What will True North Gold Buyer buy?
Below you can find a list of some of the items we buy
- gold, silver and platinum coins and medals
- gold, silver and platinum necklaces, charms, lockets
- 8k to 24k gold
- 800 to 999 pure silver
- 800 to 9999 pure platinum
- gold, silver and platinum bracelets, bangles
- gold, silver and platinum (service) pins and brooches
- class rings, cocktail rings, wedding bands, cluster rings
- bent, scrap or broken jewellery
- items missing gem stones
- unmatched gold, silver and platinum earrings
- scrap dental gold
For more information check out our what we buy page.
What will you NOT buy?
Below you can find a list of some of the items we don’t buy
- stolen items
- ancient artifacts
- non precious metals (items containing neither gold, silver nor platinum)
- plastic
- pearls
- gold plated items
- costume jewellery
What do you pay?
We base our prices on weight and purity of actual gold content, and they will fluctuate with the world’s gold markets. The higher the actual gold content of the item, the higher the value. The same principle applies to Silver and Platinum items.
To get a close estimate of the payout you can expect for your items, based on their karat content and weights, please have a look at our Payout Estimator.That should provide you with a pretty close idea of the payout you can expect based on current market prices.
Note: We do also buy other precious metals, such as Palladium or Rhodium but please give us a call at (705) 302 1055 first before sending in those materials for evaluation.
Why do you have higher payouts than a jewellery store or pawn shop?
Because we assay and refine our own metals and do not use any subcontractors or middle-men, we can afford to pay you top dollar for your items. On top of that we keep the overhead low by not spending your gold on “free” return envelopes – this means all the money can go straight back to you as a higher payout than our competitors.
If you are curious about our potential payouts for your items please have a look at our Payout Estimator. That should provide you with a pretty close idea of the payout you can expect based on current market prices.
What if I am unhappy with your quote and want my items back?
If you are not happy with our offer, please give us a call at (705) 302 1055 or inform us via our Contact Form. Your items will be returned at your expense via Canada Post within 15 business days of receiving the shipping fee payment from you. Regular Canada Post charges apply.
Again saving costs allows us to pay top dollar for your gold, besides our Payout Estimator should provide you with a good idea of your payout prior to sending your material, provided you know the weights and karats of your gold. (see below)
How can I tell if my item is real gold?
On most gold items, you will see a hallmark.
They are usually hallmarked in an inconspicuous area. You might find 8kt, 9kt, 10kt, 14kt, 18kt, 22kt, 24kt or European markings such as 333, 585 or 750 to identify the gold content. On older items the hallmarks may have partially or fully worn off. Sometimes the hallmark may be incorrect. In this case your items will need to be tested with a precious metal tester to give you an exact content. At True North Gold Buyer we will determine the gold content in our laboratory using the latest precious metal testing equipment and certified scales.
Is there a way for me to tell if my item is gold plated?
Gold plated or gold-filled items may have a GP or GF stamped next to a number.
You may also see markings like GE, GS, RPG, EPNS, or HGE, these indicate other forms of gold plating and we do NOT purchase these items.
You may also see a different color metal under the gold plate if the item is old or has seen wear.
Another relatively easy way to sort out a large portion of the fakes is to test them with a strong rare earth magnet. If you hold the magnet close to the item and every piece of the item is attracted to the magnet, it is very likely to be a fake with steel as a base material. (see Gallery 1 below)
On real gold items the only part that could be magnetic is the clasp. It usually contains a steel spring and/or steel bracket for increased mechanical stability, and this part can be attracted to a magnet. If however the rest of the piece (e.g. chain in this example) is not attracted to the magnet at all, it can still be ‘real’. (see Gallery 2 & 3 below)
If you are still unsure you may send the items in for an assessment, however please do not send items that you know are costume jewellery, gold plated or gold filled.
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Gallery 3
My item contains diamonds or gemstones, will you buy these, too?
We accept items with diamonds or gemstones, however we do not pay for these stones.
The weight of the stones is deducted from the gross weight of the item to determine the net gold weight; from there we determine the actual gold content of the item for value determination. Diamonds for example burn off at temperatures greater then 750°C when gold is melted, just like a piece of very expensive coke.
Other Gold Buyers that write on their websites that they buy diamonds usually have minimum sizes of the diamonds listed in the fine-print of their terms and conditions. They usually pay only for larger diamonds of about 1 carat, that is a diamond that weighs 0,2 grams and has a width of about 6.5 mm or 1/4″.
How do I keep track of my gold, silver or platinum items?
Please use Canada Post’s tracking site.
I paid $400.00 for my ring. I should expect your offer to be about $400.00, right?
Retail stores mark up jewellery five, 10 and even 20 times or more. We pay for the “melt value” of your jewellery – that is, the value of the gold itself once it has been melted down and refined. We cannot consider craftsmanship when assessing the value of your precious metal items.
Unfortunately most appraisals in the jewellery industry are insurance appraisals. They are given values of about twice the retail. Of course these inflated appraisals do not represent the actual value of the jewellery. Jewelers often provide you with appraisals at double the sale price, making their customers believe they are buying at half of the appraised value! If the value really is double why are they selling it for half price? Its just a sales tactic.
Insurance companies win because they can charge higher insurance premiums on an item that actually has much lower value and Jewelers win when they use inflated appraisals as a sales tool, giving the buyer a false sense of value. Independent appraisers will also give you inflated prices when they charge a percentage of the appraised items value for their work. 5% of an appraised value of $1000 for example earns them $50. If they tell you your item is worth $2000 they can charge $100 for their appraisal.
