Your “27 Gram” Gold Chain Didn’t Shrink — The Pawn & “Cash for Gold” Trick You Need to Know

A loyal customer who’s been with us since 2021 recently called us upset and confused.

He owned a 10K gold chain that was listed and sold as 27 grams. He walked into a local jewelry store to sell it for cash, and the store told him: “It’s only 17 grams.”

That’s a big difference. That’s the kind of difference that makes a customer think they were scammed.

But here’s the truth: the chain didn’t lose 10 grams.

The store didn’t weigh it in grams. They used pennyweight (dwt) — and didn’t clearly explain it.

And that’s exactly how a lot of “legit-looking” brick-and-mortar shops quietly win deals that shouldn’t exist.

What is pennyweight (dwt), and why does it confuse people?

Most customers are used to grams. Online listings, product specs, and normal everyday weight measurements are usually shown in grams.

But many jewelry and “cash for gold” buyers use pennyweight (dwt). It’s a real unit of weight — and it’s commonly used in parts of the jewelry industry.

The conversion is simple:

1 pennyweight (dwt) = 1.555 grams

So if your chain is 27 grams, the pennyweight is:

27 ÷ 1.555 = 17.36 dwt

Read that again:

27 grams = 17.36 pennyweight

Same chain. Same weight. Different unit.

So how did the store make it look like the chain was “only 17 grams”?

By telling the customer “17” without making it clear that they meant 17 pennyweight, not 17 grams.

To a normal person, “17” sounds like grams — because that’s what almost everyone expects.

And if the customer believes it’s 17 grams, they’ll think:

• the chain is lighter than it should be
• the seller lied
• the chain isn’t as valuable
• they should take a low offer “because it’s not what you thought”

That confusion creates a perfect moment for the buyer to “helpfully” offer less money.

This time, we stepped in — and we stopped it.

Once the customer told us what happened, we walked him through the math and helped him ask the right questions in real time.

When the unit was revealed, everything clicked:

• The chain wasn’t 17 grams.
• The chain was about 17.36 dwt.
• Which equals about 27 grams.

In other words: the chain was exactly what it was supposed to be.

That local store wasn’t “doing a different method.”

They were using a unit most people don’t think in — and letting the customer assume the wrong one.

And that’s what makes it so upsetting.

Why this is such a problem (and why it keeps happening)

Most people walking into a local “gold buyer” place aren’t walking in with spreadsheets and conversion charts.

They’re walking in because they need cash.
They’re under pressure.
They trust the person behind the counter.
They assume they’re being dealt with fairly.

And unfortunately, that’s when misleading tactics work best.

A store can appear:

• professional
• clean
• established
• trustworthy

…and still play games with terminology, units, and “industry language” that conveniently lowers what they pay you.

How to protect yourself when selling gold for cash

If you ever sell jewelry locally, here are a few simple rules that protect you immediately.

1. Ask one question before anything else: “Are you weighing in grams or pennyweight?”

If they hesitate, get vague, or act annoyed — that’s a sign.

2. Make them say the unit out loud on the record

Don’t accept “it’s 17.”

Ask:
“17 what — grams or dwt?”

3. Know the quick conversion

• grams to dwt: grams ÷ 1.555

• dwt to grams: dwt × 1.555

So if they say “17 dwt,” you can instantly respond:
“That’s about 26.4 grams.”

4. Compare offers using the same unit

If Shop A weighs in grams and Shop B weighs in dwt, you can still compare — but only after converting.

If you don’t convert, you’re not comparing offers. You’re comparing confusion.

5. Get a second weigh-in

A reputable buyer won’t mind you verifying weight elsewhere.

If they pressure you to sell immediately, that’s not a good sign.

A quick note about weight differences that are real (and normal)

Not every weight difference is fraud. Sometimes a store weighs:

• without the clasp? (rare but it happens)
• without attached non-gold parts
• with a scale that isn’t calibrated well
• with packaging or without packaging

But none of that explains a clean “27 to 17” drop.

That’s the signature of a unit switch.

Why WJD Exclusives cares about this

We’re an online jewelry brand — and we know trust matters.

When someone buys a chain from WJD Exclusives, they should never have to wonder if they got what they paid for.

And when a customer gets misled somewhere else and thinks we did something wrong, we take it personally — because it damages trust in the entire industry.

This customer has been with us since 2021. He didn’t deserve that stress. Nobody does.

And if sharing this story prevents even one person from getting lowballed at a counter, it’s worth it.

If you’re ever unsure, ask us

If you bought from WJD Exclusives and a local store tells you something that doesn’t sound right, reach out before you sell.

We’ll help you:

• confirm the unit
• understand the math
• ask the right questions
• avoid getting pressured into a bad deal

Final takeaway

Your gold didn’t magically get lighter.

The number changed because the unit changed.

27 grams of gold is about 17.36 pennyweight — and if someone tells you “17” without saying which one, they might not be confused.

They might be hoping you are.