How this price is calculated
There is no separate exchange quote for individual alloys. Every karat price is derived from the fine gold rate, and the arithmetic is fully open:
Every figure on this page comes from exactly this formula.
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What defines 333 gold
333 parts gold per 1,000 — almost exactly one third, which corresponds to 8 karat. Alongside 33.3 % gold, the usual alloy holds around 57 % copper, 5 % silver and just under 5 % zinc.
This is the lowest fineness traditionally traded as gold in Germany. The tone is pale and copper-heavy, the lustre shallower than at higher finenesses. Prolonged skin contact can tarnish it.
333 is largely a German path. DIN EN ISO 8654 does not list it, and most other European countries set a higher minimum for gold jewellery. Take 333 pieces abroad hoping to sell and you will regularly meet blank incomprehension.
At around 175 HV it is the hardest of the alloys covered here — which is why many 333 chains from the 1970s and 1980s are still practically scratch-free.
Where 333 gold turns up
German inherited jewellery. By far the most common case. Chains, bracelets, pendants and rings from the 1960s to 1990s are very often 333 — it was the affordable standard for the mass market.
Communion and confirmation jewellery. Crosses, christening rings and first communion chains were traditionally made in 333 in Germany.
Bicolour jewellery. The yellow-and-white gold combinations popular in the 1980s frequently exist in 333.
Barely made new today. The fineness has largely vanished from new retail. Buy gold jewellery in Germany now and it will almost always be 585 or 750.
Buying 333 gold
New 333 goods have become rare and are hard to justify economically: you pay 19 % VAT and workmanship on a material that is only one third gold. The gap to later buyback value is correspondingly wide.
The second-hand market is different. Well-kept 333 pieces from the 1970s and 1980s often trade just above intrinsic value — if you like the style, you buy far closer to real value there than at retail.
For pure gold ownership 333 is unsuitable. If you want gold as a store of value, buy bars or bullion coins: 0 % VAT instead of 19, and a resale discount of a few percent instead of over ten.
Selling 333 gold
Intrinsic value is weight × 0.333 × fine gold rate. Expect 82–90 % of that as payout. The larger discount has a real basis: recovering one gram of fine gold means processing three grams of material, so effort per gram recovered is three times that of fine gold.
Some buyers accept 333 only above a minimum weight or apply a flat deduction. Ask in advance. With small quantities it pays to gather everything and offer it in one transaction.
A realistic example: a 20-gram 333 chain contains about 6.7 grams of fine gold. The amount paid out is noticeably below what many owners expect from weight and appearance — the disappointment is common, the offer usually correct.
Before any melt sale, check whether the piece has jewellery value. Signed work, 1970s design pieces and anything in good condition can fetch more through classifieds or vintage dealers than melt value.
What a dealer actually pays out
Intrinsic value is the ceiling, not the payout. Buyers deduct refining charges and keep a trading margin. The range below is realistic for this fineness:
| Item | per gram | for 10 g |
|---|---|---|
| Intrinsic value (fine gold content) | €40.91 | €409.10 |
| Realistic payout — upper end −10.0 % | €36.82 | €368.19 |
| Realistic payout — lower end −18.0 % | €33.55 | €335.46 |
Rule of thumb: get at least two written quotes and watch the item being weighed. A reputable buyer states the fine gold rate used, the weight in grams and the deduction as separate lines — a single lump sum is impossible to compare.
German tax treatment of 333 gold
19 % VAT on new goods. 333 is unambiguously jewellery. The investment gold exemption of § 25c UStG requires 995/1000 for bars and 900/1000 for coins — both far off.
Tax-free sale after one year. § 23 EStG applies here too: held more than a year, the gain is income-tax free. For inherited jewellery the deceased's holding period is attributed, so sales are effectively always tax-free.
Mind the threshold on estate liquidations. The €1,000 per calendar year threshold covers all private disposal transactions combined. Anyone liquidating a larger estate in one year should look at all sales together — although with inherited gold the attributed holding period usually settles the question.
Testing 333 gold
The mark. Usually a plain 333, occasionally with a maker's mark. On older German pieces it sits on the clasp tag or inside the ring and is often badly worn — a loupe is practically essential.
Colour comparison. 333 is clearly paler than 585. Held side by side the difference is immediate. Not sufficient alone, but a useful plausibility check.
Acid streak test. Test acid for 333 is the classic trade method. With low fineness, distinguishing downward — against gilded brass — matters more than distinguishing upward.
X-ray fluorescence. Standard at the buyer and particularly relevant at 333: gilded tombac looks deceptively similar and the density gap is small.
Common mistakes with 333 gold
- ⚠Inferring value from weight. A heavy 333 chain is only one third gold. Work out the fine gold content before forming an expectation.
- ⚠Melting everything down. Inherited jewellery occasionally has collector or design value. Photograph pieces before handing them over.
- ⚠Selling small quantities piecemeal. Some buyers impose minimums or flat deductions. Gathering everything into one transaction routinely gets a better rate.
- ⚠Trying to sell 333 abroad. Outside Germany the fineness is unusual and sometimes not accepted at all. Sell domestically.
