Why Ansonia Residents Drive to Hamden to Sell Gold
Ansonia has downtown gold buyers, Derby has shops just across the border, and Waterbury has storefront gold buyers on East Main, West Main, and Wolcott Street. You can walk into any of them and get a number in five minutes. But most weigh your lot, assume a karat, and hand you a single figure based on melt — without testing each piece, and without showing the spot price they used. If your jewelry is 19.2k Portuguese gold from a family on the Hilltop and they assume 14k, you are being underpaid by more than a third.
We are about 20 minutes south on Route 8, in Hamden. We are a licensed, buy-only precious metals dealer: we acid-test and electronically test every piece in front of you, display the live gold spot price, walk you through how we calculated the offer, and hand you a written offer to take home. Ansonia's copper-mill heritage means service pins and watch cases come out of local estates constantly, and we test each one honestly so you know whether it is solid gold or gold-filled.
The drive is simple: Route 8 south to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east to exit 61, then Whitney Avenue north to 2285 Whitney Ave. About 20 minutes. An alternative is Route 34 east through Derby to Route 15 (Wilbur Cross) east, then exit 61 to Whitney Avenue north.
How Gold Is Priced and What We Buy
Portuguese 19.2k gold and the 800 stamp
Ansonia has one of the Lower Naugatuck Valley's largest Portuguese communities, and Portuguese gold is frequently 19.2 karat — 80 percent gold — rather than the 14k standard common in much of the United States. The "800" stamp — fineness expressed as parts per thousand — is common, though plenty of these pieces carry no mark at all. A shop that defaults to a 14k assumption shorts the seller better than 35 percent on every 19.2k item. Both an acid test and an electronic reading are run on each item while you watch, so the purity is proven rather than guessed. If your chain tests at 19.2k, you are paid at 19.2k.
Italian 18k and older American 10k and 14k
Ansonia's Italian families often brought 18k jewelry — 75 percent gold, stamped 750 — which is worth substantially more per gram than 14k at any spot price. Older American-made pieces from the copper-mill era are typically 10k (41.7 percent) or 14k (58.5 percent). Polish families may have both traditions represented in a single estate. Every item is read for its real karat instead of eyeballed, which means each one is paid out according to the metal actually inside it.
Karat stamps and European fineness marks
Gold jewelry is stamped with a karat mark indicating purity: 10K is 41.7 percent gold, 14K is 58.5 percent, 18K is 75 percent, 22K is 91.6 percent, and 24K is pure. European pieces often carry numeric fineness marks instead — 417, 585, 750, 800, 916, and 999 — each mapping to the same gold percentages. We run both acid and electronic checks on every item, because stamps are sometimes wrong and nailing the true karat is what makes an offer honest.
Spot price and why no dealer pays 100 percent
Global trading establishes a per-ounce gold price that shifts minute to minute throughout the day. Your offer is calculated from that live price. No dealer hands over 100 percent of spot, because assaying, refining, and keeping the doors open all cost real money — refiners themselves charge to melt down and process scrap metal. We lay out the current spot price, the precise weight, the verified karat, and the percentage we pay, so every figure feeding your offer is right there to see.
Gold coins and bars
We buy gold bullion coins — American Eagles, Canadian Maples, Krugerrands, Austrian Philharmonics — and gold bars from PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, and other recognized mints. Bullion is priced closer to spot than jewelry because it is already pure, recognizable, and needs no refining. Connecticut exempts bullion coins and bars from the 10-day hold that applies to jewelry and other non-bullion items, so there is no resale delay on those pieces. Your payment is still the same day.
Copper-mill-era service jewelry, watches, and gold-filled items
Generations of Ansonia families worked at Ansonia Brass & Copper — later part of Anaconda — the Ansonia Clock Company, and Farrel Corporation. Pins, presentation watches, and engraved jewelry handed out by those mills surface in local estates all the time. Much of it is gold-filled or rolled-gold-plate, not solid gold. Look for markings like "GF," "RGP," "1/20 12K," or "Warranted" on the case back — those indicate a thin gold layer over base metal, not solid gold. Each piece gets an electronic reading right at the counter so there is no question about what you own, and we do not quote a melt figure on gold-filled items since the recoverable gold content is negligible.
Platinum and silver
If you are bringing gold, bring any platinum and sterling silver too. Platinum jewelry (marked PLAT, PT950, or similar) trades at its own spot price. Sterling silver flatware, hollowware, and jewelry is priced from the silver spot price. Many Ansonia estates contain a mix of metals, and we evaluate each on its own.
Dental gold
Crowns, bridges, inlays, and partial dentures often contain real gold — usually somewhere between 16K and 22K. Dental gold is not stamped, so we test it on the spot. Bring in whatever dental gold you have — even pieces still bonded to tooth fragments — and we will isolate and weigh the precious metal to calculate your quote.
Payment by check, same day
Connecticut requires licensed precious metals dealers to pay by check. You receive your check the same day you accept the offer — there is no waiting period for your payment. The 10-day hold applies to when we can resell non-bullion items, not to when you get paid. Bullion coins and bars are exempt from the hold.
Gold and Metals We Buy from Ansonia Residents
Every karat, every form — if it is gold, platinum, or sterling silver, we want to see it.
10K, 14K, 18K, 19.2K & 24K Gold
All karats purchased at live spot rates. We test every piece — including Portuguese 19.2k and Italian 18k — so the karat is confirmed, not assumed.
Watches & Service Jewelry
Solid gold watch cases and service pins priced by weight and karat. We test each piece — solid gold, gold-filled, or plated — and tell you honestly which it is.
Gold Coins & Bullion
American Eagles, Canadian Maples, Krugerrands, and other recognized bullion coins. Priced near spot — bullion is exempt from the CT 10-day resale hold.
Gold Bars
PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, and other recognized mint bars in 1 gram, 10 gram, 1 oz, and larger sizes. Sealed or loose — all welcome.
Dental Gold
Old crowns, bridges, inlays, and partial dentures — typically 16K to 22K. Not stamped, so we test on the spot. Bring pieces still attached to tooth structure; we sort and weigh the metal.
Broken & Scrap Gold
Bent, broken, or incomplete pieces, gold filings, bench scrap — all of it has full melt value by weight. Condition does not change the gold content.
Platinum
Platinum jewelry and bands marked PLAT, PT950, or similar. Priced from the live platinum spot price, tested and weighed in front of you.
Sterling Silver
Sterling flatware, hollowware, tea sets, and jewelry marked STER, 925, or .925. Priced from the live silver spot — many Ansonia estates have silver alongside gold.
Directions from Ansonia
Two routes from Ansonia to our Hamden shop at 2285 Whitney Ave.
Take Route 8 south from Ansonia to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east. Continue on Route 15 to exit 61, then turn right onto Whitney Avenue north. Haven Coin is at 2285 Whitney Ave on your right. About 20 minutes.
Take Route 34 east from Ansonia through Derby to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east, then exit 61 to Whitney Avenue north. Haven Coin is at 2285 Whitney Ave on your right. A good alternative when Route 8 is backed up.
Our Address
2285 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT 06518
~20 min from Ansonia
Questions About Selling Gold from Ansonia
Straight answers to the questions we hear most from Ansonia residents.
Helpful Resources
Everything you need to know before your visit from Ansonia.
Sell Gold Jewelry in CT
How selling gold works at a licensed CT dealer — testing, karat confirmation, and payment.
Learn moreWhat We Buy
A full list of coins, jewelry, metals, and collectibles we purchase.
Learn moreFree Appraisals
Professional coin and jewelry appraisals with no obligation to sell.
Learn moreGold Karat Value Guide
What 10K, 14K, 18K, and 22K mean for your payout — purity percentages and how each karat is priced.
Read guideGold Spot Price Explained
How the gold spot price works, why it moves, and how your offer is calculated.
Read guideJewelry Hallmarks Guide
How to read karat stamps, European fineness marks, and hallmarks on gold jewelry.
Read guideWhat Is Gold-Filled Jewelry?
The difference between solid gold, gold-filled, and gold-plated — and what each is actually worth.
Read guide