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Every kind of silver, from sterling to bullion
| Category | Examples | How it's priced |
|---|---|---|
| Sterling silver jewelry (.925) | Chains, rings, bracelets, Southwestern and Mexican silver | Tested, weighed, paid on silver content |
| Sterling flatware and tea sets | Flatware services, tea and coffee sets, trays, candlesticks | Silver content only. Weighted pieces adjusted. |
| Silver bullion (.999) | Bars from 1 oz to 100 oz and kilo, rounds from any mint | Typically 85–90% of spot |
| Silver coins | Pre-1965 dimes, quarters, and halves; Morgan and Peace dollars; Silver Eagles | Silver content, with key dates checked for collector value |
There's no minimum. A single ring is as welcome as an estate's worth of hollowware. Silver from a signed maker, such as Tiffany sterling, can be worth more than its metal, so point those pieces out.
How we calculate your silver offer
Silver is priced the same way as gold: purity × weight × spot. The difference is scale. Silver trades at a small fraction of gold's price per ounce, so the money is in quantity. A lone teaspoon is modest. A full service, a tea set, and a drawer of serving pieces add up fast.
weight in troy ounces × purity × silver spot price per troy ounce = melt value
The purities you'll see most:
- .999 bullion: 99.9% silver
- Sterling (.925): 92.5% silver
- Pre-1965 US coins: 90% silver
- European 800 / 835 / 900: 80%, 83.5%, and 90% silver
On .999 bars and rounds, offers typically run 85–90% of spot. Sterling and coins are paid at a rate that varies by item, based on their silver content against spot, and explained before you decide.
A worked example (hypothetical lot, no prices)
This works out the pure silver content. Multiply the last column by the silver spot price on the day you sell to get the melt value.
| Item | What you have | Pure silver inside |
|---|---|---|
| Sterling flatware service, knives set aside | 50 troy oz of sterling | 50 × 0.925 = 46.25 troy oz |
| Pre-1965 dimes and quarters | $10 face value | about 7.15 troy oz (≈ 0.715 oz per $1 face) |
| Ten 1 oz .999 rounds | 10 troy oz of bullion | 9.99 troy oz, typically paid at 85–90% of 10 × spot |
Knives are set aside because their handles are usually hollow and filled, with steel blades. Only the thin sterling shell is silver. Our sterling flatware and tea sets page explains how weighted pieces are handled.
Why your kitchen scale reads high
Precious metals are weighed in troy ounces of 31.1 grams. A kitchen scale reads standard ounces of about 28.35 grams. So 10 ounces on a kitchen scale is only about 9.1 troy ounces, and that's before taking out knife handles, weighted bases, or non-sterling pieces. Use your kitchen-scale number as a rough upper bound, not an estimate.
Sterling or silver-plated? Check before you come
Flip each piece over and look near the base, the back of the handle, or the rim.
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| STERLING, STER, 925, .925, lion passant | Solid sterling (92.5% silver) |
| 800, 835, 900 | Solid silver at a lower purity, common on European pieces |
| EPNS, EP, A1, Triple Plate, Silver Plated | Silverplate: a thin coating, not bought as silver |
A quick magnet check helps in one direction only. If a piece snaps to a magnet, it isn't solid silver. If it doesn't, that proves nothing, because the copper and nickel alloys under plating aren't magnetic either. Not sure? Bring it in. We'll test it and show you the mark either way.
How silver is tested and weighed in front of you
Every piece is checked one by one, because sets get mixed over the years. A sterling service often has a few plated serving spoons in it. Each one is tested with an XRF analyzer, the same instrument we use on gold, which reads purity without cutting or scratching the piece. It happens in front of you, on camera, in a secure setting, and the silver is then weighed on a calibrated scale on the counter. Silverplate is set aside, and we show you why.
What affects your silver offer
- Purity: sterling, coin silver, or .999 bullion.
- Real silver weight: weighted candlesticks and filled knife handles count for less than their heft.
- Form: bars and rounds typically bring 85–90% of spot. Coins with key dates or strong grades can carry a collector premium.
- The spot price that day. Silver moves daily, and your offer reflects the market when you visit.
What doesn't matter: tarnish. Don't polish anything. It won't change the silver weight. Leave coins uncleaned, since cleaning can wipe out collector value.
Where to sell silver: local store, mail-in, or pawn shop?
Sell to a local buyer and you watch the test and the scale and get paid the same visit. With a mail-in service, your silver ships before you have a price. A pawn shop's core business is loans. We're not a pawn shop: we buy silver outright, there's no ticket to redeem, and if you decline the offer, everything goes home with you. For a longer walk-through, see our guide on how to sell silver in Northern Virginia.
What to bring and where to go
- A valid government-issued photo ID. Virginia requires it, and sellers must be 18 or older.
- Everything you think might be silver, including pieces you're unsure about. Sorting sterling from plate is part of the free appraisal.
- Large lots are welcome. Bring the whole chest. There's no upper limit, and the whole lot is paid by check on the spot, drawn on a local bank.
Chantilly, Annandale, and Manassas take walk-ins during store hours. Vienna / Tysons is currently by appointment, so call (703) 889-0532 before you go.
Handy from Fairfax, Herndon, South Riding, Centreville.
Walk-ins welcome
Handy from Alexandria, Falls Church, Springfield, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia.
Walk-ins welcome
Handy from Bristow, Gainesville, Centreville, Woodbridge.
Walk-ins welcome
Handy from McLean, Tysons, Oakton, Falls Church.
By appointment
Each store page has the address and phone number. Selling gold too? You can sell gold or bring scrap gold at the same visit.
Cash for Gold VA has been in business since 2008, holds a BBB A+ rating, and is rated 4.9★ across 500+ Google reviews (opens in a new tab). Read the reviews before you visit.
