999 standard gold and silver: properties of the highest standard, pricing on the international market, use of metals, recommendations for selection and care

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.

Disadvantages of precious metals of the highest standard

The main disadvantages of pure alloy:

• the metal is only conditionally inert; it reacts with some acids (pure nitric acid, aqua regia);
• has low resistance to mechanical damage (due to increased softness);
• Jewelry is not made from 999 gold alloy: rings, bracelets, etc.;
• due to changes on the stock exchange, the price of material with the maximum content of precious metal may fall sharply.

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.

• 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:

During the Soviet period

GOST 48-78-83, published on July 1, 1983, set out uniform requirements that guarantee the competitiveness of products on the world market. Silver bars were then produced in two grades: SrA-1 and SrA-2. With the introduction of GOST 28595-90, approved. By Decree of the USSR State Standard dated June 27, 1990 No. 1919, a new brand appeared - SrA-3. Moreover, the mass fraction of silver was:

• SrA-1 – 99.99;
• SrA-2 – 99.98;
• SrA-3 – 99.90.

The production of bars was organized exclusively for the manufacture of alloys, industrial products, etc. Money made from white precious metal was much more widespread. It is from them that one can judge how much the white metal was valued in the USSR.

Change coins in denominations of 10, 15, 20 from silver of 500 standard, 50 kopecks and 1 ruble - 900 in the Land of the Soviets were put into circulation in 1924. Each fifty-kopeck piece contained 10 g, and in the ruble - 20 g of precious metal In low-grade silver coins:

• 20 kopecks – 3.6 g;
• 15 kopecks – 2.7 g;
• 10 kopecks – 1.8 g.

Before World War II, the price per ounce dropped to $0.25. By 1960 it had risen to $1 and continued to rise.

In the 1970s it traded for no more than $5. Since 1978, the price of the precious metal began to soar. By the fall of 1979, it exceeded the $10 mark, and in January 1980, the market recorded a record of $48.90. A couple of years later, the metal was again below $10 per ounce (goldtraders).

“Look at the price movements of silver in the 1970s and early 2000s and you can see just how dramatic the ups and downs can be.”
Anderson, analyst

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.

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.

Question-answer section

Is it worth purchasing or ordering 999 gold jewelry?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

Metal is expensive, and therefore the cost of jewelry would be too high. Buying such products is problematic. However, jewelers do not use pure precious metal to make jewelry because of its increased softness and fragility.

Where to buy and sell gold of the highest standard?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

Sales and purchases should only be made through a bank. Government and commercial structures guarantee the quality of ingots. You can contact Sberbank or any other.

Which bars are better to buy: gold or silver?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

It is advisable to purchase gold and silver bars, the difference lies in the initial price. The increase in cost is influenced by the demand for such products. However, today the acquisition of coins is more relevant.

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.

1. To store products, it is better to choose a dry and dark place to protect from the sun.
2. Mechanical cleaning is strictly prohibited.
3. 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.

999 silver

It is believed that pure silver, which is 999 pure, cannot be used to make jewelry or practical utensils. This is largely due to the natural softness of the metal. In the old days, silver was considered a sacred metal, and even today it is valued on a par with gold, especially in luxury jewelry. The metal has some features, as well as interesting properties and composition. Before purchasing silver products, including bars, we recommend that you first study the characteristics of the material and read useful information about it.

Advantages of pure gold "five nines"

The purity of the metal is sometimes 999.99 g per 1 kilogram of alloy. This is the highest possible figure, taking into account the conditions that are created during refining. Advantages of gold alloy:

• high liquidity;
• the opportunity to invest funds (a form of investment);
• A deposit account is opened in the bank, and gold is the currency (accounted for in euros, dollars or rubles), since a standard interest calculation mechanism is used.

Gold bars

Peculiarities

Silver, also called argentum by chemists, can be easily found on the periodic table. Many people are familiar with this element from their school days. Pure silver is a malleable, ductile and heavy metal with a light silvery hue. It is mined in many large countries of the world, including Russia. Over time, metal in its pure form or in products can change its shade (darken), as a result of which it must be cleaned regularly. But, as a rule, unpolluted air cannot oxidize pure silver.

Silver is actively used in the minting of coins, for industrial purposes, as well as in the creation of jewelry, but the latter applies only to metal of a certain standard. It is not advisable to make jewelry from 999 fine metal, since they will be very fragile and extremely difficult to care for, and it is extremely difficult for jewelers to work with them.

The purest 999 silver is so malleable that a thread of more than 10 km can be pulled out of one gram of it. Another interesting fact is that scientists have found silver on meteorites from space. Pure metal nuggets are extremely difficult to detect in nature; they are most often mined with impurities. And only after some manipulations and special processing can you obtain the final, almost pure product (99.9%).

Composition and properties

The 999 fineness indicates how much pure alloy is contained in the metal. In pure silver of the highest standard, there are practically no impurities, and if there are, their amount is very small. Silver belongs to the noble metals. It is believed that its specific gravity depends on the sample. So, if copper is added to it, then silver will lose its specific gravity and density.

Some more information:

• melting point is more than 960 degrees;
• density – 10.5 g/cm³;
• the metal has excellent thermal conductivity, and at room temperature it has the highest when compared with all other existing metals;
• silver cannot be dissolved in hydrochloric or dilute sulfuric acid.

The purest 999 silver looks silvery, almost white.

Pure metal should not darken in air, but over time its contamination cannot be ruled out. Also, pure metal can darken if the air is contaminated with hydrogen sulfide.

Technologies for obtaining other samples of alloys and shades of gold

To change the color, it is enough to deviate from the standard scheme for obtaining a gold alloy. The introduction of copper gives a reddish tint. Previously, such material was called red. But initially this was the designation for an alloy with the maximum content of precious metal. Chervonets were made from it in Tsarist Russia. If you add 999 silver or platinum, the yellow precious metal will turn white.

Important: When choosing a different alloy production technology, you need to remember that changing the composition can negatively affect the properties of the metal: brittleness will increase and ductility will decrease.

Application

Pure silver is often used for scientific purposes, especially in chemistry and physics. Mainly 999 silver is used:

• for medical purposes, including prosthetics and dentistry;
• when creating medical products (biological additives);
• when creating accumulating lenses, wires, power supplies and other technical devices.

In jewelry, such silver is almost never used, as it can bend or deform even with the slightest pressure. Only certain parts for jewelry are made from pure silver, but not independent products.

Price

The price per gram most often depends on the exchange rate, and the final price tag is usually set by banks. The price per kilogram of 999 silver is on average about 35-37 thousand rubles.

It is worth noting that when opening a foreign currency account in a bank and when buying silver, the payment will be higher than when selling metal, but you can also earn money on this over several years.

The same applies to handing over silver to a pawnshop: they accept it cheaper than they sell it.

The average price per gram in a pawnshop usually varies between 34-36 rubles, but the amount largely depends on the region of sale, and even on the country as a whole. To find out how much an ingot will cost, you need to find out how much it weighs, and also be sure that it has 999 fineness. Usually, the bars always come with a quality certificate of authenticity. It will not be difficult to calculate the final price.

Where to buy

Bank measured silver bars are made from finished metal with a purity degree of 99.99%. Thus, these bars have a purity of 999.9. According to GOST requirements, they are trapezoidal in shape, weighing 28–32 kg. Scope of application: technical purposes and interbank settlements.

“The steadily increasing purchases of gold bullion by central banks suggest that another bull market – the silver bullion market – is likely on the horizon.”
Anderson, analyst

Banks also offer the precious metal in the form of bars to individuals as a long-term investment. But in this case we are talking about measured products weighing from 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 g.

The cost of a silver bar directly depends on its mass. For those who intend to invest in them, it should be understood that this investment is not for a short period.

If you want to quickly sell a product, you risk financial losses instead of income. The difference between the purchase price and the acquisition price may be insignificant, or even lower. Moreover, upon sale you will have to pay tax.

Transactions with precious metals in bullion are carried out in banks. For these purposes, a financial organization acquires a license from the Central Bank, specially equips a storage facility and recruits trained specialists.

“Silver is not as resistant to corrosion and has a significantly higher storage cost.
Since the metal is more than 100 times cheaper than gold, the same amount of silver will require a hundred times more storage volume” Alexey Kiriyenko, managing partner of EXANTE

Sberbank: conditions and purchase process

It is this financial organization that is considered the leader in the white metal market. But the transaction can be completed in offices of only 25 Russian cities.

Measured bars of 50–1000 g are subject to sale. A citizen only needs to present an identification document and have the required amount.

With a bar of bank silver, he receives a certificate and cash documents confirming the fact of the transaction.

Reference! When selling back, you will have to pay personal income tax if the bullion was owned for less than 3 years.

It is better to store the purchase in a bank safe deposit box. When selling, you will have to provide a safe rental agreement, a passport and a certificate for the precious metal. You can sell bullion that was stored at home. But then the bank will check the product being sold especially carefully. The same applies to silver purchased from another financial institution. If the condition of the bar is unsatisfactory or the certificate is unreadable, the cost may be reduced.

Table 1. Purchase/sale prices of measured silver bars in Sberbank as of 14:06 03/23/2020

Source: Sberbank website

Reference! The metal exchange rate can even change several times a day. Sberbank offers to track quotes on the website or in the client’s personal account.

Other banks

Not all Russian financial institutions work with special investment silver for the population.

Table 2. Sales prices, according to information from banks’ websites, rubles.

Sources: RSHB, Gazprombank, smpbank.ru

They are also offered for sale by: Promsvyazbank, FC Otkritie - prices are formed daily based on changing quotes. Many organizations, both those that trade in bullion and those that do not have storage conditions, offer clients to open impersonal metal accounts.