Why Naugatuck Residents Drive to Hamden to Sell Gold
Downtown Naugatuck has gold buyers, 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 in Union City and they assume 14k, you are being underpaid by more than a third.
We are about 25 minutes down 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. Naugatuck's rubber-works 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 18 miles, 25 minutes. An alternative is Route 63 south through Bethany and Woodbridge into Hamden.
How Gold Is Priced and What We Buy
Portuguese 19.2k gold and the 800 stamp
Naugatuck 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. It is often stamped "800" for the fineness in parts per thousand, or it may be unmarked entirely. Storefront buyers who assume everything is 14k underpay on 19.2k pieces by more than a third. We acid-test and electronically test every piece in front of you so the karat is confirmed, not assumed. If your chain tests at 19.2k, you are paid at 19.2k.
Italian 18k and older American 10k and 14k
Naugatuck'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 rubber-works era are typically 10k (41.7 percent) or 14k (58.5 percent). Polish families may have both traditions represented in a single estate. We test every piece by its actual karat, not by a visual guess, so each is priced at what it truly contains.
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. You may also encounter European fineness stamps — 417, 585, 750, 800, 916, and 999 — which correspond to the same purities. Every piece gets both an acid test and an electronic test, since stamps can be inaccurate and verifying the true karat is the foundation of an honest quote.
Spot price and why no dealer pays 100 percent
The worldwide gold market sets a per-ounce spot price that fluctuates all day long. Your offer is calculated from that live price. You will never find a dealer paying full spot price, since refining, testing, and business overhead all carry genuine costs — refiners themselves charge to melt down and process scrap metal. We show you the live spot price, the exact weight, the confirmed karat, and our payout percentage so the math behind your offer is fully transparent.
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.
Uniroyal-era service jewelry, watches, and gold-filled items
Generations of Naugatuck families worked at U.S. Rubber — later Uniroyal — and the Peter Paul plant. Service pins, commemorative watches, and presentation jewelry from those employers turn up in estates regularly. 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. We electronically test each piece on the counter so you know exactly what you have, and we never quote melt pricing 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 Naugatuck estates contain a mix of metals, and we evaluate each on its own.
Dental gold
Dental work such as crowns, bridges, inlays, and partial dentures frequently includes gold — typically in the 16K to 22K range. 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 Naugatuck 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 Naugatuck estates have silver alongside gold.
Directions from Naugatuck
Two routes from Naugatuck to our Hamden shop at 2285 Whitney Ave.
Take Route 8 south from Naugatuck 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 18 miles, 25 minutes.
Take Route 63 south from Naugatuck through Bethany and Woodbridge into Hamden, which becomes Whitney Avenue. Haven Coin is at 2285 Whitney Ave on your left. A more scenic route that avoids the highway.
Our Address
2285 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT 06518
~25 min from Naugatuck
Questions About Selling Gold from Naugatuck
Straight answers to the questions we hear most from Naugatuck residents.
Helpful Resources
Everything you need to know before your visit from Naugatuck.
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