FAQ - Quick Answers

All sales at Accurate Precious Metals are final, so gold and silver cannot be returned for a refund once your purchase is complete. If you later decide you no longer want the metal, we will always buy it back from you at the current market price for that item.

The reason for this policy comes down to how precious metals are priced. Gold and silver trade on a live international market that moves throughout the day, and the price you pay is locked in at the moment you buy, based on the spot price at that time plus a premium for the product. If purchases could be reversed days or weeks later, a buyer could return metal after the market dropped and repurchase it at a lower price, leaving the dealer to absorb the loss. No bullion dealer can operate that way, which is why final sales are the standard across the industry and not something unique to us.

What we offer instead is a straightforward buyback. Because APMR is a refinery and dealer that buys gold and silver every day, you are never stuck with metal you no longer want. You can bring your items to our Salem, Oregon facility or use our nationwide mail-in program. Our staff will verify the product, weigh it, and make you an offer based on the live market feed we watch all day. On gold and silver bullion we pay close to the live spot price, and sometimes more for especially in-demand products. Payment is made by certified check, cash or bank wire.

It helps to understand what a buyback means for your money. If the spot price has risen since you bought, you may receive more than you paid. If it has fallen, you will receive less. The premium you paid above spot at purchase is generally not recovered in full, because buyback offers are based on the metal's market value rather than the original retail price. Government mint coins such as the American Gold Eagle tend to carry stronger resale demand than generic products, which is one reason many buyers choose them.

A few habits make ownership smoother:

• Check the live spot price before you buy so you know exactly where the market sits. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce.
• Read the bullion buyers guide if you are new to coins and bars, so you choose products that fit your goals.
• Inspect your package as soon as it is delivered. Transit is covered under our Shipping Policy, but once a package has been delivered we are not responsible for what happens to it.
• Keep your receipt and any original tubes, capsules or assay cards. Intact packaging makes verification faster when you sell.

If you have a question about a specific purchase, or want a buyback quote on metal you already own, reach out through our contact page and our team will walk you through your options.

Bullion coins are valued for the precious metal they contain, so their price tracks the spot market plus a modest premium. Read more

You can buy or sell bullion with Accurate Precious Metals in person at our Salem, Oregon facility, online through our shop, or by mail from anywhere in the US. Read more

Bullion purity is expressed as fineness (parts per thousand, such as .999 or .9999) or, for gold, sometimes as karats, and it is established by the mint or refiner through assay and then stamped on the item. Read more

Bullion is precious metal, usually gold, silver, platinum or palladium, that is valued purely for its metal content rather than for artistry, rarity or face value. Read more

A Precious Metals IRA is a self-directed Individual Retirement Account that allows investors to hold physical precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium as a part of their retirement portfolio. It functions similarly to a regular IRA, but instead of holding paper assets, you can directly own physical bullion coins or bars.  Read More

Seeking a reliable custodian & depository to securely transfer and store physical metals in accordance with IRA regulations? Contributions are limited on an annual basis while rollovers from existing retirement accounts can be conducted without restrictions as long as paperwork and the IRA retirement account are transferred properly. Accurate Precious Metals makes this process simple…  Read More

Generally, only specific bullion and coin products are eligible for inclusion, based on purity standards set by the IRS. For instance, gold must be at least 0.995 pure, silver at 0.999 pure, etc. Here at Accurate Precious Metals, we will have a list of eligible products they support or recommend.  Read More

Yes, you can see and try on our jewelry in person before you buy. Visit our Salem, Oregon location at 1855 Hawthorne Ave NE, right off Interstate 5, and our staff will bring out any piece you are interested in.

We understand that jewelry is a personal purchase. A photograph can show you a design, but it cannot tell you how a ring sits on your finger, how a chain drapes at the neckline, whether a bracelet clasp feels secure, or how a stone catches the light in a normal room rather than a studio. Trying pieces on in person removes that guesswork and lets you make a decision you feel good about.

Here is what a visit usually looks like. Tell our staff what you have in mind: a gift, an everyday ring, a particular metal, a specific stone, or simply a budget. You can handle pieces, try them on, and compare several side by side. Every piece we sell has been tested and authenticated for purity and quality, so staff can explain exactly what you are looking at, from the karat of the gold to the details of any gemstone, and show you the certification that accompanies the piece. There is no pressure to decide on the spot, and you are welcome to come back after thinking it over.

A little preparation makes the visit more productive:

• Know your ring size if you can, or bring a ring that already fits well so we can compare.
• Bring or photograph jewelry you already wear so a new piece matches in color and tone. Yellow, white and rose gold all read differently next to each other.
• Decide whether you prefer gold, silver or platinum. Platinum is naturally white and noticeably heavier than gold of the same size, while 14k gold is harder wearing than 18k because it contains more alloy.
• Have a budget range in mind so we can focus on pieces that fit it.

Because Accurate Precious Metals is also a refinery that buys gold, silver and platinum every day, you can bring old or broken jewelry with you and have it tested and valued during the same visit. Many customers put the value of pieces they no longer wear toward something new. Our jewelry buying page explains how that works.

If you would like to learn more about metals, settings and stones before you come in, our Jewelry 101 guide is a good starting point. And if there is a specific piece you want to be sure is available before you make the drive, send a note through our contact page and our team will confirm it and set it aside for your visit.

Every piece of jewelry we sell is tested and authenticated for purity and quality before it is offered to you, and we provide the certifications that back that up. You are buying from a working precious metals refinery, so verifying what metal is in a piece is something our staff do all day, every day.

Authenticity in fine jewelry has two parts: the metal and any stones. For the metal, the question is whether a piece really is the karat or fineness it claims to be. A hallmark such as 14k, 585, 18k, 750 or PLAT is a useful starting point, but stamps can be worn, misleading, or outright false on plated items. That is why we do not rely on a stamp alone. Our team uses the same tools a refinery uses to evaluate gold and silver it purchases: a magnet check (precious metals are not magnetic), electronic testers, acid testing where appropriate, and XRF (x-ray fluorescence) analysis, which reads the actual elemental makeup of the alloy without damaging the piece. Together these confirm that a 14k ring is in fact about 58.3% gold, an 18k piece about 75%, and a sterling item about 92.5% silver.

For gemstones, authenticity means knowing what the stone is and how it grades. Diamonds are described by the four Cs: carat weight, cut, color and clarity. Independent laboratory reports, such as those from GIA, document these characteristics for a specific stone, and where a piece carries one we pass that documentation along to you. Our staff can also explain what the report says in plain terms so you understand what you are paying for.

Transparency matters to us, so you are welcome to ask how a particular piece was evaluated and to see the results. If you visit our Salem, Oregon location, you can watch testing take place. This is one of the advantages of buying from the refinery itself rather than from a retailer that has to take a supplier's word for what a piece contains.

A few things you can do on your own side to buy with confidence:

• Ask for the certification and keep it with your receipt. It is useful for insurance, appraisal and any future resale.
• Learn the basic hallmarks for gold, silver and platinum. Our Jewelry 101 guide covers them.
• Remember that weight, karat and the live metal price set the floor value of a piece. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce, and per gram 14k gold is worth roughly $77.25 in metal alone, before craftsmanship or stones are considered.

If you already own a piece and want to know whether it is genuine, we test jewelry for customers who are considering selling, and you can learn more on our jewelry buying page. For any other question about authenticity or documentation, reach us through the contact page.

Yes. Our website protects your personal and payment information, and every online order ships fully insured in discreet packaging. You are also buying from Accurate Precious Metals Refineries, an established refinery and dealer in Salem, Oregon with hundreds of five-star Google reviews, not from an anonymous storefront.

There are three parts to a safe online jewelry purchase: protecting your information, protecting the package, and knowing the piece you receive is what was described. Here is how each one works with us.

Your information. The checkout process is built to keep your personal details and payment data protected while you place an order. As with any online purchase, it is good practice to confirm you are on our actual website and that your browser shows a secure connection before entering card details. If you would rather not enter payment information online, you can also call or message our team, or visit us in Salem and pay in person.

The shipment. All orders ship insured. Packaging is plain and protective and gives no hint of what is inside, which is standard practice for precious metals and jewelry. While the package is in transit, it is covered under our Shipping Policy and Terms and Conditions. Once the carrier records the package as delivered, responsibility passes to you, so we recommend shipping to an address where someone will be present to receive it, watching the tracking, and bringing the package inside promptly. If anything about the package looks wrong when it arrives, contact us before opening it further so we can help document the issue.

The piece itself. Every item we sell has been tested and authenticated for purity and quality, and we provide the certifications that support it. What you see described online is what a refinery has verified, not a supplier's claim passed along unchecked. Because we test metal every day for customers who sell to us, checking that an 18k piece really is 75% gold or that a sterling piece really is 92.5% silver is routine for our staff.

A few practical tips for any online jewelry order:

• Save your order confirmation and the certification that arrives with the piece. Both are useful for insurance and resale.
• Know your ring or bracelet size before ordering, or visit us to be measured, since all sales are final.
• If a piece is a gift, plan the delivery date so someone is home to receive it.

If you prefer to see a piece before committing, you are always welcome at our Salem location, where you can try items on and ask questions face to face. For anything else, our team is available through the contact page.

Our jewelry pricing is based on three things: the craftsmanship of the piece, the intricacy of its design, and the value of any gemstones it contains. Underneath all of that sits the live market value of the metal itself, and our goal is that you never pay retail for fine jewelry.

It helps to see how the pieces of a price fit together. Start with the metal. A ring or chain has a known weight and a known purity, and the value of that metal moves with the market every day. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce. Per gram, 14k gold is worth roughly $77.25, 18k about $99.32, and sterling silver about $1.79. That metal value is the floor under any honest jewelry price, and because we run a refinery with a live feed of the international markets, we know exactly where it sits at any moment.

Next comes craftsmanship and design. A hand-finished setting, a complex pave field, an intricate filigree pattern or a heavy, well-made clasp all take skill and time that a simple cast band does not. Pieces with more work in them are priced higher than plain pieces of the same metal weight, and pieces of plain design are priced closer to their metal value. We aim to keep this part of the price proportional to the actual work involved rather than to a brand name.

Gemstones are the third factor. Diamonds are valued on the four Cs: carat weight, cut, color and clarity, and a stone with an independent laboratory report from GIA or a similar lab is easier to price precisely. Colored stones are judged on similar principles. Where a piece carries a certificate we pass it along to you, and our staff can explain how the stone contributes to the total.

Why does this add up to less than a typical retail price? Traditional jewelry retail involves several steps between the person who made a piece and the person who buys it, each adding a markup, plus the cost of a showroom and heavy advertising. We are the refinery itself, not a middleman that resells to one, and we test and authenticate our own pieces. That lets us price on the real components of value rather than on a chain of markups.

A few things you can do as a buyer:

• Check the current metal price on our live gold price page so you can see how much of a price is metal and how much is workmanship and stones.
• Ask us for the weight, karat and stone details of any piece. We are happy to walk through the numbers.
• Read our Jewelry 101 guide to understand karats, settings and stone grading before you shop.

If you have a specific piece in mind and want to understand its price in detail, contact our team through the contact page or stop by our Salem, Oregon location.

Accurate Jewelry offers rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings crafted from gold, silver and platinum. Every piece is tested and authenticated for purity and quality before it is offered for sale, and you can view and try on pieces at our Salem, Oregon location.

Here is a closer look at what each category includes and how to think about choosing among them.

Rings. This is the broadest category and includes bands, solitaires, stone-set fashion rings and engagement style pieces. When choosing a ring, think about how often it will be worn. Higher karat gold such as 18k has a richer color but is softer, while 14k contains more alloy and stands up better to daily wear. Platinum is dense, naturally white and very durable, which is why it is popular for rings that will be worn every day.

Bracelets. Chain bracelets, bangles, cuffs and link styles in gold, silver and platinum. Weight matters more here than in most jewelry, because a bracelet moves constantly and takes knocks. Ask about the metal weight of any bracelet you are considering, since that weight is a large part of its underlying value.

Necklaces. Chains of various link styles and lengths, as well as pendants and stone-set pieces. Length changes how a piece sits: shorter chains rest at the collarbone, longer ones fall to the chest. Clasp quality is worth checking, especially on heavier chains.

Earrings. Studs, hoops and drop styles. For pierced earrings that will be worn daily, the post and backing are as important as the front, and solid gold or platinum posts are a good choice for sensitive ears.

Across all four categories, the metal is the foundation of value. Gold is priced by karat: 24k is 99.9% or better pure gold, 18k is 75%, 14k is 58.3% and 10k is 41.7%. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver. Because we operate a refinery with a live feed of the precious metals markets, we know the current metal value of every piece we sell. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver about $60.07, and those figures move throughout the day.

Pieces that include gemstones are priced with the stone's characteristics in mind, and where a stone comes with an independent laboratory certificate we provide it to you. Our pricing overall is based on craftsmanship, design intricacy and gemstones, with the aim that you never pay retail for fine jewelry.

If you already own jewelry you no longer wear, remember that Accurate Precious Metals also buys gold, silver and platinum jewelry in any condition. Many customers sell older pieces and put that value toward something new. See our jewelry buying page for details.

To learn more about metals, karats and stones before you shop, read our Jewelry 101 guide. To ask about a particular style or confirm a piece is available to view, reach our team through the contact page.

Neither is built to buy: a jeweler prices for resale profit and a pawn shop offers a discounted loan. A direct buyer that refines in house can pay closer to real market value. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Jewelry page →

A gram of 14k gold is worth about $77.25 at today's spot, so a typical 2 to 6 gram band holds roughly $154.50 to $463.51 in gold before any stones. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Jewelry page →

Usually, yes. Value comes from carat, cut, color and clarity rather than age, and the gold or platinum setting often carries as much value as small accent stones. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Jewelry page →

Two separate values added together: the band by weight against live spot (about $77.25 per gram of 14k) and the stone by its cut, color, clarity and paperwork. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Jewelry page →

Typically a loan of 25% to 60% of resale value, so around $250 to $600, with interest on top and the item at risk. An outright sale to a direct buyer pays on real market value instead. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Jewelry page →

Yes, you can pay for your purchase with a personal check. We hold the item until your check has cleared our bank, and once it clears we release the product to you. Paying by check also qualifies you for our 4% discount compared with paying by credit or debit card.

The hold is the part most customers ask about, so it helps to understand why it exists. When you write a personal check, the money does not move instantly. Your bank and ours have to process the check, and a check can still be returned unpaid days after it was deposited if the account lacks funds or the check is stopped. Precious metals are a high-value, easily resold product, which makes them a target for check fraud. Waiting for the check to fully clear protects both you and us and is why the hold is not something we can waive, even for repeat customers.

Here is how the process typically works:

1. You select the gold, silver or platinum products you want and confirm the total with our team.
2. You write a personal check for the full amount. Make sure the funds are available in your account when you write it, since a returned check will delay your order.
3. We deposit the check and hold your items securely while it clears. How long clearing takes depends on your bank and ours, so if you have a deadline, ask our team what to expect.
4. Once the check has cleared, we release your items, either for pickup at our Salem, Oregon facility or for insured shipment.

The main trade-off with a personal check is time. If you need your metal quickly, a wire transfer or a cashier's check will usually get your items into your hands sooner while still earning the same 4% discount. Cash is another option for in-person purchases. Credit and debit cards are the fastest to process but do not receive the discount, because card processing carries costs that the other methods do not.

A few practical tips:

• Confirm the exact amount and payee with our team before writing the check so it does not need to be reissued.
• Do not postdate the check.
• Keep in mind that all sales are final once the transaction is complete, so be sure of your selection before you pay.

Whichever method you choose, the price of your metal is locked in when you complete the purchase, and you can see the current market on our live price pages before you decide. For the full details of every accepted payment method, read our payment terms. To browse what is available, visit the shop, and if you have a question about paying by check, reach our team through the contact page.

Yes, we accept cashier's checks. We contact the issuing bank to verify the check, which is a quick process, and paying this way earns you our 4% discount compared with using a credit or debit card.

A cashier's check is a check drawn on the bank's own funds rather than on your personal account. You give the bank the money up front, and the bank issues a check guaranteed by the bank itself. Because the funds are already set aside, a genuine cashier's check will not bounce the way a personal check can. That is why we can release your items much sooner with a cashier's check than with a personal check, which we must hold until it fully clears.

The one step we always take is verification. Counterfeit cashier's checks exist, and they can look convincing. Before completing a sale we contact the bank that issued the check and confirm that the check is real, was issued in the amount shown, and has not been reported lost or stolen. This is a standard precaution in the precious metals industry and is quick when the issuing bank can be reached.

Here is how to make the process smooth:

1. Confirm your order total with our team first so the check is written for the exact amount.
2. Ask our team who the check should be made payable to before you visit your bank.
3. Obtain the cashier's check from your bank or credit union. Most institutions charge a small fee for this service, so factor that in.
4. Keep the receipt your bank gives you. It is your record of the purchase of the check and helps if any question comes up during verification.
5. Bring the check to our Salem, Oregon facility or send it as arranged with our team. Once verification is complete, your items are released for pickup or insured shipment.

Compared with other payment methods, a cashier's check sits in a useful middle ground. It is faster than a personal check, it does not require the bank wiring steps some customers find unfamiliar, and it avoids carrying a large amount of cash. Like cash, personal checks and wire transfers, it qualifies for the 4% discount that credit and debit cards do not.

Keep in mind that all sales are final once your purchase is complete, so confirm your selection before you have the check issued. The price of your metal is set when the transaction is completed, and you can watch the live market on our price pages beforehand.

You can read the full details of every accepted method in our payment terms, browse current products in the shop, and ask any question about paying by cashier's check through our contact page.

You can pay for gold, silver or platinum with cash, credit or debit cards, cashier's checks, personal checks, or a wire transfer. Any purchase paid by check must clear our bank before the products are released, and paying by cash, check or wire earns a 4% discount compared with paying by card.

Each method has its own strengths, and the right one depends on how quickly you want your metal, how large the purchase is, and whether you are buying in person or at a distance.

• Cash. The simplest option for in-person purchases at our Salem, Oregon facility. Cash qualifies for the 4% discount and there is nothing to wait for. Be aware that federal law requires a dealer to file Form 8300 when a customer pays more than $10,000 in cash, so larger cash transactions involve some paperwork.
• Credit or debit card. Convenient and fast, and the natural choice for many online orders. Card payments do not receive the 4% discount because card processing carries costs that other methods do not.
• Cashier's check. Drawn on the bank's own funds, so it cannot bounce like a personal check. We verify it with the issuing bank, which is quick, then release your items. Qualifies for the 4% discount.
• Personal check. Accepted, but we hold your items until the check has fully cleared, which takes longer than any other method. Qualifies for the 4% discount and suits buyers who are not in a hurry.
• Wire transfer. Funds move directly from your bank to ours, making it a strong choice for larger purchases or for buyers outside Oregon. Your bank may charge a fee to send a wire. Qualifies for the 4% discount.

The 4% discount is worth understanding because it can be meaningful. On a purchase of several thousand dollars, choosing check, cash or wire instead of a card saves you real money, often more than any card rewards you would earn. If you are comparing our prices with another dealer, make sure you are comparing the discounted price for the payment method you actually plan to use.

Whatever you choose, the price of your metal is set when your purchase is completed. Spot prices move throughout the day; gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and silver around $60.07. All sales are final once complete, so confirm your selection before paying. If you ever want to sell metal back to us later, we pay the current market price for it.

For the full details of each method, including how holds and verification work, read our payment terms. If you are new to buying bullion, the bullion buyers guide explains products and premiums, and the shop shows what is currently available.

Internet pricing is a special order placed through the mint rather than an item pulled from our shelves, so it is not immediate delivery. Orders placed at internet pricing can take up to 26 days to arrive.

The distinction matters because customers sometimes assume every price on a website is for a product sitting in stock and ready to ship the next day. With internet pricing, the product is ordered for you through the mint after you buy, then shipped once it has been produced or released and has made its way to us or to you. That is why the delivery window is measured in weeks rather than days.

Why offer this option at all? Ordering through the mint lets us make products available that may not be on hand at any given moment, and it lets buyers who are not in a hurry plan a purchase without waiting for a specific coin or bar to come back into local inventory. Many bullion buyers who are adding to a long-term position are happy to trade a few weeks of waiting for access to the exact product they want.

What to expect after you place an internet pricing order:

1. Your purchase is completed using any of our accepted payment methods: cash, credit or debit card, cashier's check, personal check or wire transfer. Checks must clear before products are released, and cash, check and wire payments receive a 4% discount compared with cards.
2. The order is placed through the mint on your behalf.
3. The product is fulfilled and shipped. Allow up to 26 days from your order for delivery; many orders arrive sooner, but plan for the full window.
4. Your package ships insured in plain, protective packaging that gives no hint of its contents. Transit is covered under our Shipping Policy. Once the carrier records delivery, the package is your responsibility, so watch the tracking and be available to receive it.

A few points worth keeping in mind. All sales are final, including special orders, so make sure the product and quantity are exactly what you want before you complete the purchase. The spot market will move while your order is in process; gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and silver around $60.07, and those figures change throughout the day. Your order is a purchase of a specific product, not a bet on the price during the waiting period, so try not to worry about daily moves. If you later decide to sell the metal, we will always pay the current market price for it.

If you need metal in hand quickly, ask our team what is available for immediate purchase instead. Our Salem, Oregon facility keeps stock on hand, and pickup in person is the fastest way to take delivery. For questions about a specific product, the timeline for a particular mint, or whether an item is in stock right now, reach us through the contact page or browse the shop.

No. There are no hidden fees, no receiving fees, no evaluation fees and no shipping fees when you sell to Accurate Precious Metals. The offer you hear is the amount you are paid, and we always pay current market prices for gold and silver.

Fees are one of the quiet ways some buyers reduce what a seller actually receives. A quoted percentage of spot can sound generous until an assay fee, a handling fee, a per-item charge or a deduction for return shipping comes off the top. We do not operate that way. Being upfront, honest and trustworthy is central to how we run our business, and the hundreds of five-star Google reviews on our reviews page reflect that.

Here is what "no fees" means at each step of a sale:

• Evaluation. Testing and weighing your items is free, whether you visit our Salem, Oregon facility or use our mail-in program. You can watch testing happen if you come in person.
• Shipping to us. Mail-in customers receive a free, carrier-approved mailer with a prepaid label, insured up to $1,000 as standard, with higher coverage available on request before you ship.
• Receiving. There is no charge for opening, logging or processing your package once it arrives.
• Declining an offer. If you decide not to sell, your items are returned to you with free insured shipping. There is no penalty for saying no.
• Payment. You are paid the full amount of the offer you accepted, by certified check, cash or bank wire.

It also helps to know how an offer is built, because that is where a fair deal is really decided. We run a live feed of the international gold and silver markets, and our staff see price changes as they happen. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07. Our published payout rates are close to the live spot price on gold and silver bullion (sometimes more on especially in-demand products), based on the metal content we measure on gold jewelry and scrap gold, and based on the metal content we measure on scrap silver jewelry and sterling flatware. Your exact offer depends on the product, its purity, condition, volume and market conditions, and no particular rate is guaranteed, but whatever the offer is, that is what you receive.

For jewelry and scrap, payout is based on actual metal content, meaning the weight of the piece and its tested purity. A 14k ring is about 58.3% gold, so per gram of 14k gold the metal is worth roughly $77.25 today. Stones, if present, are evaluated separately. Silver-plated items marked EPNS, Silverplate or Quadruple Plate have no meaningful melt value, and we will tell you so rather than charge you to find out.

If you want to compare offers, ask any other buyer to state their fees in writing and to show you the spot price they are working from. Then read how our process works on the sell to us page or start a mail-in request.

Yes, we accept wire transfers for purchases of gold, silver and platinum. Paying by wire also qualifies you for our 4% discount compared with paying by credit or debit card.

A wire transfer moves money directly from your bank account to ours through the banking system. Unlike a personal check, which we must hold until it clears, a wire arrives as settled funds, and unlike cash it does not require you to visit in person or carry a large sum. That combination makes wires a favorite of investors making larger purchases and of customers who live outside Oregon and are buying at a distance.

Here is how the process usually goes:

1. Confirm your order with our team. You will settle on the exact products, quantities and total, and our team will provide the wiring instructions you need to give your bank.
2. Contact your bank to send the wire. Many banks let you do this online or by phone, while some require you to visit a branch or complete a form. Have the instructions from us in front of you and double-check every number before you submit.
3. Your bank sends the funds. Domestic wires typically arrive the same business day or the next business day, depending on when they are sent and your bank's cutoff times.
4. Once our team confirms the funds have arrived, your purchase is complete and your items are released for pickup at our Salem, Oregon facility or shipped to you insured, in discreet packaging.

A few things to know before you wire money:

• Your bank may charge a fee to send a wire. Ask about it, and weigh it against the 4% discount, which on a purchase of any real size is far larger than a typical wire fee.
• Wires are difficult or impossible to reverse once sent. Only send a wire to instructions you have confirmed directly with our team, and be cautious of any email that asks you to change wiring details at the last minute. That pattern is a common fraud tactic across every industry, not just ours.
• Send the wire promptly after confirming your order so there is no confusion about the agreed total.
• Keep your bank's wire confirmation until your items are in hand.

Compared with other methods, a wire is faster than a personal check, avoids the cash reporting paperwork that applies to cash payments over $10,000, and earns the same 4% discount as cash, personal checks and cashier's checks. Credit and debit cards remain the quickest to process but do not receive the discount.

Remember that all sales are final once your purchase is complete. If you ever want to sell metal back to us, we pay the current market price for it. You can read the details of every accepted payment method in our payment terms, see current products in the shop, and request wiring instructions or ask any question through our contact page.

Yes, we accept credit cards, along with debit cards. Keep in mind that we offer a 4% discount when you pay with cash, personal check, cashier's check or wire transfer instead, so a card is the most convenient option but not the least expensive one.

Cards are popular for good reasons. They are fast, they work for online orders as easily as in person, and many customers like the record a card statement provides. If you are making a smaller purchase or you value speed above everything else, paying by card is perfectly reasonable, and your order will be processed without any hold.

The 4% difference exists because card payments cost a business money to process, while cash, checks and wires do not carry that same cost. Precious metals are sold at thin margins over the spot price, so those processing costs cannot simply be absorbed the way they might be on a product with a large retail markup. Rather than build the cost into every price, we pass the savings to customers who choose a lower-cost method. Think of the 4% as a rebate for helping us keep costs down.

To decide which method makes sense for you, compare the numbers. On a purchase of a few hundred dollars the 4% difference is small and convenience may win. On a purchase of several thousand dollars, 4% can add up to a meaningful amount, usually more than the value of any points or cash back a card would earn. For larger orders, a wire transfer or a cashier's check gives you the discount without much added effort.

A few practical notes about paying by card:

• Check your card's limit before a large purchase so the transaction is not declined.
• Some card issuers flag precious metals purchases as unusual activity. If your card is declined, a quick call to your issuer usually resolves it.
• All sales are final once the purchase is complete, so confirm your product selection and quantity before paying.
• The price of your metal is set when the transaction completes. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07, and both move throughout the day.

If you buy with a card and later decide you want to change to a discounted payment method on a future order, that is easy to do. Simply tell our team which method you plan to use when you confirm your next purchase. And if you ever want to sell metal back to us, we pay the current market price for it regardless of how you originally paid.

The complete list of accepted payment methods and how each one works is in our payment terms. You can browse current products in the shop, and if you have a question about card payments or the discount, reach our team through the contact page.

Bullion is widely regarded as one of the safer ways to hold wealth over the long term, but "safe" does not mean risk-free. Read more

Yes. We offer a 4% rebate when you pay for precious metals with a cashier's check, personal check, cash or direct wire transfer. All of these methods are preferred over debit and credit cards, which do not receive the discount.

The reason is simple. Card payments carry processing costs, and bullion is sold at thin margins over the spot price, so those costs cannot be hidden inside a large markup the way they can on many retail goods. Cash, checks and wires do not carry the same cost. Instead of raising every price to cover cards, we reward customers who choose a lower-cost method with a rebate of 4% of the purchase.

Four percent may not sound like much, but on bullion it is significant. Bullion products are priced at spot plus a premium, and 4% is often a large share of that premium, especially on bars and generic rounds where premiums are smallest. On a purchase of several thousand dollars, the rebate can amount to a couple of hundred dollars or more, which is typically well above any card rewards you would earn on the same transaction. When you compare our pricing with another dealer, make sure you are looking at the price for the payment method you actually intend to use.

Each discounted method works slightly differently:

• Cash. Accepted for in-person purchases at our Salem, Oregon facility with no waiting. Federal law requires a dealer to file Form 8300 for cash payments over $10,000, so very large cash purchases involve some paperwork.
• Cashier's check. We verify the check with the issuing bank, which is quick, and then release your items. Your bank may charge a small fee to issue one.
• Personal check. Accepted, but we hold your items until the check has fully cleared our bank, so this is the slowest method.
• Wire transfer. Funds move directly between banks, usually within a business day, and this is a common choice for larger orders and for customers buying from outside Oregon. Your bank may charge a wire fee.

A few things to keep in mind. All sales are final once the purchase is complete, so confirm your product and quantity before paying. The price of your metal is set when the transaction completes; spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07, and both move throughout the day. If you later decide to sell your metal, we pay the current market price for it regardless of how you paid.

The rebate applies to any of the bullion we sell, including American Gold Eagles, Gold Buffalos, Canadian Maple Leafs, Krugerrands, gold and silver bars, American Silver Eagles, silver rounds and silver coinage. Learn about these products on our bullion page, see what is currently available in the shop, and read the full details of each payment method in our payment terms.

For many people, yes: gold is a sound long-term holding because it has intrinsic value that does not depend on any company or government keeping a promise. Read more

Accurate Precious Metals sells the most widely recognized gold and silver bullion on the market: government-minted coins such as the American Gold Eagle and American Silver Eagle, popular private-mint rounds, and bars in a range of sizes. Read more

You can buy from Accurate Precious Metals three ways: in person at our Salem, Oregon facility, online through our shop, or by opening a free account and ordering remotely with delivery by insured mail. Read more

Anyone can buy from or sell to Accurate Precious Metals. Our customers include collectors, dealers, banks, brokerage houses, investors and speculators, and we treat a single ring exactly the same way we treat a large bullion order.

There is no minimum transaction size and no membership requirement. Opening an account is free, and you are never charged an evaluation fee, a shipping fee or a receiving fee when you sell. Whether you are a first-time seller with an inherited piece of jewelry or an experienced investor moving a stack of bars, the process, the testing and the pricing are the same.

Who typically sells to us

• Individuals and families selling gold or silver jewelry, dental gold, sterling flatware, old coins or diamonds, often for the first time.
• Collectors trimming or liquidating coin and bullion holdings.
• Dealers and jewelers who need a refinery for scrap, since we refine the metal ourselves rather than passing it along to someone else.
• Banks, brokerage houses and estates handling bullion or mixed precious metal holdings on behalf of others.

Who typically buys from us

Investors and savers who want physical gold and silver they can hold, collectors looking for specific coins, people opening or funding a precious metals IRA, and jewelry shoppers who want tested and authenticated pieces without paying retail. Our online shop lists current bullion inventory, and our Salem, Oregon facility welcomes walk-in customers who prefer to see products in person before deciding.

You can visit us at 1855 Hawthorne Ave NE in Salem, right off Interstate 5, where you can talk with our staff and watch your items being tested and weighed. If you are not local, our mail-in program serves all 50 states with a free, insured mailer, so you do not need to live anywhere near Oregon to sell to us.

Because we are the refinery, not a middleman that resells to one, we work directly from a live feed of the international gold and silver markets and pay current market price for bullion. That is a big part of why dealers and institutions use us, and it benefits small sellers just as much: the same live pricing applies whether you bring in one coin or one hundred.

If you are unsure whether what you have is something we buy, the short answer is that we look at gold, silver and platinum in any form, plus all diamonds, regardless of condition. Silver-plated items are the main exception, since a thin layer of silver over base metal has no meaningful melt value. You can read what hundreds of customers have said about their experience on our reviews page, and if you have a question before you visit or ship, just call or message our team. Large or small, you will get the same straightforward answer.

No. Opening an account with Accurate Precious Metals is completely free. There is no sign-up fee, and there is no minimum transaction size required to do business with us.

We know that "free account" can sound like the start of a sales pitch, so here is exactly what you will and will not pay for when you buy from us or sell to us.

What is free

• Opening an account. Collectors, dealers, banks, brokerage houses and individual investors all use the same free account, and a small first transaction is treated exactly like a large one.
• Evaluations. When you sell, our staff test and weigh your gold, silver, platinum or diamonds at no charge, whether you bring them to Salem or use the mail-in program. You see a real offer before you commit to anything.
• Shipping when you sell by mail. Once your mail-in request is approved, we send a free, carrier-approved mailer with a prepaid label insured up to $1,000 as standard. If you decline our offer, your items come back to you with free insured return shipping.
• Receiving and hidden fees. There are none. The offer we quote is the amount you are paid.

What you do pay for

The only money that changes hands is the transaction itself. When you buy bullion, you pay the product price, which is the spot price plus a premium that varies by product. Government-minted coins carry a higher premium than bars and generic rounds, and you can compare current options in our online shop. Paying by cash, personal check, cashier's check or wire transfer earns a 4% discount compared with paying by credit or debit card, so the payment method you choose does affect your total.

When you sell, there is no fee subtracted from your payout. Instead, the offer is expressed as a percentage of the live market: close to the live spot price on gold and silver bullion, based on the metal content we measure on gold jewelry and scrap gold, and based on the metal content we measure for scrap silver jewelry and sterling flatware. Your exact figure depends on the product, purity, condition, volume and market conditions, and no rate is guaranteed, but it is always shown to you as a clear number rather than a price with deductions buried inside it.

It also costs nothing to simply ask. If you are not sure whether an item is worth selling, whether a coin is bullion or collectible, or how a precious metals IRA works, our staff will walk you through it without any obligation to buy or sell. Our sell to us page explains the selling process step by step, and you can always reach our team before you visit or ship anything.

Today's gold price is the live spot price, which is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce of pure gold. Read more

We price your gold and silver from a live feed of the international precious metals markets, so our staff see market changes as they happen and your offer reflects the current price at the moment we evaluate your items. For gold and silver bullion we always pay the current market price.

The starting point for everything is the spot price: the current market price for one troy ounce of pure metal, set by global trading and moving throughout the day. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07. A troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, heavier than the ordinary 28.35 gram ounce, and precious metals are always measured in troy ounces. From spot, our staff work out the value of your specific items in three steps: identify what they are, determine their purity, and weigh them.

Bullion. Coins and bars from recognized mints have a known purity and weight, so pricing is straightforward. We verify the product is genuine, confirm its weight, and apply our bullion rate, which follows the live spot price for gold and silver bullion and sometimes more for especially in-demand products. Popular items such as American Gold Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs and American Silver Eagles are easy to price and resell, which supports strong offers.

Jewelry and scrap. Here the payout is based on actual metal content, so purity and weight matter most. Gold purity is expressed in karats: 24k is 99.9% or better pure gold, 18k is 75%, 14k is 58.3% and 10k is 41.7%. That means a gram of 14k gold contains 0.583 grams of pure gold and is worth roughly $77.25 in metal today, while a gram of 18k is worth about $99.32. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, worth about $1.79 per gram. Our staff confirm purity using the same tools a refinery relies on: hallmarks as a starting point, a magnet test, electronic testers, acid testing where appropriate and XRF analysis. Once purity is confirmed, we weigh the metal, calculate its pure content, and price it from the metal content we measure for gold jewelry and scrap gold, or based on the metal content we measure for scrap silver jewelry and sterling flatware.

Silver coins. Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters and half dollars are 90% silver, and a full dollar of face value contains about 0.715 troy ounces of silver. Per gram, that coin silver is worth roughly $1.74 today. Coins with collector value beyond their metal are evaluated with that in mind.

Your exact offer depends on the product, purity, condition, volume and market conditions, and no particular rate is guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that there are no evaluation, shipping, hidden or receiving fees, so the offer you hear is what you are paid, by certified check, cash or bank wire. You can watch the whole process if you visit our Salem, Oregon facility.

To follow the market yourself, see our live gold price and silver price pages, and learn what we buy on the we buy page.

From the day your package arrives at our facility, it usually takes about three to five business days for your payment to be sent out as a certified check, cash or bank wire. Once you accept our offer, payment itself typically goes out within one to three business days.

That overall window covers several steps, and knowing them helps you understand where your items are at any point.

1. Arrival and logging. When your insured mailer reaches our Salem, Oregon refinery, it is opened, its contents are recorded, and your items are matched to the mail-in form you submitted. Including your name and contact details inside the package helps this step go quickly.
2. Testing and weighing. Our staff identify each item, confirm its purity with refinery-grade testing, and weigh it. Bullion with known specifications moves quickly; mixed lots of jewelry, scrap and flatware take a little longer because each piece is evaluated on its own.
3. Your offer. We contact you by phone, email or text with an offer based on the live market at the time of evaluation. The offer holds for 14 days, so you have time to consider it without feeling rushed.
4. Your decision. If you accept, payment is issued, typically within one to three business days, by whichever method you chose. If you decline, your items are returned to you with free insured shipping and no charge of any kind.

Payment timing also depends on the method you choose. A bank wire generally reaches your account the fastest once it is sent. A certified check has to travel by mail, so allow for delivery time after it goes out. Cash is an option for customers who sell in person at our Salem facility, where the whole process, from testing to payment, can happen during a single visit.

A few things you can do to keep everything moving:

• Respond to our offer promptly. The clock on the one to three day payment window starts when you accept, not when we call.
• Make sure the phone number and email on your mail-in form are ones you check regularly.
• Have your payment preference and, for a wire, your bank details ready when you accept.
• Keep your carrier receipt from when you dropped off the mailer so you can track the package until it reaches us.

There are no evaluation, shipping, hidden or receiving fees at any stage, so the amount offered is the amount paid. Our offers are built from a live feed of the gold and silver markets; spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07, and our staff see changes as they happen.

To begin, submit the form on our mail-in page and we will send a free, prepaid, insured mailer. The sell to us page explains the process from start to finish, and if you have a question about a package already in progress, reach our team through the contact page.

We price your gold and silver from a live feed of the international precious metals markets, so our staff see market changes as they happen and your offer reflects the current price at the moment we evaluate your items. For gold and silver bullion we always pay the current market price.

The starting point for everything is the spot price: the current market price for one troy ounce of pure metal, set by global trading and moving throughout the day. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07. A troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, heavier than the ordinary 28.35 gram ounce, and precious metals are always measured in troy ounces. From spot, our staff work out the value of your specific items in three steps: identify what they are, determine their purity, and weigh them.

Bullion. Coins and bars from recognized mints have a known purity and weight, so pricing is straightforward. We verify the product is genuine, confirm its weight, and apply our bullion rate, which follows the live spot price for gold and silver bullion and sometimes more for especially in-demand products. Popular items such as American Gold Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs and American Silver Eagles are easy to price and resell, which supports strong offers.

Jewelry and scrap. Here the payout is based on actual metal content, so purity and weight matter most. Gold purity is expressed in karats: 24k is 99.9% or better pure gold, 18k is 75%, 14k is 58.3% and 10k is 41.7%. That means a gram of 14k gold contains 0.583 grams of pure gold and is worth roughly $77.25 in metal today, while a gram of 18k is worth about $99.32. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, worth about $1.79 per gram. Our staff confirm purity using the same tools a refinery relies on: hallmarks as a starting point, a magnet test, electronic testers, acid testing where appropriate and XRF analysis. Once purity is confirmed, we weigh the metal, calculate its pure content, and price it from the metal content we measure for gold jewelry and scrap gold, or based on the metal content we measure for scrap silver jewelry and sterling flatware.

Silver coins. Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters and half dollars are 90% silver, and a full dollar of face value contains about 0.715 troy ounces of silver. Per gram, that coin silver is worth roughly $1.74 today. Coins with collector value beyond their metal are evaluated with that in mind.

Your exact offer depends on the product, purity, condition, volume and market conditions, and no particular rate is guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that there are no evaluation, shipping, hidden or receiving fees, so the offer you hear is what you are paid, by certified check, cash or bank wire. You can watch the whole process if you visit our Salem, Oregon facility.

To follow the market yourself, see our live gold price and silver price pages, and learn what we buy on the we buy page.

Yes, you are welcome to sell in person at our facility in Salem, Oregon. We are located right off Interstate 5 at 1855 Hawthorne Ave NE, Salem, OR 97301, and our staff will test and value your items on the spot and walk you through every step.

Many customers prefer selling face to face, and it is easy to see why. You hand your items directly to the people evaluating them, you can watch the testing happen, you can ask questions as you go, and you leave with your payment or your items the same day. Because Accurate Precious Metals is the refinery itself, not a middleman that ships your metal off to someone else, the people you talk to are the same people doing the work.

Here is what a visit looks like:

1. Bring your items. Gold, silver and platinum in any form are welcome: bullion coins and bars, rounds, rings, chains, watches, bracelets, broken or mismatched pieces, dental gold, sterling silverware and flatware, pre-1965 US silver coins, and diamonds, loose or set, certified or not. Condition does not matter for metal value.
2. Testing and weighing. Our staff identify each item and confirm its purity using refinery tools such as a magnet check, electronic testers, acid testing where appropriate and XRF analysis, then weigh it. You can watch all of this.
3. Your offer. We explain what you have and make an offer based on our live feed of the international gold and silver markets. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07. Payout is close to the live spot price on gold and silver bullion, based on the metal content we measure on gold jewelry and scrap, and based on the metal content we measure for scrap silver and sterling flatware, depending on product, purity, condition, volume and market conditions.
4. Payment. If you accept, you are paid by certified check, cash or bank wire. If you decline, you simply take your items home. There are no evaluation fees, hidden fees or any other charges either way.

A little preparation helps. Sort what you can by type, though you do not need to know karats or purity; that is our job. Leave silver-plated items marked EPNS, Silverplate or Quadruple Plate at home, since they have no meaningful melt value. Bring any certificates or original packaging for bullion and any laboratory reports for diamonds, as these speed things along. Bring a photo ID.

Everyone is welcome, from someone with a single broken chain to collectors, dealers, banks, brokerage houses and investors bringing large lots. Small and large transactions are treated the same way. If you would rather not make the trip, our nationwide mail-in program offers a free insured mailer and the same evaluation.

See everything we purchase on the we buy page, read how the process works on the sell to us page, and if you want to let us know you are coming or ask about a specific item first, reach us through the contact page.

Yes, we buy all diamonds. Loose or set in jewelry, certified or uncertified, large or small, and in any condition, your diamonds are welcome at Accurate Precious Metals, whether you bring them to our Salem, Oregon facility or send them through our nationwide mail-in program.

Diamonds are often the most valuable part of a piece of jewelry, yet some gold buyers ignore them entirely or pay for the metal only. We evaluate the stones and the metal separately, so a ring is valued for its diamond and for its gold rather than being treated as scrap. That distinction can make a real difference to what you are paid.

How a diamond is valued comes down to the four Cs:

• Carat is weight. One carat equals 0.2 grams, and larger stones are worth more per carat than smaller ones because they are rarer.
• Cut describes how well the stone's facets are proportioned and finished, which controls how much light it returns.
• Color grades how close to colorless a white diamond is.
• Clarity measures the inclusions and blemishes inside and on the stone.

Shape, fluorescence and current market demand for particular sizes and grades also play a part. A small accent diamond may be worth a few hundred dollars or less, while a large, well-cut, high-clarity stone can be worth a great deal more, so it is worth having every stone looked at rather than assuming.

Do you need a certificate? No. We buy uncertified diamonds and evaluate them ourselves. If you do have a laboratory report from GIA or another recognized lab, bring it or include it in your package. It documents the stone's grades and helps us confirm what we are looking at, which can speed the process and support a stronger offer. Old appraisals written for insurance purposes are useful for identification but usually state a replacement value, not a resale value, so do not be surprised if an offer is lower than an insurance figure.

Set stones. You do not need to remove diamonds from their settings before selling. We evaluate the stone in place and value the mounting for its metal content. A 14k gold ring is about 58.3% gold, worth roughly $77.25 per gram in metal today, and a platinum setting is valued on the live platinum price, currently around $1,639.74 per troy ounce. You are paid for both parts.

Condition. Chipped, abraded or poorly cut stones still have value, and so do stones from broken or out-of-style jewelry. Bring everything and let us sort it out.

As with all our purchases, there are no evaluation fees, hidden fees or receiving fees, and you are paid by certified check, cash or bank wire. If you sell in person, you can watch the evaluation. If you use the mail-in program, you receive a free insured mailer, we send an offer that holds for 14 days, and your items come back to you with free insured shipping if you decline.

Learn more on our diamond buying page, see how set stones fit into a jewelry sale, or request a free mailer on the mail-in page.

From the day your package arrives at our facility, it usually takes about three to five business days for your payment to be sent out as a certified check, cash or bank wire. Once you accept our offer, payment itself typically goes out within one to three business days.

That overall window covers several steps, and knowing them helps you understand where your items are at any point.

1. Arrival and logging. When your insured mailer reaches our Salem, Oregon refinery, it is opened, its contents are recorded, and your items are matched to the mail-in form you submitted. Including your name and contact details inside the package helps this step go quickly.
2. Testing and weighing. Our staff identify each item, confirm its purity with refinery-grade testing, and weigh it. Bullion with known specifications moves quickly; mixed lots of jewelry, scrap and flatware take a little longer because each piece is evaluated on its own.
3. Your offer. We contact you by phone, email or text with an offer based on the live market at the time of evaluation. The offer holds for 14 days, so you have time to consider it without feeling rushed.
4. Your decision. If you accept, payment is issued, typically within one to three business days, by whichever method you chose. If you decline, your items are returned to you with free insured shipping and no charge of any kind.

Payment timing also depends on the method you choose. A bank wire generally reaches your account the fastest once it is sent. A certified check has to travel by mail, so allow for delivery time after it goes out. Cash is an option for customers who sell in person at our Salem facility, where the whole process, from testing to payment, can happen during a single visit.

A few things you can do to keep everything moving:

• Respond to our offer promptly. The clock on the one to three day payment window starts when you accept, not when we call.
• Make sure the phone number and email on your mail-in form are ones you check regularly.
• Have your payment preference and, for a wire, your bank details ready when you accept.
• Keep your carrier receipt from when you dropped off the mailer so you can track the package until it reaches us.

There are no evaluation, shipping, hidden or receiving fees at any stage, so the amount offered is the amount paid. Our offers are built from a live feed of the gold and silver markets; spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07, and our staff see changes as they happen.

To begin, submit the form on our mail-in page and we will send a free, prepaid, insured mailer. The sell to us page explains the process from start to finish, and if you have a question about a package already in progress, reach our team through the contact page.

You can bring in any piece of gold, silver or platinum jewelry, in any condition: rings, chains, bracelets, watches, earrings, pendants, broken pieces, single earrings, dental gold and sterling silverware. Our staff test each item for purity on the spot and tell you what it is worth.

Condition does not matter for a metal-value sale. A snapped chain, a ring with a missing stone, a bent bracelet or a tangled pile of mismatched pieces all contain the same metal they did when they were new, and the metal is what we are buying. You do not need to clean, polish or repair anything before you come in.

Items we regularly buy

• Gold jewelry of any karat: 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and 24k, including class rings, wedding bands, chains, charms and pendants.
• Silver jewelry and sterling silverware, including flatware, serving pieces and anything marked "Sterling" or "925."
• Platinum jewelry, often marked "PLAT," "PT950" or "950."
• Watches with gold or platinum cases and bracelets. See our watch buying page for details.
• Dental gold, including crowns and bridges, which we buy for metal value regardless of condition.
• Diamonds, loose or still set in the piece, certified or not.

What to expect when you arrive

Our team checks hallmarks first, since a stamp such as "14k" or "585" is a starting point, then confirms purity with testing. You are welcome to watch the process. Precious metals are not magnetic, so a magnet test rules out some costume pieces quickly, and acid, electronic or XRF testing confirms the actual gold or silver content. Each item is then weighed, and the offer is calculated from the metal it actually contains at the current market price. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce, and 14k jewelry, which is 58.3% gold, works out to roughly $77.25 per gram of metal before the payout percentage is applied.

Our published rates are based on the metal content we measure on gold jewelry and scrap gold, and based on the metal content we measure for scrap silver jewelry and sterling flatware. Your exact offer depends on purity, weight, condition, volume and market conditions, and there are no evaluation fees. If you accept, you are paid by certified check, cash or bank wire.

A few things to know before you sort through your jewelry box. Gold-plated or gold-filled items (often marked "GP," "GF" or "1/20 12k") contain very little gold, and silver-plated items marked "EPNS" or "Silverplate" have no meaningful melt value. Bring them anyway if you are unsure; testing is free and takes only a moment. Costume jewelry with no precious metal is the one category we cannot pay for. For a full overview, visit our jewelry buying page, or read our Jewelry 101 guide to learn how to read the marks on your own pieces.

Yes. Every shipment from Accurate Precious Metals Refineries is insured while it is in transit, and if a problem arises before delivery, it is covered under our Shipping Policy in accordance with our Terms and Conditions. Packages you send to us through our mail-in program are insured as well.

Shipping precious metals involves two directions, and each is protected.

Orders shipped to you. When you buy bullion or jewelry from us, your order ships with insurance coverage and in discreet, protective packaging. The outside of the box gives no hint of what is inside; there is nothing to suggest gold, silver or jewelry to anyone who handles it. If the package is lost or damaged by the carrier while in transit, the Shipping Policy and Terms and Conditions set out how the claim is handled. Coverage ends once the carrier records the package as delivered; after that point, responsibility for the package passes to you and we are not responsible for what happens to it.

Items you mail to us. When you sell through our mail-in program, we send you a free, carrier-approved mailer with a prepaid shipping label. That mailer is insured up to $1,000 as standard. If your items are worth more than that, tell us before you ship and we can arrange higher coverage. Drop the package off at a staffed carrier location and keep the receipt, since a receipt with a tracking number is your proof that the package entered the carrier's system. If you decline our offer, your items are returned to you with free insured shipping.

Because coverage ends at delivery, a little care on your end protects your purchase:

• Ship to an address where someone will be present to receive the package, or where it can be delivered securely.
• Follow the tracking so you know the delivery day, and bring the package inside promptly.
• Do not ask a carrier to leave a package in an unattended spot.
• Inspect the outer packaging when it arrives. If it looks opened, crushed or tampered with, photograph it before opening further and contact us right away so the situation can be documented.
• Keep your order confirmation and tracking details until you have checked the contents.

For mail-in sellers, the same logic applies in reverse. Pack items so they cannot shift or fall out, include your name and contact details inside, and hand the package to a carrier employee rather than dropping it in a box, so you have a receipt showing when it was accepted.

If you have a question about coverage for an especially valuable order or a large lot you plan to send in, reach our team before shipping so we can confirm the right level of coverage. The full details are in the Shipping Policy and Terms and Conditions linked above, and you can start a sale on our mail-in page.

Your order arrives in plain, protective packaging that gives no hint of what is inside. Nothing on the outside of the box tells a courier, a neighbor or anyone else handling the package that it contains gold, silver or anything else of value.

Discreet shipping matters because precious metals are small, valuable and easy to carry off. The less a package advertises its contents, the less attractive it is at every step from our facility to your door. That is why we treat packaging as part of the security of your purchase rather than an afterthought.

What protective packaging means in practice

Coins, rounds and bars are secured and cushioned so they do not slide around or rub against each other in transit. Jewelry is packed so that chains do not tangle and stones and settings are not knocked against hard surfaces. The goal is simple: your items should arrive in the same condition they left in, whether that is a single silver round or a larger bullion order.

Every order also ships insured. While the package is in transit, it is covered under our Shipping Policy and Terms and Conditions. Once the carrier records the package as delivered, our responsibility ends, so it is worth planning for the moment of delivery.

Making delivery day go smoothly

• Ship to an address where someone will be present, or where packages are held securely rather than left on a porch.
• Watch the tracking so you know roughly when to expect the delivery.
• Open the package promptly and check the contents against your order confirmation.
• Keep the packaging until you have confirmed everything is correct.

If you purchased at internet pricing, that order is a special order placed through the mint rather than an item shipped from our own inventory, so delivery can take up to 26 days. The packaging standards are the same; only the timing differs. Jewelry ordered from Accurate Jewelry, our jewelry side, ships the same way: insured, protected and with nothing on the outside indicating what is inside. In every case the box is addressed to you as a person, not as a customer of a precious metals company, and it looks like any other parcel on the truck.

If your package arrives visibly damaged, photograph the box before opening it fully and contact our team right away so we can help. For most customers, though, the experience is uneventful: a plain box shows up, you open it, and your metal is inside exactly as ordered, with nothing along the way having announced what it was.

Yes. Every package we ship is insured while it is in transit, so if your precious metals are lost or damaged between our facility and your address, they are covered under our insurance policy. Once the carrier records the package as delivered, our responsibility ends, and anything that happens after that point is not covered by us.

That distinction is the most important thing to understand about shipping insurance, so it is worth spelling out. Transit insurance protects against the risks you cannot control: a package lost by the carrier, crushed in sorting, or otherwise not delivered in the condition it left in. It does not cover a package that was delivered to your porch and later taken, or one that was signed for by someone in your household and misplaced. The full details are in our Shipping Policy and Terms and Conditions.

How to protect the last step

• Choose the delivery address carefully. A location where someone is reliably home, or a workplace that receives packages, is safer than a doorstep on a busy street.
• Track the shipment. Knowing the expected delivery window lets you be there for it.
• Inspect on arrival. Check the outer box for damage before opening, then confirm the contents against your order. If something looks wrong, photograph it and contact our team right away.
• Keep the packaging until you have verified everything, since it may be needed if a claim is required.

What insurance does not change

Insurance covers loss and damage in transit; it does not change the terms of the sale itself. All sales are final, so insurance is not a return mechanism. If you later decide to sell metal back to us, we pay the current market price for it at that time.

Our packaging is protective and discreet, with nothing on the outside indicating what is inside, which reduces risk during transit in the first place. Combined with insurance, that means the portion of the journey we control is covered from every angle. The portion after delivery is in your hands, which is why a few minutes of planning around the delivery is the best protection you can add.

If you are selling to us rather than buying, insurance works in the other direction. The free mailer we send through our mail-in program carries a prepaid, insured label covered up to $1,000 as standard, with higher coverage available on request before you ship. Either way, your metal is insured while it is moving between you and us.

From the day your package arrives at our facility, it usually takes about three to five business days for your payment to be sent out as a certified check, cash or bank wire. Once you accept our offer, payment itself typically goes out within one to three business days.

That overall window covers several steps, and knowing them helps you understand where your items are at any point.

1. Arrival and logging. When your insured mailer reaches our Salem, Oregon refinery, it is opened, its contents are recorded, and your items are matched to the mail-in form you submitted. Including your name and contact details inside the package helps this step go quickly.
2. Testing and weighing. Our staff identify each item, confirm its purity with refinery-grade testing, and weigh it. Bullion with known specifications moves quickly; mixed lots of jewelry, scrap and flatware take a little longer because each piece is evaluated on its own.
3. Your offer. We contact you by phone, email or text with an offer based on the live market at the time of evaluation. The offer holds for 14 days, so you have time to consider it without feeling rushed.
4. Your decision. If you accept, payment is issued, typically within one to three business days, by whichever method you chose. If you decline, your items are returned to you with free insured shipping and no charge of any kind.

Payment timing also depends on the method you choose. A bank wire generally reaches your account the fastest once it is sent. A certified check has to travel by mail, so allow for delivery time after it goes out. Cash is an option for customers who sell in person at our Salem facility, where the whole process, from testing to payment, can happen during a single visit.

A few things you can do to keep everything moving:

• Respond to our offer promptly. The clock on the one to three day payment window starts when you accept, not when we call.
• Make sure the phone number and email on your mail-in form are ones you check regularly.
• Have your payment preference and, for a wire, your bank details ready when you accept.
• Keep your carrier receipt from when you dropped off the mailer so you can track the package until it reaches us.

There are no evaluation, shipping, hidden or receiving fees at any stage, so the amount offered is the amount paid. Our offers are built from a live feed of the gold and silver markets; spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07, and our staff see changes as they happen.

To begin, submit the form on our mail-in page and we will send a free, prepaid, insured mailer. The sell to us page explains the process from start to finish, and if you have a question about a package already in progress, reach our team through the contact page.

You can mail in any gold or silver item, along with platinum and diamonds, in amounts large or small. Our nationwide mail-in program accepts everything we buy in person, and if you would rather bring your items to our Salem, Oregon facility, you can watch them being tested there instead.

Here is a fuller picture of what fits in the mailer:

• Gold bullion. Coins and bars of any size, including American Gold Eagles, Gold Buffalos, Canadian Maple Leafs, Krugerrands and bars from any mint. Include original tubes, capsules or assay cards if you have them.
• Silver bullion. American Silver Eagles, Canadian Silver Maple Leafs, rounds, bars and other bullion.
• Silver coins. Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters and half dollars are 90% silver, and a full dollar of face value contains about 0.715 troy ounces of silver. Other silver coinage is welcome too.
• Jewelry. Rings, chains, bracelets, earrings and watches in gold, silver or platinum, in any condition. Broken clasps, missing stones, single earrings and tangled chains are all fine, because payout on jewelry is based on metal content.
• Scrap gold. Class rings, dental gold, broken pieces and odds and ends.
• Sterling silverware and flatware. Look for a 925 or "Sterling" mark. Full sets, partial sets and single pieces are accepted.
• Diamonds. Loose or set, certified or not, in any condition.

One category is not worth sending: silver-plated items marked EPNS, Silverplate or Quadruple Plate. These have only a thin layer of silver over a base metal and no meaningful melt value. If you are unsure whether something is sterling or plated, a magnet is a quick first check, since precious metals are not magnetic, and our staff can tell you more if you call or message.

The program works the same for a single ring as for a large lot. Submit the form on our mail-in page. Once approved, we send a free, carrier-approved mailer with a prepaid shipping label, insured up to $1,000 as standard; ask before shipping if you need higher coverage. Pack your items securely, include your name and contact details inside, and drop the package at a staffed carrier location, keeping the receipt. When the package arrives, the refinery tests and weighs everything and sends you an offer by phone, email or text that holds for 14 days. Accept, and payment typically arrives within one to three business days by certified check, cash or bank wire. Decline, and your items come back to you with free insured shipping. There are no evaluation, shipping, hidden or receiving fees at any point.

Offers are based on a live feed of the gold and silver markets. Spot gold is currently around $4,119.08 per troy ounce and spot silver around $60.07, and payout rates run close to the live spot price on gold and silver bullion, based on the metal content we measure on gold jewelry and scrap, and based on the metal content we measure for scrap silver and sterling flatware, depending on product, purity, condition, volume and market conditions.

To see each category in more detail, start at our we buy page, or go straight to silverware and flatware if that is what you have.

Selling by mail starts with a short form on our mail-in page. Once your request is approved, we send you a free, insured, prepaid mailer, you ship your items to our Salem, Oregon refinery, and we test them and send you an offer. Read more

Payout depends on the live spot price and whether it is bullion or jewelry: coins and bars follow the live spot price, and scrap gold is priced from the metal we measure. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

That depends on where today's spot price sits against what your gold cost you and how useful the cash is right now. An evaluation is free and carries no obligation. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

14k is 58.3% pure gold, so a gram is worth roughly $77.25 at today's spot before our payout rate is applied. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

In the US, physical gold is generally treated by the IRS as a "collectible," so a profit on a sale can be subject to capital gains tax, and long-term gains on collectibles are capped at a maximum 28% federal rate rather than the lower rate that applies to stocks. Dealers are required to file Form 1099-B with the IRS on certain reportable bullion transactions (specific coins, bars and minimum quantities), and any cash payment over $10,000 triggers a separate reporting form (8300). Most everyday sales of jewelry or scrap gold, where you're simply getting cash for an item you already owned, don't usually create a large taxable event, but the details depend on your cost basis and personal tax situation, so this isn't a substitute for advice from a tax professional. Whatever the tax picture looks like for you, you can get a no-obligation offer on your gold here or use our mail-in program to sell from anywhere in the US.

Almost never. Banks sell some bullion coins but do not test, refine or buy gold back from the public. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

A licensed refinery with a real address, published payout rates, no fees and reviews you can verify. Middlemen have to leave room to resell your gold to a refiner. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

Spot gold moves by the hour and is currently around $4,119.08 per ounce; your offer is based on the price at the moment we evaluate your item. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

Our mail-in program covers all 50 states: a free insured mailer, an offer that holds for 14 days, and free insured return shipping if you decline. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Gold page →

Spot silver is trading around $60.07 per troy ounce; bullion, silver jewelry and flatware are priced from the silver we measure. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Often, yes. Pre-1965 US dimes, quarters and half dollars are 90% silver and hold far more metal value than their face value. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Pawning is a loan against a fraction of the value, with interest and the risk of losing the item. Selling pays the full agreed amount right away. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Silver swings harder than gold, so it comes down to where the price sits against what you paid and what you need. A quote costs nothing. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Be wary of anyone promising 100% of spot; refining, testing and liquidity all cost money. We pay close to the live spot price on silver bullion. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Its dollar value rises and falls with spot, so an item can be worth less this year than last, but tarnish removes no silver and the melt value never disappears. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Think of it as a payout rate: bullion and scrap silver are both priced from what we measure, with no fees on top. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Standardized pieces such as American Silver Eagles, generic bars and rounds, and flatware stamped Sterling or 925, because their purity is already known. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silver page →

Diamonds are not priced by weight like gold; value comes from carat, cut, color, clarity and certification, so two stones of equal weight can differ enormously. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Diamonds page →

Steep retail markups, no public spot price and few buyers who can grade a stone properly make resale opaque. A direct evaluation skips that fragmented market. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Diamonds page →

Anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a lower grade stone to several thousand for an exceptional certified one, depending on cut, color, clarity and paperwork. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Diamonds page →

Request a free insured mailer, ship the stone loose or set, and we evaluate it and make one cash offer with 14 days to decide. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Diamonds page →

Check the hallmark: Sterling, Sterling Silver or 925 means 92.5% silver with real melt value, while EPNS or Silverplate means a thin coating with little to none. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silverware page →

Confirm the Sterling or 925 mark, consider a specialist appraisal only for rare patterns, and otherwise sell directly to a refinery that weighs and tests against live spot. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silverware page →

Age alone adds nothing; purity and weight do. Sterling pieces carry melt value tied to today's silver price however old they are, while plated pieces rarely have resale value. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silverware page →

It depends on total sterling weight, not piece count. Sterling works out to roughly $1.79 per gram at today's spot, before our payout rate. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silverware page →

Submit the mail-in form and we send a free insured mailer; you get an offer by phone, email or text, 14 days to decide, and free insured return shipping if you decline. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Silverware page →

Yes. Crowns, bridges and fillings are usually a gold alloy in the 10k to 22k range, and that gold has real melt value just like jewelry or scrap. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Dental Gold page →

It comes down to weight and purity. Dental alloys often run 10k to 16k, so a 16k crown holds about $88.29 of gold per gram, and we pay based on that market value. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Dental Gold page →

Most crowns last 10 to 20 years before they are replaced, and the old one has no further use in your mouth. If it is a gold alloy it still has melt value worth checking before you toss it. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Dental Gold page →

Know whether your coin's value is melt or numismatic and ask the buyer to explain which applies. Look for a published payout rate, testing you can watch, no fees and reviews you can verify. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Coins page →

Pre-1965 US silver dimes, quarters and halves, Silver and Gold Eagles and other bullion for their metal, plus key-date Morgans, early wheat pennies and mint errors for their rarity. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Coins page →

Any US quarter dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver and worth well above face value. Key dates, low-mintage years and verified mint errors can be worth far more again. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Coins page →

Age alone adds nothing; metal content and collector demand do. A worn common coin is usually face value, while a pre-1965 silver coin or a rare date can be worth substantially more. See the full breakdown on our We Buy Coins page →