Sell Gold Chains in Houston, TX

Solid vs hollow — the single biggest value factor

Hollow chains are made from tube-formed links with air inside. They look the same on the neck as a solid chain and are far cheaper to buy, but they can weigh a third or less of the solid version at the same width and length. Since payout is per gram of gold, that difference is the whole offer.

You can often feel it — hollow chains are light for their size and dent easily, and a crushed link that will not push back out is a giveaway. We confirm it on the scale rather than by guess, and we tell you which one you have before we quote.

Karat, weight, length and width

Karat sets the gold fineness: 10K is 41.7% gold, 14K is 58.3%, 18K is 75%, and 21K and 22K pieces common in imported jewelry run higher still. A 22K chain pays substantially more per gram than a 10K chain of the same weight.

Weight is the multiplier. Length and width matter only because they drive weight — a 26-inch 8mm chain simply contains more gold than a 20-inch 4mm chain in the same style and karat. Ignore the price tag from the store; retail included manufacturing, markup and tax that never come back on resale.

Also useful: how karat and spot price set the payout.

Cuban and Franco links — see the dedicated pages

Cuban and Franco are the two styles that come with their own valuation quirks, so each has a page of its own rather than a section here. In short: Cuban links are the heaviest mainstream style and clean solid examples often beat melt, while Franco links are dense and durable solid but kink permanently when hollow.

Also useful: selling a Cuban link chain or selling a Franco chain.

Figaro chains

Figaro chains alternate one long flattened link with two or three shorter ones, an Italian pattern usually stamped 10K or 14K with an Italy mark. Most Figaros sold in the US are lighter dress chains in the 8 to 25 gram range, which makes them a straightforward weight-and-karat sale rather than a collector item.

Two things affect a Figaro offer beyond weight: whether the long links have stretched or thinned where they rub, and whether the piece is solid or diamond-cut hollow. Stretched links do not reduce melt value at all, so a Figaro that no longer sits right is still worth exactly its gold. Bring it broken — no repair needed.

Rope, box, tennis and other styles

Rope chains are twisted link spirals, commonly diamond-cut for sparkle; hollow ropes are extremely common, so weight varies wildly between two ropes that look the same. Box chains are square links that snap cleanly rather than stretch, and are usually lighter dress pieces. Byzantine, wheat, mariner and curb chains are all bought the same way, on tested karat and gram weight.

Tennis chains are a different calculation: the gold is only part of the value and the diamonds are graded separately for size, color, clarity and whether they are natural or lab-grown. We quote the metal and the stones as two numbers and add them together so you can see both.

Also useful: how we value diamonds and iced-out pieces.

Clasps, broken links and missing components

A broken chain is worth its gold. Missing lobster clasps, sheared jump rings, stretched links and snapped sections change nothing about the melt calculation, and repairing before selling costs you more than it returns.

The exception is a chain that is otherwise clean, heavy and desirable, where a single simple repair could move it from melt into resale. If yours is in that category we will say so rather than quietly buying it as scrap.

Also useful: selling broken gold as scrap.

Designer, branded and stamped pieces

Signed chains from houses such as Cartier, Tiffany, David Yurman and Van Cleef & Arpels are checked against secondary-market demand before melt is considered, and original boxes or pouches help but are not required. Unbranded Italian-stamped chains are valued on gold content.

We also see counterfeit stamps. Every chain is tested electronically and, where needed, with acid, so a chain stamped 14K that tests as plated brass gets an honest answer at no charge.

Also useful: sell other gold jewelry the same visit.

Selling a gold chain in Houston

Bring the chain, plus anything else gold you want evaluated, to 6809 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 during store hours (Monday–Thursday 9:30 AM–7:00 PM, Friday–Saturday 9:30 AM–8:00 PM, Sunday 12:00–7:00 PM). Bring a valid photo ID — Texas law requires it for precious metal purchases.

The evaluation takes about 10 to 15 minutes: karat test, weight on the counter scale, then a cash number based on that day's gold market. Accept and you leave with cash, or decline and take the chain home.

Also useful: cash for gold in Houston.