The gold-per-gram journal
Tips, buying guides and breakdowns to buy — and resell — 18-carat gold jewelry without getting had.
The 9-Carat Gold Scam: Why I Filter It Out on OrOGramme
9-carat gold has flooded French jewelry stores in recent years. Sold cheaper than 18-carat, it often costs MORE per gram of actual gold. Breaking down a fake good deal.
Are Online Gold Estimators Reliable? What They're Actually Calculating
You enter the weight and the carat, and the site spits out a value in two seconds. Except most of these estimators belong to gold buyers: the figure on screen is their buying price, not what your gold is worth. Here's how to read these tools and check the number yourself.
Testing gold at home before buying second-hand: 5 reliable tests and 3 myths to forget
Before buying a second-hand ring or chain, you want to be sure it's really gold. Here are the 5 tests you can run yourself — from the hallmark to density — and the 3 viral « tricks » that prove nothing.
Reworking or melting down your old gold jewellery: what the « melt loss » and the labour really cost you
A jeweller offers to melt down your inherited pieces into a brand-new one « using your own gold ». On paper, it sounds magical. In reality, you lose gold to the fire, you buy craftsmanship back at full price, and sometimes selling + buying second-hand costs less. Let's put numbers on it.
Gifting gold: the gift guide by budget and by occasion
Birth, wedding, milestone birthday, Mother's Day: gold remains the gift that lasts and passes down. Here's how to give it well according to your budget — and why second-hand 18-carat is a premium gift, not a stingy one.
Second-hand engagement ring: natural or lab-grown, which one holds its value?
You've just been proposed to, or you're hunting for a second-hand ring without overpaying. But between a natural diamond and a lab-grown one, which actually holds up at resale? The 2026 numbers are blunt — and the real value isn't always where you think.
Buying gold on Vinted or Leboncoin: good deal or trap?
On Vinted and Leboncoin, you find gold pieces priced far below the shops. I've bought some. And today I don't even dare have them certified. Here's why private-seller gold is a risky bet — and how to avoid it.
Summer sales on gold jewellery: why the metal never goes on sale
France's summer sales open on 24 June. You'll see '−40%' on gold jewellery. Here's what that discount really touches — and what it will never touch.
Drop the costume jewellery: why a real gold chain costs less over time
The €15-30 fashion pieces we replace constantly end up costing more than a real 18-carat gold piece that lasts thirty years and keeps its value. The proof, in figures.
Second-hand gold jewellery: how to know if the price is fair (the method)
You spot a second-hand gold piece you like, but is it the right price? Here's the simple method to calculate the value of the gold it contains yourself, and know whether the markup asked is reasonable.
How jewellers make their margin on gold (and what you really pay)
Why does a gold chain cost two to three times the price of the gold it contains? It's not a conspiracy, it's a markup — but when you buy to invest, you need to read it. A figure-by-figure breakdown.
The eagle-head hallmark: the 30-second check that saves you from a fake 18-carat piece
Before buying or reselling a gold piece in France, there's a ten-second reflex almost no one has: look for the hallmark. Here's how to read the eagle head, the owl head, and spot gold plating in disguise.
AU750, 750 Italy, Italian gold: reading foreign gold hallmarks without getting fooled
The eagle head means France. But plenty of pieces carry a numeric marking (750, AU750), an Italian hallmark or a Gulf sign. Here's what these marks are really worth — and why a cheap 'AU750' is often plating.
Gold has corrected from its peak: is it the moment to buy your 18-carat piece?
After its early-2026 peak, gold has clearly pulled back. When the price drops, jewellers tell you to buy — just like when it rises. Here's how I think it through, and why a dip is the best moment for second-hand.
Gold is falling sharply in 2026: sell your jewellery now or wait?
When the gold price moves, we wonder whether to sell. But the buy-back price is always calculated the same way, whatever the spot price — and on pure-gold weight only. Here's how to decide without getting fooled.
Why 18-carat gold won in Europe and the Maghreb (and not 24)
We tend to think the purer the gold, the better. Yet in France and across the Maghreb, it's 18-carat gold that dominates — not 22 or 24. Here's why this fineness is the right compromise for jewellery you wear and keep.
The 9-Carat Gold Scam: Why I Filter It Out on OrOGramme
9-carat gold has flooded French jewelry stores in recent years. Sold cheaper than 18-carat, it often costs MORE per gram of actual gold. Breaking down a fake good deal.
Selling Your Gold Jewelry in France in 2026: The Tax No One Explains Beforehand
An 11.5% flat tax on coins, 6.5% on jewelry above €5,000, and an exemption most people miss. The clear guide to not losing money when you resell.