How Much Is A Gold Crown Worth? - Garfield Refining

Do you or a loved one have a gold crown in your mouth, or maybe one that’s been extracted and tucked away in a drawer somewhere? If so, that small dental restoration could be worth more than you think – especially in today’s booming precious metals market.

Common dental restorations like crowns, caps, and bridges often contain valuable metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Instead of letting them sit unused, sending these items to a precious metals refinery ensures that they’re properly recycled. Plus, you can earn some extra cash in the process. Dental scrap refining is both sustainable and lucrative.

Precious Metal Prices

Part of what’s driving interest in gold scrap right now is the strength of the precious metals market.

The price of gold has increased by about 80% over the past year, and the metal is currently trading at over $5,000 per troy ounce! Meanwhile, silver prices have tripled since early 2025. And in the same time frame, palladium has almost doubled, while platinum has more than doubled. The precious metals market has seen truly remarkable growth lately.

Precious Extractions: Keeping Your Scrap

If you ever have a precious-metal crown or other item extracted for replacement, be sure to ask your dentist if you can keep it. You may be able to refine it for cash.

Dentists are generally expected to return extracted dental crowns to patients upon request. While there’s no specific law requiring dentists return extractions, there’s also no law prohibiting it. In fact, the CDC confirms that dentists are permitted to return extracted materials to patients. Besides, it’s typically considered best practice to honor the patient’s wishes.

Different Types of Gold Crowns

Gold crowns are never made from 100% pure gold. Pure gold is simply too soft to withstand the daily forces of chewing and biting. (In fact, most gold jewelry isn’t 100% pure for the same reason – it would scratch and dent too easily.)

Instead, metal dental crowns are made from alloys – combinations of metals that often include both precious and non-precious components.

There are three main types of metal crowns: high noble alloys, noble alloys and non-noble alloys. High noble alloys are made from a minimum of 60% precious metals, with gold being the predominant component. Noble alloys contain at least 25% precious metal, and non-noble alloys contain less than 25% precious metal.

How Much Gold is in a Dental Crown?

The amount of gold in a single dental crown can vary significantly depending on the type of crown. For instance, an all-metal crown made from a high-noble alloy may contain around  67% gold. In contrast, a porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crown typically has a thin layer of metal beneath a porcelain exterior, resulting in a much lower overall gold content.

Generally speaking, older crowns are more likely to have higher gold content. Before the 1980s, high-noble gold-based alloys were commonly used due to their durability and biocompatibility. But as gold prices rose, dentists began shifting to more affordable alternatives. Today, lower-gold alloys, non-precious metals, and materials like porcelain, zirconia, and resin are far more common. Simply put, they don’t make dental crowns like they used to!

How Much Do Gold Crowns Sell For?

At Garfield Refining, we purchase extracted dental crowns, bridges, PFMs, inlays/onlays and more from dentists and patients alike. Crowns and bridges are among the most common materials we receive.

Kelsey Spencer, Senior Account Manager in our Dental Department, has processed hundreds of dental scrap shipments and shares insight into the value of a single gold crown. “A crown’s value will depend on a number of factors, including when it was made and the lab/dentist who made it. I’ve seen crowns worth as much as $50, but typically they range from $10-$30. These days you see a lot more nickel and chrome because gold and palladium have become so valuable.”

Determining the Value of Dental Scrap

Most dentists don’t know the exact metal composition of the crowns they extract, since they’re usually outsourced and fabricated by specialized dental laboratories. Unless you’re the lab technician who made the crown – or the refiner who melts and tests it – it’s nearly impossible know exactly how much gold it contains.

That’s why dental scrap can’t be accurately valued with just a visual inspection. Proper testing must be done to determine the makeup of the alloy. Precious metal refineries like Garfield, who specialize in dental refining, perform a melt and assay to accurately determine the type(s) and quantity of precious metal in each piece.

How Do I Sell My Dental Crown?

Selling a gold crown to a refinery like Garfield is simple. Fill out a quick form on our website and we’ll send you free shipping materials to mail your scrap to us.

Once your material is received, we’ll carefully assay it to determine the precious metal content, then calculate its value based on current market prices. Payment is typically issued within just 1–2 business days.

While all refineries charge a small fee to cover operating costs, Garfield takes pride in delivering the industry’s lowest refining fees, resulting in the highest payouts for our clients. We’re also known for providing exceptional customer service, which is why we’ve been named ‘Best Refiner’ by Dentaltown Magazine for 15 years straight!

Can I Sell My Other Dental Scrap?

Garfield accepts all types of dental scrap that contain precious metals, including:

• – Dental crowns
• – Bridges
• – PFMs
• – Inlays and onlays
• – Partial dentures
• – Dental implants

We accept dental material as-is, so there’s no need to clean your scrap before sending it in. Whether you have a sizable collection of dental material or just a single cap or crown, we’re here to help you turn your scrap into cash – fast!

Garfield Refining has been refining precious metals since 1892. We’ll get you the best value for your gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. If you’d like to sell a gold dental crown, download a free shipping label to get started today.

Stay tuned to Garfield’s blog for more articles about precious metals like 3 Fun Facts about Gold and The Major Factors that Drive the Gold Price.