Precious Metal Scrap Prices: Weekly Market Report (March 20-26, 2026)
Weekly Metal Price Report | 2026-03-27 07:50:31
Silver scrap prices recorded a modest 4.98% weekly rise, driven by firm underlying silver prices, improved industrial demand and tight scrap supply flows.
By Paul Ploumis
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): North American precious metals scrap prices—covering gold, silver, and platinum in both hallmarked and non-hallmarked categories—registered mixed trend on the ScrapMonster Price Index during the week of March 20-26, 2026.
Hallmarked Precious Metals Market
Hallmarked scrap gold prices recorded a slight week-on-week decline. The weekly dip in scrap gold prices is primarily driven by macro factors—strong dollar, high interest rates, and investor selling pressure—rather than physical supply-demand alone, making the decline more sentiment-driven than structural., as reflected on the ScrapMonster Price Index. Broad-based dips were observed across multiple purity grades.
Fourteen-carat scrap gold values declined by $20.21 per ounce, tracking the broader downturn in global bullion markets. Similarly, eighteen-carat scrap gold prices dropped by $25.91 per ounce over the same period, weighed down by subdued market participation and softer demand sentiment.
On a week-over-week basis, 22-carat scrap gold prices declined by $31.65 per pound, driven primarily by short-term cyclical pressures rather than signalling a prolonged bearish trend. The chart below highlights the weekly price movement of 22-carat hallmarked gold.
Lower-purity grades tracked the downward trajectory, with 9-carat scrap gold falling approximately 0.78% compared to the previous week.
Across the wider precious metals scrap segment, silver posted a notable gain of 4.97%, settling at $55.12 per ounce. Platinum also moved higher, recording a 0.78% week-on-week increase on the Index, pointing to a modest recovery trend in the recycled precious metals market.
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Non-Hallmarked Precious Metals Market
Scrap gold values moved lower across key purity categories over the past week, tracking weakness in the broader bullion market. Prices for 14-carat material fell by $19.11 per ounce, while 18-carat and 22-carat grades dropped by $24.50 and $29.93 per ounce, respectively. Meanwhile, 9-carat scrap also declined, posting a week-on-week decrease of 0.78%.
Platinum scrap prices edged higher over the week, registering a modest 0.78% gain to close at $1,421.79 per ounce, as reflected in the chart provided below.
Silver scrap prices recorded a modest 4.98% weekly rise, driven by firm underlying silver prices, improved industrial demand and tight scrap supply flows.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why did scrap gold prices fall?
The decline was mainly due to macro factors such as a strong US dollar, elevated interest rates, and investor selling pressure.
- Which metal performed the best during the week?
Silver showed the strongest performance, rising nearly 5% week-on-week.
- Was the gold price decline structural or temporary?
The decline appears sentiment-driven and cyclical, not indicative of a long-term bearish trend.
