Please note, many customers bring us items that are not sterling and we only buy items that are sterling. The items should be stamped with the word sterling or the number 925 somewhere on the piece. If you’re not sure then bring it in any way and we will test it for you to make sure it’s sterling silver. We do not charge you to test any item.

There are a few things to look at when evaluating your silver. Is the item sterling silver, silver-plate, or is it weighted silver? First look for a stamp that says “Sterling”. You may also see a stamp that says “0.925”, which is also sterling. This number refers to the percentage of pure silver in the item: 0.925 would be 92.5% pure silver.

Some items are made up of ceramic or sand and simply coated in a thin layer of sterling—this means the item is weighted. Take a small silver candlestick for example; the bottom of the candlestick is stamped sterling but it also says “weighted”. Not all weighted items have the word “weighted” stamped or engraved on them. The important thing to remember is that when you weigh a candlestick like this, it may weigh 5.5 ounces, but that does not mean there are 5.5 ounces of silver. When you take the ceramics out you have a very foil-like piece of silver. The silver by itself, in this case, weighs less than half an ounce.

You will frequently find this to be the same scenario with a large candelabra. The candelabra is also stamped “Sterling”, but it also contains ceramics, metal rods, and chrome. These types of candelabras are manufactured and dipped in silver two or three times. So when you break it apart, there is very little silver value per piece.

We suggest you keep these weighted items instead of trying to sell them or melt them down. A half ounce is only worth about $8 (as of July 1, 2018). See current value here.