.999 Fine Silver
.958 Britannia Silver
.925 Sterling Silver
.900 Coin Silver (US)
.835 European Silver
.800 German/Italian Silver
.500 British Junk Silver
Estimated Melt Value:
$0.00
How to Calculate Silver Scrap Value
Selling silver jewelry, silverware, or old coins requires understanding the melt value. This is the intrinsic value of the metal content before any refiner's fees or dealer premiums are applied. Our calculator uses the current spot price and the purity of your silver to determine exactly how much silver you actually have.
Common Silver Purity Levels
Type
Fineness
Common Uses
Sterling Silver
92.5%
Jewelry, Cutlery, High-end hollowware
Coin Silver
90.0%
Pre-1965 US Dimes, Quarters, Halves
Fine Silver
99.9%
Bullion bars, Investment rounds
Britannia
95.8%
British silver coins and plates
The Math Behind the Calculation
To calculate the value manually, we follow these steps:
Convert Weight to Troy Ounces: If your weight is in grams, divide by 31.1035. (Note: Standard ounces are 28.35g, but precious metals use Troy Ounces).
Determine Pure Content: Multiply the weight in troy ounces by the purity (e.g., 0.925 for sterling).
Apply Market Price: Multiply the pure troy ounces by the current market spot price.
Example Calculation:
Suppose you have 100 grams of Sterling Silver (.925) and the spot price is $24.00 per troy oz.
1. 100g / 31.1035 = 3.215 ozt
2. 3.215 ozt * 0.925 = 2.974 pure ozt
3. 2.974 * $24.00 = $71.38 Melt Value
Tips for Selling Scrap Silver
Check Hallmarks: Look for "925", "Sterling", or "800" stamps to confirm purity.
Separate by Karat: Don't mix 80% silver with sterling, or you may get paid for the lowest purity.
Expect Fees: Refiners and local coin shops usually pay 70% to 90% of the melt value to cover their overhead and melting costs.
function calculateSilverScrap() {
var weightInput = document.getElementById('silverWeight').value;
var unit = document.getElementById('weightUnit').value;
var purity = parseFloat(document.getElementById('silverPurity').value);
var spotPrice = document.getElementById('marketPrice').value;
if (!weightInput || !spotPrice || weightInput <= 0 || spotPrice <= 0) {
alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for weight and market price.");
return;
}
var weight = parseFloat(weightInput);
var marketPrice = parseFloat(spotPrice);
var weightInTroyOz;
// Convert all inputs to Troy Ounces for the math
if (unit === 'g') {
weightInTroyOz = weight / 31.1034768;
} else if (unit === 'dwt') {
weightInTroyOz = weight / 20;
} else {
weightInTroyOz = weight;
}
// Calculate pure silver content
var pureWeight = weightInTroyOz * purity;
var totalValue = pureWeight * marketPrice;
// Calculate details for display
var pureGrams = pureWeight * 31.1034768;
// Display results
document.getElementById('silverResult').style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('totalValueDisplay').innerText = '$' + totalValue.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
var breakdownText = "Contains approx. " + pureWeight.toFixed(3) + " troy oz (" + pureGrams.toFixed(2) + "g) of pure silver.";
document.getElementById('breakdownDisplay').innerText = breakdownText;
// Scroll to result
document.getElementById('silverResult').scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}