Selling Platinum & Palladium Scrap in the UK: Jewellery, Bars & What Buyers Pay

Platinum and palladium are the forgotten precious metals — under-covered and often under-valued by sellers who don't realise what they're holding. Here's what you need to know.

Platinum: heavier and often worth more than it looks

Platinum jewellery is usually 950 (95% pure) — higher than most gold jewellery — and platinum is about 11% denser than gold, so a plain-looking band can hold real value. Check the current level on the platinum calculator; it's frequently worth more per gram than 9ct or 14ct gold. Look for hallmarks: 999, 950, 900 or 850.

Palladium: valuable but volatile

Palladium (hallmarked 999, 950 or 500) has swung dramatically in price — sometimes above gold, sometimes well below. That volatility means dealers build in a bigger margin to protect themselves, so payouts can be a touch lower in percentage terms. Check the palladium calculator and the price history before selling — timing matters more here than for gold.

What buyers pay

As with gold, you'll get a percentage of melt, not 100%. Because platinum and palladium are trickier to assay and refine than gold, fewer high-street shops handle them well — a specialist refiner almost always beats a general "cash for gold" counter. Expect roughly 75–90% of melt from a good specialist; less from a generalist who may not even price it correctly.

Don't let a generalist guessSome high-street buyers lump platinum in with "white metal" or misread it as white gold or silver. Always confirm they test and price platinum/palladium specifically — or sell to someone who does.

What about catalytic converters?

Scrap catalytic converters contain platinum, palladium and rhodium and have their own specialist market — value depends on the vehicle and the specific unit, not just metal weight, so a general calculator won't price a whole cat. But knowing the underlying metal prices (here) helps you sanity-check any offer.

Before you sell

Identify the metal and standard from the hallmark (decoder).
Value it on the platinum or palladium calculator — melt and realistic payout.
Sell to a specialist that explicitly handles these metals.

All figures are estimates of melt value, never offers. Not financial or tax advice.

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