About the Silver Value Calculator
This silver value calculator works out what a piece of silver is worth as metal. Enter the weight, choose the fineness — .999 fine bullion, .925 sterling flatware and jewelry, .900 coin silver, or one of the lower alloys — and type in the spot price per troy ounce. The result is the pure silver content and its melt value.
Use it before selling inherited sterling cutlery, tea sets, old coins or broken jewelry, or to sanity-check a bullion dealer’s quote. Scrap buyers deduct a margin for refining and profit, so enter the payout percentage you have been offered to see the expected cash figure alongside the full melt value.
Weigh only the silver. Weighted candlesticks, knife handles filled with resin and pieces with steel blades contain far less silver than their total weight suggests. The default spot price of $50 per troy ounce is an example — enter the live price before relying on the result.
With the default inputs, the expected cash value is $743.49. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the silver value calculator
- 1Weigh the silver, leaving out stones, steel blades and weighted bases where you can.
- 2Choose the weight unit and the purity mark (.925, sterling, .900, 800…).
- 3Enter today’s silver spot price per troy ounce.
- 4Optionally enter the payout percentage a buyer offered.
- 5Read the melt value and pure silver content; use the chart to compare purities.
Formula and method
The weight W is converted to grams and multiplied by the fineness F (parts per thousand) to get grams of pure silver. Dividing by 31.1034768 — the number of grams in a troy ounce — converts that to troy ounces, the unit the spot price S is quoted in. Pure troy ounces × spot price is the melt value.
The expected cash value multiplies melt by the payout percentage. The small amount of copper in sterling and coin silver is ignored because buyers do not pay for it.
- W
- Weight of the item in grams
- F
- Fineness in parts per thousand (925 for sterling)
- S
- Silver spot price per troy ounce
Worked examples
500 g of sterling flatware at $50/oz
500 g × 0.925 = 462.5 g of pure silver, or 14.87 troy ounces. At $50 per ounce the melt value is about $743.49.
10 troy oz of .999 bars at $48, 95% buyback
Ten troy ounces at .999 fineness holds 9.99 oz of pure silver, worth $479.52 at $48. A dealer paying 95% of melt offers about $455.54.
2 lb (avoirdupois) of coin silver at 80%
Thirty-two kitchen-scale ounces is 907.2 g. At 90% purity that is 816.5 g, or 26.25 troy ounces of silver, worth $1,312.50 at $50. An 80% offer is $1,050.
Frequently asked questions
How much is sterling silver worth per gram?+
Sterling is 92.5% silver, so its melt value per gram is 0.925 × (spot price per troy ounce ÷ 31.1035). At $50 per ounce that is about $1.49 per gram of sterling.
What does 925 stamped on silver mean?+
925 means 925 parts per thousand of pure silver, or 92.5% — the sterling standard. The remaining 7.5% is usually copper, added to make the metal harder and more durable.
Why is my silver worth less than the scale weight suggests?+
Many silver items include non-silver parts: weighted candlesticks and hollow-handled knives are filled with pitch or resin, and knife blades are often steel. Only the silver portion counts toward melt value.
Is silver-plated metal worth anything?+
Silver plate has only a microscopic layer of silver over brass or copper, so its melt value is negligible. Look for marks like EPNS, “silver plate” or “Sheffield plate” rather than 925 or sterling.
How much do dealers pay for scrap silver?+
Payouts vary widely. Pawn shops may pay 50–70% of melt, while refiners and bullion dealers often pay 80–95% for larger lots of sterling or coin silver. Fine silver bullion usually sells close to spot.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.