Pawn shops buy gold by evaluating its "melt value"—the raw value of the metal—and typically offer between of that market price . Unlike jewelry stores, which may value brand or design, pawn shops primarily focus on the intrinsic value of the gold content itself to ensure they can profit even if they have to sell the item to a refinery. The Evaluation Process
: High-end shops use X-ray fluorescence machines for a non-destructive, precise reading of the metal's composition. how do pawn shops buy gold
: Scratching the gold on a testing stone and applying acid. If the mark remains, it matches that karat level. Pawn shops buy gold by evaluating its "melt