What we buy
- Company service and retirement pins
- Gold service award rings
- Championship and sports rings
- Solid gold commemorative medals
- Gold tie bars and lapel pins from employers
- School and academic award medals
- Gold award charms and pendants
How we price gold medals and awards
Awards are priced only on the solid gold they contain, using karat, weight and the live spot price. Many company service pins and rings were made in 10K or 14K, and some include small diamonds or colored stones that aren't gold. Plenty of medals are gold-plated, gold-filled or vermeil, which is gold over silver, and those carry little or no gold value. A medal tied to a famous event or person can sometimes be worth more to collectors, so mention anything like that when you book.
Service Awards From Dallas Employers
Many large employers across DFW have handed out gold service pins and rings for years of work: 10 years, 20 years, retirement. These often sit in a drawer long after the job ends. They're commonly solid 10K or 14K gold, which makes them worth bringing in.
Look on the back of a pin or inside a ring for a karat mark. Even without one, we'll test it in front of you. Rings may be marked with the company's logo on top and a small karat stamp inside the band.
Plated or Solid?
Not every gold-colored award is solid gold. Sports medals, trophies and many commemorative medals are usually plated over brass or silver. Marks like "GF," "gold filled" or "1/10 10K" mean a gold layer over another metal.
We'll test each piece and tell you plainly. Anything that isn't solid gold goes back home with you, with no charge for the test. Small diamonds set in service pins aren't gold, so we account for them when we weigh.
Medals With History
Military medals and awards connected to a well-known person or event can have history that matters more than any gold. Most military decorations aren't solid gold at all. If you have something like that, you may want to talk with a collector or museum before selling.
We're happy to tell you what the metal is so you have that piece of the picture. That way you can make the choice that feels right for your family.
Booking Your Visit
Appointments are private, Monday through Friday, with same-day times often open. We'll confirm the Dallas location when you book. Bring your awards and a valid government photo ID, as Texas law requires for precious metal sales.
Before your visit, look through old desk drawers, cuff link boxes and keepsake tins. Service pins are small and easy to miss. If an award came in a presentation case, bring the case too, though the offer is based on the gold. You'll see each item tested and weighed, and each one written on its own line.
Gold Medals and Awards: Common Questions
Are company service pins real gold?
Many are. Service pins and award rings from employers were often made in solid 10K or 14K gold, sometimes with small stones. Others are plated. Testing tells us for sure, and we do it free and in front of you.
Is my sports medal solid gold?
Usually not. Most sports medals and trophies are gold-plated over another metal. Even Olympic gold medals are mostly silver with a gold coating. Bring yours in and we'll test it, but expect plating on most athletic medals.
Do you buy championship rings?
Yes. Championship and team rings are often made of 10K or 14K gold, though some are plated or made from other metals. We test the ring, account for any stones, and write the offer on paper.
What does 1/10 10K mean on a pin?
It means the piece is gold-filled: a layer of 10K gold makes up one-tenth of the item's weight, bonded over a base metal. Gold-filled awards hold far less gold than solid ones, which we'll explain when we test it.