Gold price today in the UK (GBP)
Today's gold rate in British pounds per gram, per troy ounce and per ounce for 24k and lower karats: the international price converted at the latest USD/GBP exchange rate, refreshed automatically. Education only, not a quote.
1 USD = 0.7477 GBP (mid-market). Gold price change today: -50.4 USD (-1.24%) per ounce. International spot price converted to GBP; local taxes, duty and premiums are not included.
Gold price by karat in GBP (per gram, per troy ounce, per ounce)
| Karat | Purity · fineness | Per gram | Per troy ounce | Per troy ounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24K | 100.00% · 999 | 96.39 | 2,998.10 | 2,998.10 |
| 22K | 91.67% · 916 | 88.36 | 2,748.36 | 2,748.36 |
| 18K | 75.00% · 750 | 72.29 | 2,248.57 | 2,248.57 |
Purity multipliers: 24k = 1.000, 22k = 0.9167, 21k = 0.875, 18k = 0.750. Many bars are 999 or 999.9 fine rather than exactly 24k, which changes the value by 0.1% or less.
Gold price in GBP: last 7 trading days (24k, at today's exchange rate)
| Date | USD close / oz | GBP per gram | GBP per troy ounce |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-23 | 4,007.9 | 96.34 | 2,996.53 |
| 2026-10-22 | 4,060.4 | 97.60 | 3,035.78 |
| 2026-10-21 | 4,150.0 | 99.76 | 3,102.77 |
| 2026-10-20 | 4,142.6 | 99.58 | 3,097.24 |
| 2026-10-19 | 4,160.1 | 100.00 | 3,110.32 |
| 2026-10-16 | 4,181.1 | 100.50 | 3,126.02 |
| 2026-10-15 | 4,170.1 | 100.24 | 3,117.80 |
Each row uses that day's COMEX closing price in US dollars converted at today's USD/GBP rate (0.7477), not the exchange rate on that date. It isolates the gold move from the currency move.
Gold price: last 30 sessions (USD per ounce, COMEX closes)
Multiply by the USD/GBP rate for the local price. A longer history and performance table is on the XAUUSD price page.
Gold: COMEX gold futures (GC=F) via Yahoo Finance, updated . Exchange rates: Rates by Exchange Rate API (open.er-api.com), updated . Both refresh automatically several times a day; the numbers on this page re-check the data when it loads.
Gold price in the UK: per troy ounce and per gram
The UK is the home of the wholesale gold market, so the pound price is quoted the way the professionals do it: per troy ounce, with per-gram prices for retail bars and coins. The LBMA Gold Price, set twice a day in London at 10:30 and 15:00, is the benchmark used in contracts worldwide and is published in sterling as well as dollars and euros. Today's conversion of the international price gives £2,998.10 per ounce and £96.39 per gram for pure gold. Jewellery is sold in 9ct, 18ct and 22ct, and every piece over one gram must carry a hallmark from one of the UK Assay Offices.
VAT, Capital Gains Tax and why Britannias are popular
Two tax rules shape British gold buying. Investment gold, meaning bars and coins of qualifying purity, is exempt from VAT, while jewellery and silver are not. And coins that are UK legal tender, the Britannia and the Sovereign from the Royal Mint, are free of Capital Gains Tax when sold at a profit, because they are technically currency. That combination makes Sovereigns and Britannias the default choice for British savers, with dealer premiums of a few percent above the spot price shown here. Jewellery carries 20% VAT and making costs, so the gap between its price and the per-gram figure above is much wider.
Who buys gold in Britain and where it trades
British demand is weighted towards bars and coins rather than jewellery, bought from online dealers, the Royal Mint and high-street bullion shops, and stored at home or in professional vaults. The jewellery trade centres on Hatton Garden in London and the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, which also houses the Birmingham Assay Office. The wholesale market, run through the London Bullion Market Association's members, clears hundreds of tonnes a day in unallocated form; that is the market whose price you see on this page, converted to pounds.
What moves the sterling gold price
The pound price moves with two things: the dollar gold price and GBP/USD. When sterling falls, as it did sharply in 2016 and 2022, the pound price of gold rises even if the dollar price is unchanged, which is why British gold holders have sometimes seen records when American ones have not. Bank of England rate decisions, UK inflation data and fiscal news move the pound; US rate expectations, real yields and central-bank buying move the dollar price. Read what moves gold prices for the full picture.
Trading hours in UK time
London is the centre of the gold day. The London session opens at 8:00 and the London–New York overlap, when US data is released and liquidity peaks, runs today from about 13:00–17:00 UK time; the afternoon LBMA auction at 15:00 sits inside it. Retail gold trading in the UK is regulated by the FCA, with gold CFDs capped at 1:20 leverage for retail clients and spread betting profits treated differently for tax. The UK gold trading guide explains the options; the market hours tool shows every session in your time.
How this GBP gold price is calculated
Three numbers decide everything on this page. First, the international gold price in US dollars per troy ounce: $4,010.0 at the last update. Second, the exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.7477 GBP. Third, the weight: one troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, and one tola is 11.6638 grams.
- Price per gram in USD = $4,010.0 ÷ 31.1035 = $128.92.
- Price per gram in GBP = $128.92 × 0.7477 = 96.39 GBP (24k, pure gold).
- Price per troy ounce = 96.39 × 31.1035 = 2,998.10 GBP.
- For a lower purity, multiply by the fineness: 22k = 0.9167, 21k = 0.875, 18k = 0.750.
The gold price comes from COMEX gold futures, which track spot XAUUSD closely but are not identical to it. The exchange rate is a mid-market rate; the rate your bank or money changer gives you will be slightly different. If you want to do the maths yourself, our guide to converting the gold price per gram, tola and kilo walks through every step with worked examples.
What this price does not include
The figures above are the international spot price converted into local currency. They are the starting point for every retail price in the UK, but they are not the price you will pay or receive at a shop. The retail or "jeweller" price adds some or all of these on top:
- Import duty or customs charges, where the country imports most of its gold.
- Sales tax, GST or VAT, which may apply to jewellery, to bars and coins, or to both, depending on local law.
- Dealer premium: the margin a bullion dealer or bank adds to the spot price for bars and coins, usually larger on small pieces.
- Making charges (labour) on jewellery, often a percentage of the gold value or a fixed amount per gram.
- Local supply and demand, which can push the physical price to a premium or a discount against the international price for weeks at a time.
When you sell, the buyer usually quotes below the spot-based number and deducts for purity testing, wear and sometimes stones. The gap between the buying and the selling price is the real cost of owning physical gold, and it varies a lot between shops, so it is worth asking several.
Frequently asked questions
What is the gold rate today in the UK?
At the last update, pure (24k) gold was about 96.39 GBP per gram and 2,998.10 GBP per troy ounce, based on the international price converted at the latest exchange rate. The numbers at the top of this page refresh automatically. Local retail rates published by jewellers’ associations and bullion dealers will be higher because they add VAT on jewellery, premiums and making charges.
What is the difference between 22k and 24k gold?
Karat (k) measures purity in 24ths. 24k is pure gold (99.9% or more), 22k is 91.67% gold (fineness 916), 21k is 87.5% (875) and 18k is 75% (750). The rest is other metals such as copper or silver, which make the alloy harder. Because you pay for the gold content, 22k gold costs about 8.3% less per gram than 24k, and 18k costs 25% less. Bars and coins are usually 24k; jewellery is usually 22k, 21k or 18k so that it does not bend or scratch easily.
Why is the price at my jeweller different from the price on this page?
This page shows the international spot price converted into GBP. A jeweller’s rate adds VAT on jewellery, a dealer premium, making charges on jewellery, and the shop’s own margin. It may also be based on a local association rate set once or twice a day rather than the live international price, so it lags on volatile days. A difference of a few percent is normal; a very large gap deserves questions.
Is it a good time to buy gold in the UK?
We cannot tell you that, and nobody can with certainty. The local price depends on two things that are both hard to forecast: the international gold price and the GBP exchange rate. What you can do is compare today’s price with the 30-day chart and the 7-day table on this page, decide why you want gold (savings, a gift, a wedding, trading) and how long you plan to hold it, and avoid buying all at once if the timing worries you. This page is education, not financial advice.
Is there VAT on gold in the UK?
Not on investment gold: bars of at least 99.5% purity and coins of at least 90% purity that meet the investment-gold definition are VAT-exempt. Jewellery, silver, platinum and most collectible items are subject to 20% VAT. The per-gram and per-ounce prices on this page exclude VAT and dealer premiums.
What is the LBMA Gold Price and how does it relate to this page?
It is the London benchmark, set in electronic auctions at 10:30 and 15:00 UK time and published in USD, GBP and EUR. This page uses a continuous price from COMEX gold futures converted at the current GBP/USD rate, so it moves between the auctions. Over a day the two are very close; on a volatile afternoon they can differ by a few pounds an ounce.