"The Myths of 999 and 9999 Purity Revealed" - A Recycler Explains: Does a Difference of Only 0.01% Really Affect Your Gold Selling Price?
Dissecting the truth about the purity of 999 and 9999
Both "999" and "9999" are recognized in the market as "pure gold".
- 999 represents a gold purity of 99.9% .
- 9999 represents a purity of 99.99% .
Numerically, the difference between the two is indeed only 0.01%. However, according to industry experience and technical standards, this tiny difference is often not a substantial difference in gold quality, but may be caused by the error of the gold testing instrument .
Many consumers mistakenly believe that gold marked 999 is of inferior quality, and even worry that they will be offered a lower price when reselling it. Hong Kang Trading Company would like to emphasize a core fact: whether your gold is marked 999 or 9999, there is no price difference when buying or selling it .
When you recycle old gold, the market price depends primarily on the gold price of the day and the actual weight of the gold, not on the difference in the stamped numbers. Market professionals generally believe that recyclers or jewelry stores would not risk significant reputational damage for a mere 0.01% difference (which, for example, is extremely small when calculated per gram of gold). Therefore, customers can rest assured that a simple difference in purity numbers will not affect the value of your physical gold.
The difference in purity labeling stems from production and standards.
Since 999 and 9999 have the same value, why are they marked differently? This mainly stems from the uses of gold and differences in standards across different regions.
1. Considerations during the manufacturing process:
Standard gold bars used for investment are typically marked 9999 (99.99%) . However, the situation is different when gold is transformed into fine jewelry. During the jewelry-making process, solder or other treatments are sometimes added. For example, when manufacturing complex jewelry, high-purity 9999 gold is extremely soft. To avoid the jewelry being too soft or causing slight discrepancies during gold testing, some manufacturers choose to mark it as 999. This is a pragmatic practice to avoid disputes.
2. Differences in regional terminology:
Gold purity also has different names, such as "pure gold", "999 gold" and "999 gold".
- Pure gold/990 gold : Gold content of 99.0% or higher. In mainland China, gold with a gold content of 990‰ can be called "pure gold".
- 999 gold : Gold content of 99.9% or higher. This term was commonly used in the past. In Hong Kong, only gold with a gold content of 999‰ can be called "pure gold" or "Au999".
- 9999 gold : Contains 99.99% or more gold. It is extremely soft and is often found in gold bars, coins, or collectibles.
Although the current national standard in mainland China has abolished the term "999 gold" and uniformly classified it as "pure gold," in the Hong Kong market, we still focus on the actual purity of gold. For recyclers, we ultimately use sophisticated instruments to determine the actual purity of the gold (such as XRF instruments) to ensure that its true value is calculated proportionally.
A recycler reveals the "hidden costs" that truly affect selling prices.
Since a purity difference of 0.01% does not affect the price, what factors are the key factors that lead to huge differences in the final amount received when selling gold?
Hongkang Trading Company tells you that the biggest difference comes from the fees charged or hidden in the recycling channels, especially in traditional gold shops or jewelry stores:
Trap 1: High "fire consumption cost" (excluding consumption)
"Fire loss" refers to the potential loss of gold during the melting and recasting process.
- Traditional practice: Many traditional gold shops will deduct a certain percentage of the weight (e.g., 2% to 10%) as a fire loss fee, especially for gold jewelry not sold by them, the deduction percentage may be higher.
- Real Impact: The formula for calculating the gold buyback price is: Buyback Price = Daily Gold Price × Gold Weight × Gold Purity - (Potential Fees) . When 5% or 10% of the weight is deducted in advance, your actual receiving amount will be significantly reduced. This is the main reason why traditional gold shops typically offer lower buyback prices.
For example, reports indicate that when selling gold, consumers may be charged between 20% and 39% of the price as "depreciation fees" if they are unaware of the unspoken rules of the market.
Trap Two: The Unignorable "Commission" or "Handling Fee"
In addition to the heat loss fee, some gold shops also charge a commission of about 2% on the purchase price. Although some traditional gold shops say they do not charge a heat loss fee when buying back their own products, the buyback price may still be "slightly lower by 2% to 5%", or the commission may be included in the calculation formula in the final quote.
Choose a professional recycler to maximize your actual earnings.
Faced with these hidden fees from traditional gold shops, savvy sellers will turn to professional precious metal recyclers.
Professional recyclers like Hongkang Trading Company have a core advantage in transparency and offering high buyback prices :
- Higher net proceeds: Professional gold recyclers typically promise no commission, no burning costs, and no handling fees . We connect directly with refineries, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring that the price is calculated based on your gold weight and the day's quote. The net proceeds are close to the market purchase price, significantly higher than traditional channels. This is why the report mentions that the purchase price from professional gold recyclers may be more than HK$500 per tael higher than that from chain gold shops.
- Transparent Authentication Process: We will use professional electronic scales and instruments (such as XRF gold detectors) to weigh and authenticate the purity of gold in front of you. Hong Kong law requires identity card registration for gold transactions, and you should ensure that the store uses a government-verified electronic scale in front of you.
- Flexible payment options: Professional recyclers typically offer cash, cheque, or instant bank transfer (FPS) payments, with very fast settlement times.
Therefore, whether your old gold jewelry can ultimately be sold for the highest price depends not on whether it is engraved with 999 or 9999, but on whether you have chosen the right recycling channel and whether you have been charged unreasonable "fire loss" or "commission" .
Hong Kong Precious Metals Weight Units and Price Calculations (HKD/tael)
When trading gold in Hong Kong, understanding weight units and price conversions is crucial, as it directly impacts your final profit.
1. Hong Kong gold weight unit:
Hong Kong commonly uses "tael, qian, fen, li" as units of measurement.
- One Hong Kong tael troy is approximately equal to 37.429 grams .
- One liang equals 10 qian, and one qian equals 10 fen.
Before selling gold, it is recommended that you weigh it yourself to have a clear idea of its weight. If the store's weighing result differs significantly from your measurement, you should be wary.
2. International gold price conversion (HKD):
International gold prices (such as London gold) are typically denominated in US dollars per ounce (USD/oz) . To facilitate understanding and transactions for Hong Kong customers, professional recyclers convert these prices to Hong Kong dollars per tael (HKD/tael) .
- Conversion basis: Since 1 Hong Kong tael is approximately equal to 1.2034 ounces (based on 1 Hong Kong tael ≈ 37.429g, 1 ounce ≈ 31.1035g), the calculated Hong Kong dollar/tael price will be about 20% higher than the international market US dollar/ounce price (not yet considering exchange rate conversion).
Hong Kong Trading Company will closely follow the international gold price and exchange rate of the day to provide real-time Hong Kong dollar quotes, ensuring that you get the most competitive price in the market.
Hongkang Trading Company's Professional Commitment
Dear customer, regarding the misconception about 999 and 9999 purity, the answer is clear and affirmative: the difference of only 0.01% will not have a substantial impact on the value of your physical gold in the professional recycling market . What truly affects your gold selling profits are the opaque "fire loss" and "commission" fees.
Choosing a professional and transparent recycler is the only way to maximize the value of your assets.
Hongkang Trading Company
(Honk Kong) adheres to the principles of loyalty to customers and fair prices, and specializes in purchasing gold (999.9, 99), karat gold (22K, 18K, 14K, etc.) and precious metals such as platinum and silver.
We promise:
- We never deduct any fire loss fees and never charge commissions: For any merchant's 999.9 pure gold jewelry, we will never deduct any fire loss fees.
- Transparent Appraisal Process: All color testing processes are conducted with the weight and calculations performed entirely in front of the customer.
- High-price buyback: We ensure that your actual buyback price closely matches the highest market purchase price.
Take immediate action
With gold prices soaring, now is the perfect time to cash out old gold!
Do you want to sell your unused 999, 9999, or K gold jewelry at the highest market price?
Hongkang Trading Company
We offer free telephone quotes . Simply provide the purity and weight of your gold (e.g., 18K, 8.18 grams or 18K, 0.219 taels) to receive a completely free quote.
Please contact Hongkang Trading Company immediately to secure your highest actual purchase price!
Hongkang Trading Company
Contact information: WhatsApp: (852) 94530784
We buy back your goods at the highest price, with absolutely no deductions for fire damage and absolutely no commission!
