their general color and clarity. A carat is 200 milligrams and a point is one hundredth of a carat, so a band described as having 50 points of diamonds holds half a carat in all, spread across every stone.
If a stone is missing or loose, say so at the start. The band is valued as it is. Our page on how to sell a diamond ring explains how small stones and metal are weighed against each other.
Selling a wedding ring set
A wedding set is an engagement ring and a band made to sit together, sometimes with a contour in the band that follows the engagement ring’s shape. Some buyers value the pair together, others as two rings. Ask for the offer both ways if you are not sure, and ask the buyer to write down what each ring is valued for. If the engagement ring has a center stone with a report, the page on how to sell an engagement ring covers the stone in detail.
Keeping one ring and selling the other
Many people sell the engagement ring and keep the band, or the reverse. Others keep a band for a child, or have the gold made into something new. None of that needs a reason. If you keep one, take the other to be valued on its own and ask for the offer to name the ring being bought.
What to expect when you sell a wedding band
In New York City a licensed buyer must weigh precious metal on a scale approved by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, reading to 0.01 troy ounce or finer and marked Class II or III, and must tell you the troy weight. You will be asked for photo ID and your signature, and the buyer records the sale, including the metal and any stones. Ask to see the DCWP license; it should be posted, and its number should be on the receipt.
- Ask for the troy weight of the band; in New York City a licensed buyer must tell you.
- Ask what karat or fineness they are using, and check it against the stamp.
- Ask for the offer in writing, with the weight and the karat on it.
- Compare two offers. For bands, the weight on each should match closely.
Where to take a wedding ring
The places that buy wedding bands are the same places that buy engagement rings: jewelers, diamond and gold buyers, consignment shops, auctions for something unusual, and private buyers. The page on where to sell a diamond engagement ring compares them, and covers the question of where to sell a wedding ring too. For which place suits which kind of ring, see the best place to sell an engagement ring.
After a divorce
Who keeps the rings is a question for your lawyer or your settlement. Once that is clear, a band is valued like any other. Our page on the engagement ring after a divorce covers what people ask most.
When the band holds a memory
A wedding band can be the last piece of a marriage, or of a person. It is common to keep it in a drawer for a long time before deciding anything, and it is common to change your mind. If you are not ready, asking what it is worth commits you to nothing. Some people find it easier to know the figure first and decide later; others prefer to have a ring valued alongside another piece so it does not feel like a single, final step.
If the band was inherited, you may not know its history. That is fine. The stamp, the weight and any stones tell a buyer what they need to know, and you can ask them to explain what they see.
A word on taxes
The IRS says that net capital gains from selling collectibles, such as coins or art, are taxed at a maximum federal rate of 28% (IRS Topic 409). Whether your sale produces a gain, and how it should be reported, depends on what you paid and on your own situation. This site cannot advise on that: ask a tax professional about your sale, and keep the receipt for the ring and the receipt from the sale together.
Ask privately what your wedding ring or set is worth. An independent New York buyer can make a written offer, and you never have to sell.
Questions people ask
Is it worth selling a plain gold wedding band?
That depends on its karat and weight, and on the day’s gold price. Work out the gold share from the stamp, ask for the troy weight, and compare written offers.
My band has no stamp. Can I still sell it?
Yes. A stamp can wear away. A buyer will need to identify the metal another way; ask them to tell you what they find and to write it on the offer.
Should I sell my wedding set together or separately?
Ask for both. Some buyers value a matched set together, others as two rings. Have each ring’s value written down.
Why is my offer below the gold value I worked out?
Melt value is the value of the pure metal only. A buyer pays to refine the metal and needs a margin, so an offer for metal is usually below melt.
Can I sell a wedding band that is gold plated?
You can ask, but plated metal is a thin layer of gold over another metal and is not solid gold, so it is valued very differently.
Is this site a buyer?
No. It is an independent referral service. We connect you with an independent buyer in New York, who makes any offer.