Buy and Sell Gold & Silver in Chicago, Illinois

The offer is based on three factors: metal purity (karat for gold, hallmark for silver), weight in grams or troy ounces, and the current commodity spot price. Most shops pay 60–80% of the intrinsic melt value to cover refining costs and margin. Higher-volume precious metals buyers often offer better percentages. Check Kitco.com for live gold and silver spot prices before your visit.

Most shops buy gold and silver in virtually any form: jewelry (intact or broken), bullion bars and rounds, coins (American Eagles, Maple Leafs, Krugerrands, pre-1965 U.S. silver), dental gold, sterling silver flatware, and scrap. Gold-plated and silver-plated items contain minimal precious metal and are generally declined or offered very little.

Solid gold (10K, 14K, 18K, 24K) contains gold throughout the metal and commands full melt-value offers. Gold-filled (marked GF or 1/20) has a thick bonded gold layer over base metal — it contains some gold but far less than solid. Gold-plated (marked GP) has only a thin electroplated surface layer with negligible gold content. Pawn shops pay full value for solid gold, very little for gold-filled, and essentially nothing for gold-plated.

Look for hallmarks: 925 or "Sterling" means 92.5% pure silver. 800 means 80% silver (common on European pieces). EPNS, silver-plated, or no hallmark usually indicates plating with minimal silver content. If hallmarks are worn or absent, the pawn shop will test the metal with an acid test or electronic tester to confirm composition before making an offer.

Gold and silver bullion coins (American Eagles, Maple Leafs, Krugerrands) have a recognized melt value, and both pawn shops and coin dealers pay close to spot. However, rare or numismatic coins have collector value above melt — sometimes far above it. A specialist coin dealer will recognize and pay for numismatic premiums. If you are unsure whether your coins have collector value, get quotes from both a pawn shop and a coin dealer.