Silver is found very rarely in nature. There was a time when it was valued even more than gold. This metal is considered noble and is distinguished by its ductility, softness, and low melting point, which makes it easy for jewelers to work with it. To obtain the necessary characteristics of the consumer properties of silver products, the precious metal is alloyed with various alloy metals. To indicate the silver content in the alloy, stamping with appropriate samples is used. The closest thing to pure metal is 999 silver.
What kind of sample is this
Silver has been known to mankind since ancient times due to the fact that it can be mined without impurities and is not smelted from several components. In Ancient Babylon, this metal was called a symbol of the Moon and was considered sacred, and in the Middle Ages it was used in alchemy.
Silver of the highest standard is a unique natural precious metal. This is pure silver, it is soft, ductile and easy to process. From 1 gr. This metal can be used to stretch a thread more than 15 km long.
Interestingly, Ag was found in meteorites that arrived on Earth.
Factors affecting cost
The cost of silver depends on several indicators:
Silver to dollar quote
- quotes, which are set by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation depending on the trends of the London Stock Exchange;
- a sample showing the quantitative content of precious metal in the material;
- total weight - large batches will cost more per 1 g;
- the cost of the process of processing recyclable materials to isolate silver in its pure form;
- region of residence.
World silver prices are determined by:
Silver price chart
- market conditions characterized by permanent instability;
- the global policies of world powers, provoking rises and falls in prices;
- exchange rate of the American dollar - the lower it is, the higher the prices.
Therefore, it is important to constantly monitor fluctuations in product prices, choosing the most profitable moments. However, market quotes show the price of pure silver. Recyclable materials require the presence of a sample with a specific indicator; its price will be noticeably lower. Since the reserves of silver ore deposits are depleted over time, and the demand for the noble metal grows, its value only increases over the years.
Composition and properties
Sample is a characteristic that shows how much precious metal is contained in one kilogram of alloy.
The metal has a silvery-white tint and is quite heavy.
Ag Features:
- ductility;
- high plasticity;
- melting point - 962 degrees (refractory);
- the highest thermal conductivity among metals;
- density - 10.5 g/cm3;
- high electrical conductivity at room temperature.
Polished silver of the highest standard has an exceptional optical feature - it reflects light in the entire visible range (reflection coefficient is 99%).
Strength
High strength cannot be attributed to the natural properties of metal. Therefore, despite the beauty and brilliance of silver, it is rarely used to make jewelry. Bullions and collectible coins are stored in numismatists' collections, where they are protected from physical impact.
It is interesting that in Japan the pure element is highly valued and jewelry is made from it, but they are not worn, but stored in jewelry boxes.
Brand
On products you can find the mark “999”, “99.9” or “0.999”. This means that per kilogram of metal there are 999 grams. Ag itself, which means that the alloy in it is 0.1% (lead - up to 0.003%, iron - up to 0.004%). It is almost impossible to ensure 100% purity of a precious metal, therefore silver with the hallmark 999 is considered pure metal of the highest standard without impurities.
See photos of what the stamps look like:
What does pure silver look like?
In nature, the surface of silver nuggets appears bluish-black due to many hooked fractures. At the moment of casting, 999 silver becomes very light, silvery, even white. It is the whiteness that makes argentum an excellent reflector of light. Thanks to a rare optical property, the polished silver surface has a light reflectance of 99%.
As a result of polishing the silver surface, a real mirror is obtained. In the production of expensive mirrors, high-quality materials are used, the polishing of which is protected from scratches by glass.
999 silver on the precious metals market is represented by products in the form of bars in various designs. The ingots differ mainly in weight and design. The bars offered by banks can be:
- measured products weighing 50g, 100g, 250g, 500g and 1 kg;
- standard sample from 28 kg to 32 kg;
- in gift format 100, 250 or 500 grams.
The cost of each bar depends only on how much a gram of 999 marked precious metal costs on the day of purchase.
Despite the low price of 1 gram of precious metal, most buyers of silver bars are interested in their investment potential.
Alloy Application
Pure silver with purity 999 is widely used in the following areas:
- in electronics production, for the manufacture of terminals, relay contacts;
- for soldering important connections in rocket science;
- when covering highly reflective mirrors;
- for water disinfection;
- in medical devices;
- when releasing X-ray film;
- for the production of bank bullion.
If in ancient times money was cast from silver, now only rare collectible coins of limited editions are minted from it, which is why they have a high cost.
Expert opinion
Vsevolod Kozlovsky
6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds
Making jewelry and cutlery from pure silver is impractical: they will be fragile and deformed during use. In jewelry, this noble element is used to coat items made from other alloys to make them attractive and more resistant to environmental influences.
Ag bank ingots can be stamped or cast, all of them are accompanied by appropriate documentation and quality certificates. For example, at Sberbank you can buy a 999 gold bar weighing up to 1 kg, use it as an investment or give it to someone.
Where can you sell silver in Moscow
When looking for a place to sell silver items, you can find many organizations other than our club.
Pawnshops
One of the places where you can take more unnecessary items made from precious metals is a pawnshop: the purchase of silver in such organizations is carried out constantly and even around the clock. Items are purchased by weight. Pawn shop appraisers do not consider historical or collectible value.
A pawn shop is a good place if you want to find a place to sell your scrap silver as quickly as possible, even at night or on a weekend, and are still willing to lose money. Such organizations operate solely for their own commercial benefit. Therefore, the precious metal exchange rate there is usually 2–3 times lower than the market rate. Considering that this beautiful precious metal is, in principle, not a very expensive material, then for a ring, for example, you can earn about 100–300 rubles.
Jewelry stores
It is worth noting that not all jewelry stores purchase precious metals from the public. At the same time, the purchase price of silver per gram is “as of today,” that is, taking into account international exchange rates. It's more profitable than pawn shops. But at the same time, jewelry stores do not take into account the collectible-historical premium for old, rare and unusual items, as well as items with high artistic value. In addition, it is not always possible to sell scrap silver in jewelry stores. Appraisers look for the mark first. And on damaged products it may not be preserved - and they will not be sure that you are really offering a precious metal of the specified standard, and not, say, steel, zinc or polished aluminum.
How much does 1 gram of silver of this standard cost today?
High-grade silver is a good way to save money, as its value rises when a crisis begins in the market. The price, like gold, depends on the London Stock Exchange rate and changes daily. By tracking the summaries, you can always find out the current value; the price at a pawnshop may differ significantly from it.
Below is a live graph and table with current prices per gram. according to the Central Bank.
| Price 999 standard according to the Central Bank | Market value of the sample today | Scrap price | Price in jewelry |
Here are the dynamics over the past 10 years.
XAGUSD chart courtesy of TradingView
How silver is bought in Moscow - per gram and with an antique premium
Our numismatic club has been purchasing historical and modern items made of precious metals for over 10 years. During this time, we have developed a simple and profitable purchase procedure - to find out the cost, you don’t even need to contact our office! Purchasing silver products takes place in three simple steps:
- Online silver valuation. It is free and fast. You need to send one or more photographs of a silver product to us through the form on the website (or instant messengers or email).
- Silver assessment by a specialist. Our employee will examine the photos and send you a preliminary estimate in response. It will be as close to the final one as possible.
- Office visit. If the preliminary cost suits you, we are waiting for you in our office! It is located in the south of Moscow and is easily accessible both by metro and personal transport. In the office, a specialist will conduct a final assessment and pay you the money - in cash or to your account, whichever is more convenient.
- You can sell historical or modern items to us, as well as sell scrap silver - the price per gram will be high and close to international rates.
Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage
Delicate items, coins and Ag bars must be stored and cleaned very carefully to avoid scratching or damaging the surface.
A few more tips:
- To store products, it is better to choose a dry and dark place to protect from the sun.
- Mechanical cleaning is strictly prohibited.
- If the product has darkened, you can purchase a special liquid for cleaning coins.
If you have doubts about your own ability to clean your jewelry, it is better to contact a jeweler.
History of 999 silver
Silver, along with copper (mining encyclopedia) and gold, is one of the first metals of civilization. Of all the noble metals, pure silver is the most widely distributed in nature. A significant portion of pure silver is in a native state, as evidenced by its mining around the world.
It is thanks to its sparkling shine that silver received the name “Argentum” from the ancient alchemists 6000 years ago (translated from the Greek Agres – Ag “white”, “brilliant”).
The most ancient deposits and mining of silver, dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, were discovered in Asia Minor. Development was carried out from lead ores.
In the 4th millennium BC, shiny metal served as a unit of account for trade in eastern countries. Already at that distant time, silver jewelry was popular in China and Egypt.
In the Middle Ages (XVI-XVIII centuries), the mining of pure silver (999 fineness) was in full swing in Transylvania and Spain, with Peru and Mexico taking up the baton.
In Russia, silver mining dates back to the 18th century with the development of deposits in Altai and Transbaikalia.
Most of the mined silver is produced from sulfide ores of lead, zinc and copper containing silver impurities: from blister copper - in the process of electrolytic refining, from blister lead (werkbley) - with the help of zinc. The metal is extracted from silver ores by gravity enrichment or amalgamation (rarely), foam separation, flotation and cyanidation.
Refined silver in standard 999.9 fine bars
Ingots are measured and standard “bricks” of 999.9 fine silver, refined at specialized enterprises and complying with Gosstandart. Pure silver bars receive the GOST 28595-90 marking and the “Good Delivery” status (reliable delivery). Available in weight categories from 100 grams to 1 kilogram. You can buy such an ingot at SberBank of Russia.
Silver 999.9 is very ductile, due to the absence of copper, iron and lead, and therefore can only be used in the production of bars, coins and water ionizers.
