Beginner’s guide to silver
Silver knows no carat but alloys. The biggest difference in proceeds sits not in the alloy but in one question: is it solid or plated?
Solid or plated – this is the question that counts
Solid silver is silver through and through, in an alloy with copper. It carries a fineness stamp: 800, 833, 835, 900 or 925.
Plated is a thin layer of silver over a base core, usually brass or nickel. The layer is so thin that the material value is next to nothing. Recognisable by letters instead of figures: EPNS (Electro Plated Nickel Silver), AI, A1, 90 or 100 (the number of grams of silver per gross of cutlery), or by worn patches where a yellowish base shines through.
Names such as alpaca, nieuwzilver and German silver sound like silver but contain not a gram of it. Those are copper-nickel-zinc alloys.
In doubt? Simply bring it along. Weighing and assessing costs nothing, and for us the distinction is made in seconds. Scraping or testing with acid yourself we advise against – you may damage a piece that turns out to be solid after all.
The alloys in a row
- 999 – fine silver. Bars and bullion coins.
- 925 – sterling, the international jewellery standard.
- 900 – a great many old coins.
- 835 – German silver, much used in European cutlery and tableware.
- 833 – old Dutch, much used in antique Dutch silver.
- 800 – a great deal of German and Italian work.
What silver is worth in euros
The sum is the same as with gold: weight × fineness × rate. Only the silver rate sits at around one and a half euros per gram instead of above a hundred, so the amounts are an order of magnitude smaller.
A canteen of sterling cutlery of 1.5 kilos, for instance: 1500 × 0.925 × 1.62 = roughly 2,250 euros of material value. A single silver ring of 4 grams comes to about 6 euros – hardly worth the journey to the office.
When silver is worth more than the material
Sometimes the collectors’ value exceeds the material value by a wide margin. That happens with:
- Antique Dutch silver with maker’s marks and date letters.
- Rare coins in good condition.
- Work by well-known silversmiths or well-known manufactories.
- Complete, sound canteens with all the parts and the original case.
That is why we melt nothing down before it has been looked at. If a piece turns out to be worth more as an object than as material, we say so – even when that means you would do better to offer it elsewhere.
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Questions about beginner’s guide to silver
How do I know whether my cutlery is solid silver?
Look for a stamp in figures: 800, 833, 835 or 925 means solid. Letters such as EPNS, AI or A1 mean plated. If you see a yellowish or grey base on the worn patches, it is plated. A loupe helps, because the marks are often small and half rubbed away.
Do you buy silver-plated cutlery?
No. The layer of silver is too thin to recover; the material value is practically nil. We say so honestly instead of offering a token amount for it. You are welcome to bring it along all the same, so that we can sort out what is solid and what is not.
Should I polish my silver before coming by?
Preferably not. Tarnish does not affect the material value, and with antique pieces polishing can take away a patina that carried value in itself. Every polishing session moreover removes a little metal, so cleaning before a sale costs rather than earns.
From how much silver is it worth coming by?
There is no lower limit, but with a single small piece of jewellery it comes to a few euros. A canteen of cutlery, a lot of coins or a couple of kilos of silverware is certainly worth the trouble. If you are unsure, ring ahead and we will tell you honestly.
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