Silver spot is £— per gram right now. Sterling (925) holds £— of that per gram, and we pay a flat 80%: £— per gram. Every figure in these guides recalculates from the live price, so nothing here goes stale.
Start with what you have in front of you
Almost every question about silver resolves to three, asked in order. Is it solid silver or plate? How much does it weigh? Is it worth more than its metal? Answer those and you know what you own and roughly what it is worth. The guides below are arranged around them.
The first question decides everything else, because plate and sterling look identical and only one has any value. It is settled by a hallmark: a small walking lion on English and Welsh silver, a rearing lion or a thistle on Scottish pieces. Marks are 2 to 3mm across and often worn faint, so a loupe and a lamp held at a low angle earn their keep.
Which guide do you need?
These guides are written by a buyer, so it is worth being explicit about where our interest and yours diverge. Some silver is worth considerably more than its weight: Georgian and earlier pieces, recognised makers such as Paul Storr or Hester Bateman, Arts and Crafts and notable Art Deco design, armorials or documented provenance, complete cased services, and marks from assay offices that have since closed. Each guide says so where it applies, and we would rather point you to an auction house than buy something worth more than we pay.
For the far more common case, ordinary Victorian and Edwardian silverware in mixed condition, metal value usually meets or beats what the same pieces realise at auction once commission is deducted, and it does so in days rather than months.
Gold as well?
We buy gold on the same submission and the same label. Gold is paid at 80% of the first £100 of gold value and 90% above that, and the gold calculator explains carats, marks, and what is not gold despite looking like it.
When you are ready, the live calculator turns a weight into a figure, and the selling guides cover what happens next.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out what my silver is worth?
Weight in grams multiplied by purity multiplied by the silver price per gram. Sterling is 0.925, so 500g holds 462.5g of silver, worth £— at today's price. We pay 80% of that.
How can I tell if it is real silver?
Look for a hallmark: a lion passant on English and Welsh pieces, a lion rampant or thistle on Scottish ones. EPNS, EP, EPBM, A1 and alpacca all mean electroplate with no recoverable silver. A magnet can rule silver out but never in.
Does condition affect what silver is worth?
Not for metal value. Dents, breaks, monograms, missing lids and heavy tarnish pay exactly the same per gram. Do not polish or repair anything before selling: polishing removes a trace of metal and wears the hallmarks.
Is my silver worth more as an antique?
Sometimes, and it is worth ten minutes checking. Georgian pieces, recognised makers, notable design periods, provenance and complete cased sets can be worth multiples of metal. Ordinary later silverware usually is not.
Where do I start with inherited silver?
Gather everything in one place, separate solid from plate by checking each piece for a hallmark, weigh the solid pieces, and set aside anything that might be exceptional. Nothing needs to happen quickly.