Precious metal has always been considered the best way to store savings.
This is due to the fact that funds are subject to inflation and other factors. As for gold and silver, they will always have a high cost and considerable demand. It is worth noting that product prices sometimes raise suspicions about their relevance. When wondering how much a gram of 925 silver costs in Russia in 2021, the following picture emerged - the price differs depending on the purpose of delivery or acquisition. Also, the value depends on the sample of the product.
Where can I return unusable silver? Is it accepted at a pawnshop?
When there is a need to sell an alloy based on, different options should be considered. The choice is made taking into account the purpose (delivery of precious metals with return, without return, etc.). In addition, different organizations are guided by their own scheme for identifying potential clients, and not all applications are approved. If funds are needed urgently, you should consider a pawnshop or buying one. Selling in the usual way (by advertisement) can take months. For these reasons, the degree of urgency of the transaction must also be taken into account. Main options:
- exchange with an additional payment in a jewelry store: some large retail chains offer a relatively new service - buying back an old product, providing the client with a discount on a new piece of jewelry, the size of the bonus directly depends on the value of the precious metal, it is recommended to find out in advance about the conditions for such transactions, since not all stores are ready to reduce the cost of their products;
- antique dealers, collectors: antique silver jewelry or items of high artistic value can be attributed to narrow specialists, only they will be able to appreciate special jewelry with its own history; mass-produced items are not included in this category;
- scrap for jewelers: if silver jewelry is in poor condition or there is an unpaired piece of jewelry left, it is broken, and the cost of repair corresponds to the price of a new product, it is recommended to hand over the metal as precious scrap;
- selling products through social networks: the process is lengthy, you will have to wait until a serious buyer is interested in the jewelry, but you have the opportunity to set your own price, rather than wait for someone to set it from the outside;
- props for various purposes: illiquid silver can become an attribute for photography, decoration, you still won’t be able to wear broken or mismatched items, you can use them usefully, because buying new props will cost money, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to return such silver you can earn a lot of money, so you should give a second life to such things;
- pawnshop, purchase: one of the fastest ways to receive funds at the time of transfer to the new owner is to purchase or rent to a pawnshop without redemption; you need to find out the cost per gram and the interest rate on the loan in order to assess the profitability of the scheme.
How silver is appraised and purchased in Moscow - price per gram and antique premium
Our club offers profitable purchases of silver - it’s expensive; in Moscow, only a few organizations can offer even a similar price. We not only weigh the items, but also determine their antique and collectible premium. An antique premium is an increase in the value of a product with age. The most expensive items are those produced during the Russian Empire or during the early Soviet Union. The amount of this premium for some products can be tens of times greater than their cost in the mass of precious metal.
A collector's premium is an increase in the value of an item due to its rarity. The smaller the circulation, the higher it is. Particularly expensive are jewelry made by famous jewelers, craftsmen, and those with a rich history. The collection premium can be hundreds of times the price of the precious metal.
Some items are both antique and collectible. For example, jewelry made by Ivan Gubkin, the Grachev brothers, Carl Faberge or Ivan Khlebnikov. If you offer us a cutlery made by one of these craftsmen - by the way, suppliers to the imperial court - we will not even weigh it, because it is pointless.
Therefore, we first check whether the item has value for antique dealers and collectors. And only after that we reveal its value in mass. Of course, this approach does not apply when buying scrap silver - its price depends on the exchange rate.
How metal purchasing works
If you do not plan to return the silver item, you can sell it. But if you advertise on special platforms, you will have to wait for your buyer. There is another option - to sell it away. At the same time, a purchase and sale transaction is concluded. But the organization will only accept silver jewelry if it has value. Scheme of purchasing:
- an assessment is carried out, an employee of the organization decides whether to accept the product, based on a number of parameters (sample, appearance, artistic value);
- a deed of purchase and sale is drawn up;
- the amount and a receipt are issued.
There are also organizations that keep records of accepted products, but at the same time offer more convenient conditions: a minimum of formalities, quick assessment, funds are issued immediately.
Composition and properties
Copper is usually used as an alloy; in more rare cases, platinum, zinc, and nickel. The additive share is 7.5%. Alloy color – silver-white; a low percentage of copper does not give a red tint.
Silver is a low-inert metal; it interacts with hydrogen sulfide. As a result, a sulfide film is formed on the surface, so the products gradually darken and acquire a reddish tint.
Expert opinion
Vsevolod Kozlovsky
6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds
To give a different color, the alloy is coated with enamel. Rhodium plated silver has a perfectly white color. Blackened and oxidized products are stylized as antique.
Silver has high thermal and electrical conductivity and is used in industry. Another characteristic that is unusual for metals is bactericidal properties. Medicines are made from pure substances.
Strength
The ligature significantly increases the strength of the alloy compared to pure metal. 925 standard is used to create jewelry, but it is easy to scratch and bend it.
Brand
To indicate the hallmark on finished silver products, a mark is used. Its type is fixed by the legislation of the Russian Federation and is the same for all products created in the country. In Russia, they use an image of a woman’s head in profile with a kokoshnik. After the picture there is a number - the sample itself, in our case 925.
The numerical values of the samples of precious metals are similar; the frame in which the modern brand is enclosed will help to distinguish them. For silver, an oval truncated on both sides is used. On Soviet-made products, next to the number there is a different marking - a star with a hammer and sickle.
What and how does a pawnshop accept?
The main area of application is the reception of gold and silver, as well as other precious metals (with the exception of white gold). Standards are usually quoted: 333-999, including the most common ones (585 for gold items and 925 for silver). You can bring different products:
- chains;
- bracelets;
- rings;
- pendants;
- brooches;
- necklace;
- watch.
In addition, a pawnshop employee has the opportunity to buy other types of precious items for sale:
- silver plate;
- coins (investment, collectible);
- icons (in precious frames or with a silver frame on the image);
- medical products;
- ingots;
- antiques (primarily royal precious metals);
- technical silver.
You can also return unpaired and damaged silver items, but they will be accepted at a low price, since only weight is taken into account, and not external characteristics. To return your silver, you must bring an identification document with you. You can speed up the assessment; to do this, it is recommended to first clean the product of contaminants.
You should use any available product (soap solution, gel children's toothpaste, ammonia), but without abrasive.
Lots of silver jewelry
Chinese and Italian silver
Most often you can find Chinese 925 silver in stores; it has a low price. The product meets all established requirements and standards. The difference lies in the discrepancy in currency value.
The precious metal of Italian origin is distinguished by its high quality and technical characteristics throughout the world. The main advantage is the processing method. The use of galvanic coating gives jewelry a dazzling shine, high strength and anti-corrosion properties. The technique involves coating 999 sterling silver with rhodium. This combination makes it possible to use cubic zirconia and diamond inserts in jewelry. By using the blackening technique, the product becomes more noble and chic, and with the addition of gilding, nobility and respectability appear.
Price formation
If you plan to donate silver, you need to get an idea of how much you can get for jewelry. The cost is influenced by factors:
- metal standard: when trying to pass silver, you need to take into account that the most expensive is a high-fine alloy (960 or more), at a good price you can hand over products of 925 standard, but anything lower will be cheap;
- appearance of the jewelry: the presence of damage, blackness helps to reduce the cost, and jewelry with defects will be accepted at the price of scrap (even cheaper);
- size, weight: a small item, even of high standard, will not cost much; it is much more profitable to hand over large silver items (cutlery, boxes, cups, etc.);
- artistic value and age: these parameters are rarely assessed, because in most cases, mass-produced jewelry is brought to the pawnshop, and its value is much lower than antiques or custom-made items.
What is 925 silver
In Russia and abroad, 925 sterling silver is very popular, as it is characterized by high quality. The alloy consists of:
- 92.5% precious metal without impurities;
- 7.5% – copper.
The composition was approved back in Soviet times. Copper is needed to increase the strength of the metal and improve its characteristics. Platinum is also used in the alloy, but this is quite rare due to the high cost of the component. With this combination, the color of the silver product becomes whiter and it is less susceptible to oxidation.
Palladium is widely used - the product is distinguished by its high price, snow-white color with a cool blue tint.
The composition may contain 7.4% zinc - in this case, the product looks more cloudy and at the same time durable, and has a reasonable price. This combination is not popular, since the component is a common allergen.
Rhodium-plated products have become widespread. It adds shine and whiteness to jewelry and also increases durability and oxidation resistance. The negative point is the ability of rhodium to wear off, which is not very practical.
925 silver is often used for making cutlery, souvenirs, and in electrical engineering.
The procedure for handing over silver to a pawnshop
The pawnshop is obliged to take products that the client hands over only according to the established scheme. Main stages:
- inspection and determination of the sample of the product: a pawnshop employee does not have the right to buy jewelry and other valuables without a preliminary assessment, even if there is a sample, it is necessary to clarify the composition of the metal (reagents and equipment are used), as well as inspect the item;
- weighing an item: items weighing from 0.1 g can be taken to the pawnshop for acceptance, smaller jewelry cannot be assessed (check the alloy sample), the permissible accuracy when weighing precious metals is 0.01 g, and this procedure is carried out in the presence of the client;
- voicing the cost: if a pawnshop employee takes a product, after evaluating it, he names the price that the organization is ready to offer the client;
- concluding a loan agreement for funds at interest: loan repayment is possible only on the basis of a signed agreement, each party receives a copy, the agreement specifies the type of product, its parameters, type of transaction, interest to be paid by the client, as well as the terms for repurchase of the collateral and return of funds ;
- payment of money and issuance of a deposit slip: if you plan to hand over silver jewelry to a pawnshop, you need to ensure that after concluding the contract, the document necessary to return the product (deposit slip) is provided;
- redemption/transfer of ownership rights according to the terms of the agreement: at the end of the period specified in the agreement (from 5 to 30 days), you need to buy back the funds; if this is not possible, you can notify the pawnshop about this and ask for a deferment.
If the owner does not apply for his property and does not respond to calls from pawnshop employees, at the end of the redemption period the organization becomes the owner of the silver. This is also stated in the contract.
Weighing silver jewelry
How silver is assessed and purchased - price per gram
Our club purchases antiques, antiques and precious metal collectibles, including cutlery and coins. However, we also accept scrap silver.
“Scrap” refers to damaged, worn-out items, as well as items that have no collectible or historical value. For example, modern jewelry or technical precious metals. The purchase of scrap silver in Moscow in our club is carried out by weight.
The purchase of silver per gram is carried out in the following way:
- The appraiser weighs the item on high-precision scales that determine the mass with an accuracy of hundredths of a gram;
- The sample is also determined. The higher it is, the more expensive the precious metal. Materials with 900 proof or higher cost more than others. This is what is used in most jewelry, as well as for technical purposes;
- The price of a gram (in accordance with Russian and international rates) is multiplied by weight.
We also buy scrap silver with a preliminary remote assessment. You will need to send us photos. You can take a photo by placing the item on a high-precision scale. This will help you make a more accurate preliminary calculation.
How to avoid being deceived
Recommendations that will help you obtain a loan amount based on the real value of the precious metal:
- weigh the silver several times yourself: before going to the pawnshop, you need to find out how much the jewelry weighs (use special scales - high accuracy), this will give you an idea of its value;
- observe the weighing in a pawnshop: you must be present during the assessment; you cannot skip the weighing procedure, since unscrupulous employees of such organizations may name the weight less than the real one;
- know the exchange rate of silver, so as not to cheapen, it should not “fall” in price after the assessment: an unprepared client can take on faith any amount allegedly announced by a “specialist”, but you should find out the average price for 1 g of silver (on average for pawn shops);
- do not evaluate after melting: sometimes appraisers suggest weighing the product after melting, but this will help reduce the weight of the precious metal when performing such manipulations.
How to calculate the cost of a product
Before handing over silver jewelry for purchase with subsequent redemption, a person wonders whether it is possible to independently calculate how much the silver costs on credit. To do this, you can use the following calculation scheme.
Let's say you need to turn in a silver ring. Its weight is 3.5 grams, and its purity is 925. The pawnshop offers to accept jewelry for 30 rubles per gram. Knowing how much 1 gram costs, you can calculate the cost of the entire piece of jewelry. After the assessment, they will be able to offer you 105 rubles for the ring.
In this case, the loan amount will be approximately 71 rubles.
Next, you should calculate the amount of interest that you will have to pay for the fact that the jewelry is being purchased. It will range from 3.5 to 5 rubles depending on the percentage. It follows from this that if you buy back the jewelry after 30 days, you will need to return the amount at which the ring was valued, plus a small percentage.
You can hand over silver jewelry to a pawnshop and receive a certain amount of money at any time. That is why such barter is popular among people.
Features of the assessment of antique silver with artistic value
If there is confidence, or at least an assumption, that the product is antique and has some artistic value, you need to find an appraiser with the appropriate qualifications. In a pawnshop, in addition to the main ones, other parameters can be assessed:
- exclusivity, circulation;
- historical meaning;
- story;
- external characteristics, degree of damage;
- date (at least year) and country of manufacture.
Antique silver jewelry
During the inspection, attention is paid to the absence of traces of restoration, authentic design; such products are valued higher, like those presented in a single copy.
Application of this alloy
The main areas of application of 925 silver:
- Jewelry making. This variety is most popular for making all types of jewelry. Thanks to its properties, craftsmen make elegant things with complex patterns, inserts of precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, and amber. It is combined not only with gold, but also with other materials. For example, one of the latest trends is the combination of silver with ceramics, as well as the use of colored enamels. 925 standard is also in demand in other countries. For example, the famous Italian jewelry, comparable to the finest lace, is made only from it.
- Coinage. In the past, .925 was used to produce common coins. This alloy is sometimes called sterling. According to the main version, in England, since the 12th century, sterlings were minted from a silver alloy with an 8% addition of ligature. According to another version, they were produced in Germany for trade with the British. Nowadays, only investment coins are produced from 925 alloy, which can be purchased at Sberbank.
- Making silverware. 925 alloy is used to make not only spoons, forks, knives, but also larger utensils: glasses and shot glasses, sugar bowls, salt shakers, glass holders, jugs, dishes, trays, tureens and much more.
- Making souvenirs: business card holders, writing instruments, cigarette cases, figurines. Baby rattles made of high-grade silver look especially cute and luxurious.
- Religious items, such as icons, holy books with silver elements in the design - the Bible, Koran, Torah.
Reviews
I handed over silver only once in my life, I received pennies for it. I wouldn’t get involved, but the products have accumulated: some are broken, others are mismatched, others are simply old and unfashionable. It was a pity to throw it away, but it was also unpleasant to give away things for next to nothing that you had once paid a lot for. I won't apply again.
Zhanna R. g, Stavropol
Sergey D. g, Moscow
I usually don’t sell silver to pawnshops; the bank’s rate for such metal is low, and naturally the rate will be low. I was once lucky enough to find an old dish and tray in my grandfather’s attic. I passed it, it turned out well for the price.
I tried several times at different times to take silver jewelry to be bought. With returns, there is simply no point in returning such things. The client loses more, because he needs to pay a commission for using the funds provided by the pawnshop, and it is high. That's why I immediately sold my silver jewelry.
Yulia T., Krasnodar
Silver as an investment
There are three ways to invest in silver:
- ingots;
- coins;
- open compulsory medical insurance.
All three methods can be implemented in a bank. Although the first and second may also be offered by other companies that have a license to conduct transactions with precious metals.
Silver bars
Silver bullion is a popular way to purchase the precious metal for investment. This service is provided in Russian and foreign banks. To conclude such transactions, the company receives a license from the Central Bank to conduct transactions with precious metals.
The price of bars of the same weight can be different even in two neighboring banks. This happens because companies independently approve tariff policies and strategies. Therefore, before investing in silver bullion, compare offers from several banks.
In addition, pay attention to three nuances:
- Where will the bullion be stored - at your home or in a bank? An apartment or house will not always be a safe place, which means you will have to spend money on renting a safe deposit box or installing an alarm system.
- Find out if the company buys back silver bars that were previously sold. A number of banks do not have such a service. Or the redemption price of the bullion is very low. This reduces the benefits of investing in precious metals.
- Payment of VAT. When you purchase a silver bar, you will automatically pay 20%, which is included in the price. Therefore, the return on investment already at the time of the transaction is reduced by 1/5 of the cost.
Silver bars are standard and measured. The latter produce different weights - from 50 to 3200 grams. Each bar is supplied with a manufacturer's certificate, which should be kept nearby. If a document is lost, the value of the precious metal decreases, as does chips, deformations or scratches.
Silver coins
Coins made of silver and other precious metals can be purchased at a bank or numismatic store. VAT does not apply to such goods. Therefore, the final cost of the metal in a coin may be more profitable than in an ingot. In addition, coins are more likely than bars to appreciate in value over time due to their numismatic and collector's value.
Purchase and sale are carried out with commemorative, investment and exclusive coins, which contain silver or other precious metals. However, coins do not have such high liquidity as, for example, bullion. That is, buying a coin turns out to be easier than selling it. Banks either do not buy coins back at all, or the price for them is lower than when purchased.
To find a true connoisseur or collector who will appreciate the piece, you will need to study a lot of information. Therefore, this method of investing is not suitable for everyone.
However, with bullion coins the situation is different. Most often, banks buy back such products more readily, and their value grows much faster than that of the metal itself. Therefore, investing in investment silver coins can be a profitable alternative compared to an impersonal metal account or bullion.
Compulsory medical insurance
An unallocated metal account, or IMA , is a common method of investing in silver. The principle of operation resembles a foreign exchange account, but it stores not money, but precious metal.
A distinctive feature of compulsory medical insurance is that the exchange rate value of silver does not depend on the individual characteristics of the bullion, which include the purity, manufacturer and license plate. That is why it is impersonal because it has nothing to do with the identity of the account owner. It is in this regard that the account is individual and issued to a specific client.
When you open a compulsory medical insurance, you will not be given a silver bar in your hands. This means that it will not wear out, deteriorate, disappear or lose its original characteristics. You do not need to rent a safe deposit box or install an alarm system in your apartment. In addition, with this type of transaction, VAT is not charged, which means that buying silver through compulsory medical insurance is initially 20% more profitable than buying a bullion.
The account can be replenished at any time, as well as closed without losses or penalties. Some companies give the right to partially withdraw or use funds from the account. According to the observations of employees of the banking sector, compulsory medical insurance is opened in silver less often than in gold, but much more often than in palladium or platinum.
Other sample systems
The product catalog on our website contains antique silver items of 84 standard, which can simply be puzzling. Is it really possible to create products with only 84 grams of silver per kilogram of alloy? In fact, this sample is specified in a different measurement system. Until 1927, in Russia there was a so-called spool sampling system, measured in spools. If we convert it to the metric system, then the 84th hallmark will correspond to the 875th hallmark of silver (see table below).
Ladle made of 84-carat silver. Gilding inside. Russian empire. 1881
Hallmark of 84th silver standard.
Silver samples in different measurement systems.
Authenticity of silver products
There are quite a lot of fake silver items on the market, which may have “branded” hallmarks (hallmarks). The great demand for such products is due to the fact that many buyers have no idea what a sample should actually look like. They already consider the presence of such a sample to be sufficient reason to believe in the authenticity of the product. At the same time, for counterfeiters, stamping is not a particularly big problem. But a professional will always be able to distinguish a fake brand from a real one.
Fake samples
To determine the authenticity of a particular mark, you need to at least know the specifics of the forgery process itself. Fake products are often made of soft metals, so the marks have softer contours.
When determining the authenticity of a hallmark on an antique silver product, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of production. Fraudsters often do not take into account that this or that sample was used only in specific years of production, and was also placed in certain places of branding. For example, in Russia, silver was stamped with an image of a woman’s head in a kokoshnik, a digital hallmark and the letter of the state inspectorate. At first, the woman's face was turned to the left, but since 1908 it has been turned in the opposite direction. Also, in different years, product marks were placed in different places.
Sample with the image of a woman in a kokoshnik (turned to the left). The product was produced in the period 1899-1908.
Sample with the image of a woman in a kokoshnik (turned to the right). The product was produced at the end of the 19th century. – early 20th century
In addition, different countries have their own standards, which also need to be taken into account when working with the sample. For example, English silver hallmarks have their own characteristics compared to French or Russian hallmarks.
One of the common techniques used by counterfeit manufacturers is to transfer the original mark from one item to another. In particular, it can be taken from a spoon and soldered to an expensive antique silver item. Professionals skillfully hide the soldering area under the engraving. And yet, upon closer examination, traces of soldering can be detected, especially if you breathe on this place.
Upon careful examination of the product under a magnifying glass, you can also notice a difference in the wear of the stamp and the product itself, which also indicates a fake.
At the same time, high-quality fakes can only be identified by professionals using special equipment. It allows you to detect both an alloy composition that is uncharacteristic for a particular production period and a lack of protection. Information about the degrees of protection is contained in the technical documentation for the mark and is under state protection.
How to determine the authenticity of silver
The authenticity of a silver item should be determined by an expert, especially if we are talking about antiques. However, at home you can always conduct simple experiments that will allow you to suspect a fake.
If a silver product is magnetic, then this is a fake, since silver never magnetizes. At the same time, the absence of interaction with a magnet does not prove its authenticity, since some metals and alloys are also not magnetic.
The presence of another metal under the silver can also be a clear sign of a fake. It is enough to make a scratch with a sharp object to find out.
If the product does not become hot when placed in hot water for a few seconds, it means it contains metals with low thermal conductivity. Silver heats up instantly, as it has high thermal conductivity.
If a silver item gets your hands dirty, it contains a lot of zinc. In such cases, cunning sellers like to come up with various excuses, for example, that the person whose hands were dirty with a silver amulet is damaged.
It is worth taking a closer look at the quality of the product itself. For example, if we are talking about a silver chain, then every detail of a branded item is carefully worked out. At the same time, a fake usually contains small elements of low quality or enlarged to simplify production. On counterfeit products, the locks may not close properly, and individual elements may have uneven edges or irregular shapes. It is also possible for the links to break, their length and shape to vary.
The peculiarity of home methods for determining the authenticity of a silver product is that they cannot be called reliable. With their help, you can only suspect a fake, but you cannot prove the originality of the product, so it is always better to seek help from experts.
Buying and exchanging gold
Among metals, only gold has a yellow color; Aurum in Latin means yellow. Why are the shelves of jewelry stores full of gold jewelry of different colors and shades? Don’t be alarmed, it’s not a fake, it’s just that the color of the alloy depends on the type and proportion of metals used in the reaction. What you really need to pay attention to is the fineness (the proportion of gold in the alloy); if you want to sell the product at a high price, the gold content must be at least 75%. You can sell gold in Samara with a lower purity, the price per gram will be lower. When buying gold in Samara, white gold is valued. It is a complex alloy containing palladium and is expensive to mass produce. It will not be difficult to exchange such gold.
