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Gold nuggets on Catawiki: how to choose, bid and win

By Raquel · Updated 19 October 2026 · 4 min read

Catawiki is one of the places where the most natural gold nuggets go up for auction every week. This is the advice we would give a friend before their first bid.

Why buy nuggets on Catawiki

A nugget is a small object, expensive per gram and easy to fake if nobody checks it. So it makes sense to buy where there are checks in place: on Catawiki every lot is reviewed by an expert before it goes up for auction, sellers verify their identity, their reviews are public and your payment is held until the nugget is in your hands.

On top of that, every week there are nuggets of different origins, weights and prices, and you can follow the sellers you like to see their new lots. If it is your first time on the platform, start with how to buy on Catawiki, step by step.

What to check in a nugget listing

• The exact weight, in grams and with decimals. It is the most important figure for comparing.
• The origin: the country and, better still, the region. Alaska, Australia or Lapland change not only the story of the piece but also how it looks.
• Macro photos of every side, with something for scale. A natural nugget has folds, hollows and an irregular surface; if everything looks smooth and uniform, be wary.
• Whether it contains quartz or other rock, because then not all the weight is gold.
• Exactly what is being sold: one nugget, several, flakes or gold dust. They are not the same thing.
• The seller’s reviews and badges.

To learn the features of a genuine nugget, see how to tell if a gold nugget is real.

Compare the price per gram, all costs included

The most useful trick for not getting it wrong is to work out what each gram really costs you, adding everything up: the bid, the Buyer Protection fee (9% + €3) and shipping. For example, with €10 shipping:

Small nuggets usually cost more per gram: fixed costs weigh more heavily and their shape and scarcity also come at a price. That is neither good nor bad; it is just worth knowing when you compare similar lots. We explain more in how much a gold nugget is worth and gold nugget sizes and weights.

When and how to bid

• Decide your maximum price using the calculation above and set a max bid: Catawiki will bid for you up to that limit.
• Don’t wait for the last second. A bid in the final minute pushes the close back by 90 seconds, so last-second sniping doesn’t really work.
• Check each lot’s closing time. Every nugget has its own countdown.
• Save the ones you like to your favourites and compare them before deciding.
• Don’t get fixated on one piece. New nuggets come up every week.

In our auctions, many nuggets start from €1, and the buyers decide the price.

Shipping and customs

We ship from Spain with tracking as soon as Catawiki confirms payment, to any country whose customs allow raw gold to be imported. If you live outside the European Union, your country may charge import duties or taxes when the parcel arrives; these are paid by the buyer. Before you bid, check that your country allows natural gold to be imported.

When it arrives

Open the parcel carefully: a nugget weighing a few tenths of a gram is easy to lose. Keep it in a capsule or small box and don’t use harsh products to clean it; the steps are in how to clean a gold nugget. And if it is a present, see our ideas for giving a gold nugget as a gift.

Written by Raquel, Gold Nuggets Minerals

Raquel selects, weighs and photographs every nugget we sell. Gold Nuggets Minerals S.L.U. is a small company in Zaragoza, Spain, specialising in native gold. On Catawiki we have sold more than 120 nuggets, with 100% positive feedback and the Top seller badge.