If you are in Dali, Yunnan and want to sell or recycle a gold ring, treat the sale like a small calculation, not a quick guess. A serious buyer should be able to explain the ring’s purity, the weight used for settlement, the price per gram, any testing or service fee, and when you will receive payment.

Start with purity and weight

Look inside the ring for marks such as 999, 990, 916, 750, 24K, 22K or 18K. The FTC consumer guidance on gold jewelry explains general gold terminology such as karat marks and the difference between solid, plated, filled and overlay descriptions. That source is useful for understanding material terms; it is not a Chinese pricing rule or a local Dali regulation.

Ask the buyer to weigh the ring in front of you. If the ring has stones, enamel, glue, heavy settings or non-gold parts, ask whether they are included in the weight or removed before settlement. For a ring with a diamond, jade or other stone, consider whether selling the finished ring through a jeweller or consignment option is better than selling only the gold content.

A teaching example, not a market quote

Assume, only for learning the method, that a shop uses a pure-gold recycling reference price of 500 RMB per gram. If your ring is tested and settled as 18K gold, weighs 4.0 grams after excluding the stone, and the buyer applies 75% purity logic, a rough metal-value calculation might be:

  • 4.0 g × 500 RMB × 75% = 1,500 RMB before fees.
  • If a 30 RMB testing or handling fee is deducted, the payable amount becomes 1,470 RMB.

If the buyer instead quotes a price per gram specifically for 18K gold, do not multiply that quote by 75% again. This example is not today’s gold price and not a promise of any offer in Dali. It only shows why purity, weight, settlement price and fees must be written down separately.

Where to ask in Dali

Start with established jewellery stores, pawn or precious-metal recycling shops with clear business information, and shops willing to provide a receipt. If you ask several buyers, compare the same items: tested purity, weighed grams, price per gram, deductions, and payment method. A higher total quote is not better if the buyer later deducts unexplained testing fees.

Before you hand over the ring

  • Keep the ring in sight during testing and weighing.
  • Ask whether acid testing, fire assay or cutting/scraping will leave marks.
  • Confirm whether stones will be returned if the ring is sold as gold scrap.
  • Ask for a written receipt showing weight, purity, price, fees and final payment.
  • Confirm payment has actually arrived in cash or your account before leaving.

When not to sell immediately

Do not rush if the ring has a known brand, a good diamond, a jade piece, an antique design or strong personal meaning. A recycling buyer may only value metal. If the ring might have design or stone value, get another opinion before selling it as scrap.