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Step 1
Evaluate the quality of your dental gold. Most dental gold is either 10k or 18k gold. It is important to know how pure your gold is, because this is one of the main factors in determining it's value. Use an acid scratch test to determine how pure your dental gold is. If you do not have a scratch kit, take your gold to one of San Francisco's many jewelers to have a test performed. Any jewelry store in San Francisco can tell you how pure your gold is and will only charge you a couple of dollars to perform the test.
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Step 2
Weigh your gold to see precisely how much of the precious metal you have. Whether you are selling your gold in San Francisco or some far off location, the price that you receive will be based on both the purity and the weight of the gold. Check the weight yourself so that you will know if the buyer is being honest about how much gold you have. The best way to do this is to use a digital pocket scale, particularly one that measures in either grams or fractions of a gram.
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Step 3
Check the spot price of gold. Once you know the weight and quality of your dental gold, it is important to learn what the market conditions are. This allows you to recognize if the buyer is offering you a fair market price. The easiest way to know the current market conditions in San Francisco is to check the spot price of gold. This is a fixed wholesale price for gold that is updated twice per day. Expect to receive less than the spot price, with 90 to 98 percent of the spot price being an average rate to receive for dental gold in San Francisco. You can check the current spot price online by visiting kitco.com.
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Step 4
Sell your dental gold to a local jeweler. Although many jewelry stores are simply retail outlets, many jewelers still make their own jewelry the old fashioned way. Those who are actively involved in jewelry making will often buy gold from a variety of sources, including buying old dental gold directly from the public. Call some of San Francisco's jewelers to find out how much they will be willing to pay for your gold. Two of the jewelry stores that you should definitely check with are Silver Moon Jewelry at (415) 775-9968, and David Clay Jewelers at (415) 922-4339.
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Step 5
Consider selling your gold to one of the pawnshops in San Francisco. Almost all pawnshops buy and sell gold, although not all of them may deal with scrap dental gold. Call some of the pawnshops that are considered gold specialists to ask if they sell gold and, if so, what percentage of the spot price they will pay. Two pawnshops that you should definitely consider calling are the Gold Pawn Shop of San Francisco at (877) 811-3234, and the San Francisco Pawn Shop at (415) 292-4873. Since you will be expected to negotiate to receive the best price, many people like to reserve pawnshops as the last option.