We buy gold

Most gold that comes across our counter is not investment-grade anything. It is a drawer of single earrings, a class ring from 1974, three chains with broken clasps and a wedding band nobody wants to look at anymore. All of it has a real number attached, and that number is worth more than most people assume.

The process is short and it happens in the open. Each piece is tested — acid, electronic tester, or both when a stamp looks doubtful — so ten, fourteen and eighteen karat get separated properly instead of being lumped together at the lowest rate. Then it goes on a certified scale that faces you, and the weight is priced against the gold spot for that day.

One thing worth saying: not everything should be sold by weight. If a piece carries a maker, a period or a design that has its own market, we tell you, because melting it would leave money on the table. That happens more often with Retro-era and mid-century pieces than people expect. Sell your gold for top cash is easy enough to promise — showing you the karat, the weight and the spot behind the figure is the part that makes it true.