Gold Price Today — Per Ounce, Gram and Kilo

The table below breaks today's gold spot price in U.S. dollars into the units used in bullion and jewelry trade, converted live from the per-troy-ounce quote.

Prices in U.S. dollars, based on the bid price of the global spot market. Tael refers to the Hong Kong tael (37.799 g).

How the Gold Spot Price Works

The spot price is the market price for one troy ounce of gold for immediate delivery, quoted in U.S. dollars. It is derived from the most actively traded gold futures contract together with over-the-counter dealing, and it moves nearly around the clock as trading follows the sun from New York to London, Zurich, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

A troy ounce is 31.1034768 grams — about 10% heavier than the avoirdupois ounce used for groceries. Physical bullion products trade at a premium above spot that covers fabrication and distribution; the premium is proportionally larger on small items than on large bars.

The chart above tracks this spot price. The currency selector converts the same underlying quote into other currencies using live exchange rates.

Spot Price vs. Futures Price

The spot price is for gold delivered now; a futures price is for gold delivered on a set date in the future, traded on exchanges such as COMEX. The two normally differ by the cost of carrying gold to that date — storage, insurance and interest — which is why futures usually trade slightly above spot, a condition called contango. When futures trade below spot — backwardation — it signals unusually strong demand for immediate physical delivery, and it’s rare enough in gold that it makes news when it happens. The price on this page is the spot price; quotes you see for "gold futures" refer to the most active COMEX contract.

What Moves the Gold Price

Real interest rates and the Federal Reserve. Gold pays no yield, so its strongest headwind is a high real (inflation-adjusted) interest rate — and its strongest tailwind is a falling one. Fed rate decisions, inflation reports and Treasury yields are the events most likely to move the gold price on any given day.

Inflation and currency debasement. Gold's reputation as an inflation hedge is best understood over long horizons: across decades, gold has broadly preserved purchasing power as paper currencies lost it, which is why demand rises when investors expect sustained inflation or growing government debt. Over shorter periods the relationship is looser — in an inflation spike, what matters most is how the Fed responds, which is why real interest rates (above) are the better day-to-day guide.

The U.S. dollar. Gold is priced in dollars, so a weaker dollar tends to lift the gold price and a stronger dollar tends to weigh on it — even when nothing about gold itself has changed. To see how much of a move is gold versus the dollar, the Kitco Global Index (KGX) tracks gold’s value measured against a basket of major currencies with the U.S. dollar’s influence stripped out.

Central bank buying. Central banks are among the largest holders of gold, and sustained official-sector purchases have been a major driver of demand in recent years. Reserve announcements from major central banks regularly move the market.

Safe-haven and investment demand. In periods of market stress, geopolitical risk or currency uncertainty, investors move into gold, lifting the price. Flows into and out of gold-backed ETFs provide a visible, daily measure of this investment demand.

Gold Value by Purity — Karats and Fineness

Most gold isn't pure 24-karat bullion. U.S. jewelry is most commonly 14K gold, with 10K the legal minimum that can be sold as gold in the United States, while investment bars and coins such as the American Gold Eagle and Gold Buffalo are high-purity bullion (the Buffalo is .9999 fine).

Karat measures gold content out of 24 parts. Each purity also has a fineness mark — the small number stamped on jewelry — which tells you exactly what an item contains:

So a ring marked 585 is 14-karat gold, and its gold content is worth 58.3% of the pure gold price by weight. The Gold Value by Purity calculator on this page applies these percentages to the live spot price to estimate melt value — the value of the pure gold an item contains. Melt value is not necessarily the price paid when buying or received when selling: dealers buying scrap typically pay below melt, and finished jewelry retails above it. To value a specific item by its exact weight and purity, use the expanded gold calculator.

Gold Price History and All-Time High

Gold's current all-time high in U.S. dollars is $5,589.38 per ounce, set on January 28, 2026. Earlier landmarks put today's price in context: gold peaked near $850 in January 1980 during the inflation crisis, and at roughly $1,920 in September 2011 after the financial crisis. Adjusted for inflation, the 1980 peak stood as the real record for decades — until January 2026, when gold surpassed it in real terms as well.

About Gold

Gold has been used as money and a store of value for more than five thousand years, and it neither rusts nor tarnishes — coins recovered after centuries underwater emerge with their surfaces intact.

Jewelry accounts for roughly half of annual gold demand worldwide, with the remainder split among investment bars and coins, central bank reserves, and industrial uses such as electronics, where its corrosion resistance and conductivity matter more than its cost.

Gold Market News & Analysis

The gold price never moves without a reason. Kitco News — the world's largest newsroom dedicated to metals and mining — reports on the forces behind every move, from Fed decisions and central bank buying to mining supply and physical demand, with market updates published throughout each trading day. Beyond the headlines, Kitco Opinion carries daily analysis and price forecasts from veteran traders, fund managers and analysts.

Kitco has provided live gold prices and market coverage since 1977. You can also follow the coverage on the Kitco News YouTube channel, one of the most-watched sources of precious metals interviews and analysis, or on X @KitcoNewsNOW for market updates as they happen.

Gold Price FAQ

What is the price of gold today?

As of September 9, 2026, 6:52 p.m. ET, the gold price is $4,398.70 per troy ounce ($141.42 per gram). The live chart on this page updates continuously through global trading hours.

How much is 1 oz of gold worth right now?

One troy ounce of gold is currently worth $4,398.70, based on the live global spot market bid price.

What does the gold spot price mean?

It is the current market price of one troy ounce of gold for immediate delivery, quoted in U.S. dollars. The live quote and chart on this page track it continuously through global trading hours.

Why do dealers charge more than the spot price?

Physical coins and bars carry a premium over spot covering minting, distribution and dealer margin. The premium varies by product and is proportionally higher on smaller items.

How is a troy ounce different from a regular ounce?

A troy ounce is 31.1034768 grams, while the everyday avoirdupois ounce is about 28.35 grams. Precious metals are always quoted per troy ounce.

What purity is investment gold?

Investment-grade gold bars and coins are typically 99.9% pure (999 fine) or better; some coins, like the American Gold Buffalo, are 99.99% pure (9999 fine). The American Gold Eagle is 22K (91.7%) but still contains a full troy ounce of gold. Jewelry is usually lower purity — commonly 10K to 18K.

What was the highest gold price ever?

Gold's all-time high is $5,589.38 per ounce, reached on January 28, 2026. See the Gold Price History section above for earlier milestones.

Is gold a good hedge against inflation?

Over long periods, gold has broadly held its purchasing power while currencies lost theirs, and demand for gold typically rises when investors expect sustained inflation. Over months rather than decades the link is weaker — gold responds more directly to real interest rates and the U.S. dollar than to any single inflation report.

What is the gold-silver ratio right now?

The gold-silver ratio — the gold price divided by the silver price — is currently 65.5. It's a widely watched measure of how the two metals are valued relative to each other; see the full explanation on our silver price page.

Can I see the gold price in other currencies?

Yes. The currency selector on this page converts the live quote, and a dedicated page tracks the gold price in Canadian dollars.