One of the most common questions we get at Dallas Gold & Treasure Buyers is: "Which of my pieces is worth the most?" The answer isn't always what people expect. Let's break down how each precious metal is valued and what affects its price.
Gold: The Benchmark
Gold is the standard against which other precious metals are often measured. It's dense, doesn't tarnish, and has been used as a store of value for thousands of years.
Current pricing: Gold typically trades between $1,800 and $2,400+ per troy ounce in recent years, with periodic spikes during economic uncertainty.
What affects gold's price:
- Global economic stability (gold rises in uncertainty)
- Central bank buying and selling
- Dollar strength (gold and the dollar often move inversely)
- Industrial demand (gold is used in electronics, medicine, and aerospace)
Common forms we buy:
- 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K jewelry
- Gold coins (American Eagle, Krugerrand, Maple Leaf)
- Gold bars and ingots
- Dental gold
- Scrap and broken pieces
Silver: High Volume, Lower Per-Ounce Price
Silver trades at a much lower price per ounce than gold — typically $20–$30 per troy ounce — but this doesn't mean silver isn't valuable. The key is that silver items are often heavier and more plentiful.
The gold-to-silver ratio is a metric investors watch closely. Historically, it has averaged around 60:1 (meaning 60 ounces of silver = 1 ounce of gold). When this ratio is high, silver may be undervalued relative to gold.
What we commonly buy:
- Sterling silver jewelry (.925)
- Silver flatware and tea sets
- Pre-1965 US coins (90% silver)
- Silver bars and rounds (.999 fine)
- Collectible silver coins
Numismatic note: Some silver coins — particularly Morgan dollars and Peace dollars — carry collector premiums well above their silver content. We always evaluate for both.
Platinum: Rarer Than Gold, But the Market Is Different
Here's where people are often surprised: platinum is approximately 30 times rarer than gold — but it doesn't always trade at a higher price. In fact, for much of the past decade, platinum has traded below gold.
This is largely due to:
- Industrial dependence — platinum is heavily used in catalytic converters. When auto production slows, platinum demand drops.
- Smaller investor market — far fewer people invest in platinum compared to gold
- Geographic concentration — most platinum comes from South Africa and Russia, creating geopolitical risk
Current pricing: Platinum typically trades between $800–$1,200 per troy ounce in recent years.
Despite trading below gold in price, platinum jewelry is often heavier and purer (most is 90-95% pure vs. 58-75% for common gold jewelry), which can still result in a very good payout.
What Does This Mean When You're Selling?
The "best" metal to sell depends on:
- What you have — weight matters as much as per-ounce price
- Current market conditions — prices fluctuate daily
- Whether collectible value applies — coins and certain pieces have premiums above melt value
The best way to find out what your items are worth is simply to bring them in. We evaluate everything transparently, explain exactly what drives each offer, and let you decide without any pressure.
Walk in anytime — Monday through Sunday, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
Or call us first at (945) 384-5859 to talk through what you have.