Gold rate today in Birmingham (GBP)

Today's gold price in Birmingham

At the last update, one gram of 24k gold in Birmingham works out to about 96.34 GBP, and a gram of 22k to about 88.32 GBP. Per 10 grams, a common size for small bars and rate boards, that is about 963.41 GBP for 24k. These are spot-based figures, before any tax, premium or making charge. The Birmingham Assay Office, whose hallmark is an anchor, has tested and marked precious metals since 1773, and the Jewellery Quarter still makes much of Britain's jewellery.

What moves the gold price in Birmingham

Two numbers set the gold price in Birmingham: the international price in US dollars, about $4,007.9 per ounce at the last update, and the USD/GBP exchange rate, now 0.7477. Sterling floats freely, and its moves against the dollar are often as large as gold's own daily moves. On days when the pound falls, the sterling gold price can rise while the dollar price is flat, and the reverse is just as common.

The dollar price itself responds to US interest-rate expectations, the strength of the dollar, inflation data, central-bank buying and geopolitical risk. Our guide to what moves gold prices covers each in turn.

Premiums, making charges and tax in Birmingham

The shelf price in Birmingham is higher than the converted figure above. A shop adds 20% VAT on jewellery (investment gold is VAT-exempt), the dealer's premium on bars and coins and the jeweller's margin. On jewellery, making charges are built into the retail price of jewellery rather than shown separately, so two pieces of the same weight and purity can carry very different prices. UK jewellery is mostly 9ct and 18ct, 22ct is used for wedding bands and in Asian jewellers, and coins such as Britannias and Sovereigns are 24ct and 22ct.

Where gold is bought in Birmingham

The Jewellery Quarter in Hockley has hundreds of jewellers and workshops, and Soho Road in Handsworth is known for 22ct Asian jewellery. When comparing shops, ask for the gold rate per gram, the purity, the making charge and the buy-back price separately; that is the only way to see which offer is really cheaper.

Buying seasons in Birmingham

Christmas, the wedding season, Diwali, Vaisakhi and Eid are the main occasions. Across the UK, demand is strongest around Christmas, Valentine's Day, the wedding season, Diwali and Eid. Seasonal demand tends to show up in shop premiums, promotions and queues rather than in the international price, which is set by global flows. Knowing the calendar helps explain why a local quote can look expensive or cheap against this page in a given week.

Gold market hours in Birmingham

The international gold market trades almost around the clock on weekdays. In Birmingham the London–New York overlap, usually the busiest and most volatile part of the day, runs today from about 13:00–17:00 local time. The two LBMA Gold Price auctions in London, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, fall at 10:30 and 15:00 in Birmingham, and major US data released at 08:30 New York time, such as payrolls and inflation, lands at 13:30 local time. The week's trading closes at 21:00 on Friday and reopens at 23:00 on Sunday, Birmingham time; over the weekend the price on this page is the last close. London is the centre of the global wholesale gold market: the LBMA Gold Price is set in two auctions a day, and the Bank of England holds one of the largest gold vaults in the world. Our gold market hours tool shows the sessions in any time zone.

Birmingham compared with London

Birmingham and London both price gold in GBP off the same international price and the same exchange rate, so the converted figure is identical: about 96.34 GBP per gram of 24k in both. Any difference at the counter comes from making charges, dealer premiums and how hard the shops compete.

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: $4,007.9 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.

1. Price per gram in USD = $4,007.9 ÷ 31.1035 = $128.86.
2. Price per gram in GBP = $128.86 × 0.7477 = 96.34 GBP (24k, pure gold).
3. Price per 10 grams = 96.34 × 10 = 963.41 GBP.
4. 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 Birmingham, 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