Silver Calculator

Silver melt value is the intrinsic worth of the pure silver content in any item — flatware, jewelry, coins, bars, or industrial scrap. The calculation is straightforward: weigh the item, determine its purity (fineness), convert the pure silver weight to troy ounces, and multiply by the current silver spot price. This calculator handles all of that instantly.

For example, if you have a sterling silver tray that weighs 500 grams, the pure silver content is 500 × 0.925 = 462.5 grams. Converting to troy ounces: 462.5 ÷ 31.1035 = 14.87 oz t. At today's spot price of — per troy ounce, the melt value is approximately —. That's the baseline — what the raw silver is worth before any craftsmanship or antique premium.

Silver Calculator by Purity

Silver comes in several common purities depending on the item. Sterling silver dominates jewelry and flatware. Coin silver shows up in pre-1965 US coins. Fine silver is used in bullion bars and rounds. Use the silver calculator above with the purity selector, or reference per-purity details below. Per-gram prices update automatically with live spot prices.

Sterling Silver Calculator: Price Per Gram

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver, stamped "925," "STERLING," "STER," or ".925." The sterling silver price per gram is — at today's spot price. Sterling is the standard for fine jewelry, flatware, tea sets, hollowware, and most decorative silver objects sold in the US, UK, and Europe. If you found old silver in a drawer or inherited a flatware set, it's almost certainly sterling.

Coin Silver Calculator: Price Per Gram

Coin silver is 90% pure silver, the standard for US dimes, quarters, and half dollars minted before 1965. The coin silver price per gram is — at today's spot price. A single 1964 Washington quarter contains about 5.62 grams of pure silver. Bags of pre-1965 US coins, called "junk silver," trade at a small premium over melt value because the coins are easy to verify and divisible.

Fine Silver Calculator: Price Per Gram (.999)

Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, also called .999 silver. The fine silver price per gram is — at today's spot price. American Silver Eagles, silver bars, and most modern bullion rounds are .999. Some Canadian Silver Maple Leafs and other modern bullion coins are .9999 ("four nines fine"), which carries an even smaller alloy fraction but at the gram level the price difference is negligible.

Britannia Silver Calculator: Price Per Gram (.958)

Britannia silver is 95.84% pure silver, used in British coinage and some modern bullion. The Britannia silver price per gram is — at today's spot price. Modern UK Silver Britannia coins are minted in .999 fine silver since 2013, but older Britannia hallmarks indicate the 95.84% standard.

800 Silver Calculator: Price Per Gram

800 silver is 80% pure silver, common in German, Italian, and other continental European jewelry and flatware. The 800 silver price per gram is — at today's spot price. Look for the "800" stamp on older European pieces. Not technically "silver" under US standards but still has melt value.

Other silver purities show up in international markets. 950 silver (95% pure) is sometimes called "Mexican silver" and used in fine Mexican jewelry. 835 silver (83.5%) appears in older European pieces. Some coins like the Kennedy half dollar from 1965–1970 are 40% silver. The silver calculator above handles all of these purities plus a custom option for unusual alloys.

Silver Price Per Gram, Pennyweight, and Troy Ounce

Silver trades in three weight units depending on context. Per gram is the most common reference for scrap silver and jewelry sellers. Per pennyweight (dwt) is used by some jewelers and refiners. Per troy ounce is the global spot price quoted on COMEX and used for bullion. The price table above shows all three for every purity. Use the silver calculator at the top of the page to convert your weight to any unit and apply the purity automatically.

Silver Price Per Pennyweight (DWT)

A pennyweight is 1.555 grams, or 1/20 of a troy ounce. At today's spot price, fine .999 silver is worth — per pennyweight, and sterling silver is worth — per pennyweight. Pennyweight is more common in gold transactions than silver, but some refiners and pawn shops still quote silver in dwt.

Common Sterling Silver Items Worth Checking

Many households have sterling silver items they don't realize are valuable: flatware sets (forks, knives, spoons), serving trays and platters, candlesticks, picture frames, baby cups and rattles, jewelry (chains, bracelets, rings), cigarette cases, and tea services. Check the bottom or back for "Sterling" or "925" marks. Even damaged or tarnished pieces have full melt value — dealers don't care about appearance when buying for melt.

What Dealers Pay for Scrap Silver

Dealers typically pay 75–90% of melt value for scrap silver. The percentage depends on quantity, purity, and current market conditions. Large lots of .999 bullion get the best percentages (often 90%+) because they require no refining. Mixed sterling flatware typically gets 80–85%. Small quantities under 10 troy ounces may get lower offers due to fixed transaction costs. Always compare dealer offers to the melt value shown on this sterling silver calculator.

How to Identify Sterling Silver

The fastest way to identify sterling silver is to look for the hallmark stamp. US sterling silver made after 1860 is typically stamped "STERLING," "STER," "925," or ".925." UK sterling silver carries a lion passant hallmark plus an assay office mark. Older or international pieces may use different marks.

Sterling Silver Hallmarks and Markings

Common sterling silver stamps include "925" (the most universal mark), "STERLING," "STER," ".925," "S/S," and "92.5." UK silver uses date letters, town marks, and the lion passant. Continental European silver uses numerical fineness marks like "800," "830," "835," "900," "925," or "950." Mexican silver typically uses "925," "950," or "MEXICO" with a fineness number. Watch for "EP," "EPNS," "SILVERPLATE," "GERMAN SILVER," or "NICKEL SILVER" — these are NOT sterling silver and have minimal melt value.

The Magnet Test for Silver

Silver is not magnetic. Hold a strong magnet (a neodymium magnet works best) against your item. If it sticks firmly, it's not silver — it's likely stainless steel or a plated base metal. If the magnet slides off slowly, the item may be plated. If the magnet has no attraction at all, the item is likely real silver, but confirm with a hallmark check or acid test for certainty.

The Acid Test

A silver acid test kit costs $10–$20 and uses a small drop of nitric acid solution on a hidden spot of the item. Different acid concentrations indicate different purities by color reaction. Sterling silver turns the acid creamy white. Lower purity silver turns gray or brown. Non-silver metals turn green. Acid tests damage a tiny area of the item, so test on a hidden spot or on a scratch already present.

For silver coins, visit our US silver coin melt values page for a complete table with every coin type and silver content. See the current silver price per gram for each purity in the price table above, or return to the melt value calculator homepage.