Why Derby Residents Drive to Hamden to Sell Gold
Derby has storefront gold buyers on Division Street and Main Street, Ansonia has shops across the border, and Waterbury has buyers on East Main, West Main, and Wolcott Street. You can walk into any and get a number in five minutes. But most weigh your lot, assume a karat, and hand you a single melt-based figure without testing each piece or showing the spot price. If your jewelry is 19.2k Portuguese gold from a family in East Derby or Birmingham and they assume 14k, you are underpaid by more than a third.
Our shop in Hamden is about 20 minutes south via Route 8. As a licensed, buy-only dealer, we acid-test and electronically test each piece while you watch, pull up the live gold spot price, explain how the offer was derived, and give you a written offer. Derby's piano-factory and foundry heritage means service watches and pins come out of local estates constantly, and we test each one honestly so you know whether it is solid gold or gold-filled.
Getting here is straightforward: Route 8 south to the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) east, exit 61, then Whitney Avenue north to 2285 Whitney Ave — about 20 minutes. When Route 8 is congested, Route 34 east through Derby and Orange connects to Route 15 east as well.
How Gold Is Priced and What We Buy
Portuguese 19.2k gold and the 800 stamp
Derby's Portuguese community — concentrated in East Derby and Birmingham — frequently holds 19.2 karat gold, which is 80 percent gold, rather than the 14k standard common in the United States. The "800" stamp — fineness as parts per thousand — is common, though many pieces carry no mark. When a buyer assumes 14k by default, the seller loses over 35 percent of the true value on each 19.2k piece. We run both an acid test and an electronic reading on every 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, Polish traditions, and older American 10k and 14k
Derby's Italian families often brought 18k jewelry — 75 percent gold, stamped 750 — worth substantially more per gram than 14k. The Polish community around the Derby Avenue parish churches may hold both Polish and Italian traditions in a single estate, often a mix of 18k and 14k. Older American pieces from the piano-factory era are typically 10k (41.7 percent) or 14k (58.5 percent). We test each item for its true karat, so every piece is paid based on the metal inside it.
Karat stamps and European fineness marks
Gold jewelry is stamped with a karat mark: 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 use numeric fineness marks instead — 417, 585, 750, 800, 916, and 999 — matching the same percentages. Because stamps are occasionally wrong, we perform both acid and electronic checks on every item.
Spot price and why no dealer pays 100 percent
Worldwide commodity trading sets a per-ounce gold price that fluctuates minute to minute during market hours. Your offer is derived from that live price. No dealer pays 100 percent of spot — assaying, refining, and overhead are real costs. We show you the spot price, the exact weight, the confirmed karat, and the percentage we pay, so every number behind your offer is visible.
Gold coins and bars
We purchase gold bullion coins — American Eagles, Canadian Maples, Krugerrands, and Austrian Philharmonics — along with gold bars from PAMP Suisse, Credit Suisse, Valcambi, and other recognized mints. Because bullion is already pure and requires no refining, it commands pricing closer to spot than jewelry. Under Connecticut law, bullion is exempt from the 10-day resale hold that applies to jewelry. Payment is still issued the same day.
Piano-factory-era service jewelry, watches, and gold-filled items
Generations of Derby families worked at the Sterling Piano Company in Birmingham, the Birmingham iron and brass foundries, and Detroit Steel Products. Workers saved gold over long careers — class rings, anniversary bands, gold watches presented at retirement, and bullion coins. Presentation watches, service pins, and engraved jewelry from those employers surface in estates from Downtown to Hilltop. Much is gold-filled or rolled-gold-plate, not solid gold. Check for stamps like "GF," "RGP," "1/20 12K," or "Warranted" — those signal a thin gold layer on base metal. We electronically test each piece at the counter, and we never quote melt on gold-filled items since the recoverable gold is negligible.
Platinum and silver
If you have gold, bring any platinum and sterling silver too. Platinum jewelry (marked PLAT, PT950, or similar) trades at its own spot. Sterling silver flatware, hollowware, and jewelry is priced from the silver spot. Many Derby estates contain a mix of metals, and we evaluate each separately.
Dental gold
Crowns, bridges, inlays, and partial dentures frequently contain real gold — typically 16K to 22K. Since dental gold carries no stamp, we test it at the counter. Bring whatever you have — including pieces still attached to tooth structure — and we will separate and weigh the metal for 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 — there is no waiting period. The 10-day hold applies to when we can resell non-bullion items, not when you get paid. Bullion coins and bars are exempt.
Gold and Metals We Buy from Derby 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 Derby estates have silver alongside gold.
Directions from Derby
Two routes from Derby to our Hamden shop at 2285 Whitney Ave.
Take Route 8 south from Derby 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 Derby through Orange 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 Derby
Questions About Selling Gold from Derby
Straight answers to the questions we hear most from Derby residents.
Helpful Resources
Everything you need to know before your visit from Derby.
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