Scrap Silver
Also: Silver scrap, Recycled silver, Second-hand silver
Scrap silver refers to used silver from jewellery, cutlery, coins, or industrial goods that is melted down or reprocessed as a raw material.
Scrap silver covers all silver-bearing items that are returned to the silver market as a secondary raw material after their primary useful life. It includes jewellery, tableware and cutlery, coins from silver circulating money, dental alloys, and industrial components such as solder paste, contact materials, and photographic chemicals. Unlike investment products such as bars or bullion coins, the fineness of scrap silver is often heterogeneous and must be determined before further processing.
Fineness at a glance
The main silver alloys found across Europe in the scrap-silver segment:
| Stamp | Fineness | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 800 | 80.0% Ag | Continental tableware, older cutlery |
| 835 | 83.5% Ag | Jewellery, cutlery (19th/20th century) |
| 925 | 92.5% Ag | Sterling silver - jewellery, silverware worldwide |
| 958 | 95.8% Ag | Britannia silver (UK) |
| 999 | 99.9% Ag | Fine silver, bars, investment coins |
The fineness is usually shown by the stamped hallmark. Where no hallmark is present, an X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) or streak test is advisable.
Melt-value calculation
The material value of scrap silver follows from weight, fineness, and the current silver spot price:
Melt value (EUR) = gross weight (g) x fineness (per mille / 1000) x silver price (EUR/g)
The melt-value calculator gives you the current silver price per gram and the melt value for any piece to the second. The silver calculator additionally allows entry in different units (grams, ounces, kilograms).
Buying price vs. melt value
Dealers and refineries always pay less for scrap silver than the calculated melt value. The difference — also called the spread — covers analysis costs, melting effort, and margin. Typical buying rates run between 70% and 90% of melt value, depending on quantity and purity. The buying-price calculator helps you establish a realistic reference figure.
Factors that influence the buying price:
- Fineness and identifiability — stamped pieces achieve better terms than unmarked goods.
- Quantity — larger lots are generally valued with a smaller discount.
- Purity — heavily soiled or soldered pieces raise the processing effort.
- Sales channel — refineries usually pay more than general buyers.
Tax notes
Selling scrap silver from private ownership may give rise to a taxable gain. In Ireland, a gain on the disposal of silver is liable to Capital Gains Tax at 33%, after the annual personal exemption of EUR 1,270, with no holding-period relief (unlike Germany, which applies a one-year speculative period). Note that, unlike investment gold, silver itself carries the standard Irish VAT rate of 23% on purchase. This is not tax or investment advice — for binding information, please consult a tax adviser.
For cash sales of EUR 10,000 or more, the dealer must carry out identity verification under Ireland's anti-money-laundering rules.
In brief
Scrap silver is not waste but a valuable secondary raw material whose material value can be calculated precisely. What matters are fineness, weight, and the up-to-date silver price — all three can be combined in a few clicks in the melt-value calculator.