Gold prices are surging – these overlooked items could be worth small fortune | Personal Finance | Finance


If you’ve got old gold necklaces, rings or other jewellery lying around your home gathering dust, now may be a good time to exchange them for hard cash. Gold has surged in value in 2025, up more than 50% since the start of the year. The yellow metal is hitting record highs as uncertain markets drive investors back to the old faithful. The gold price could go higher, nobody knows, but many people have decided its current worth is now the time to offload and cash in.

For us pawnbrokers in London, gold being in the headlines so much has meant a rush of customers rediscovering the forgotten wealth they have tucked away in drawers, jewellery boxes and lofts. Our gold selling and loan enquiries are up 130% in 2025 to date compared to the same period last year. From tangled chains to single earrings missing their pair, these overlooked items could be suddenly worth a small fortune. 

Bullion and gold coins, which many people also hold, are coming into their own, too. 

But not all people are choosing to sell up their old broken and unwanted gold jewellery for hard cash.

Pawnbroking also allows you to unlock the value of your gold without losing it. After all, a gold ring or necklace may have sentimental value. With gold prices up sharply, people are able to borrow a lot more today against the same item than they could have a year ago – almost double the value in some cases.

In other cases, large collections of coins and bullion are being used by property developers and SME business owners looking to fund business opportunities. 

The beauty of borrowing against gold is your gold is still in our safe ready to be reclaimed once the loan is repaid in a few months. There’s no doubt that more consumers and business owners are waking up to the fact that you don’t have to sell, but can use your gold as a way to secure a quick cash injection.

I’m sure Gordon Brown is questioning his decision to sell off nearly 400 tonnes of Britain’s gold reserves back in 1999, when prices were at a 20-year low. Today, that same gold would be worth almost 15x what it was back then – quite thought-provoking. 

However, you must remember that as an asset class, gold doesn’t give you a return until you sell it. 

The moral of the story is not to let your gold gather dust. Whether you’re cashing gold in or using it to borrow against, it’s time to look in those drawers as there is likely some treasure hiding in plain sight.



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