Silver Calculator — Calculate Current Silver Value

As of: 24/08/2026, 01:32 · Update interval: 1 minute ·

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The silver calculator computes the current material value of your silver based on weight and fineness. Whether tableware, bullion coins or jewelry — enter the data and instantly get the value based on the current spot price. The alloy table shows the current price per gram for all common silver finenesses from 800 to fine silver (999). Note: When selling physical silver, no VAT applies since you sell net to the dealer — the buyback price is based on pure material value minus margin. In the guide below you will find everything about value calculation, the most important alloys like 925 sterling, and the impact of VAT on your proceeds.

Silver Price: 50.66 £ | Today: +0.28% | 7 Days: +4.0% | 30 Days: +17.6%

Weight

Alloy / Fineness

Silver Value

1.63 £

1.00 g x 1 x 1.6288 £/g = 1.63 £

Silver Alloys — Current Price per Gram

625 1.0180 £/g

800 1.3030 £/g

835 1.3600 £/g

900 1.4659 £/g

925 (Sterling) 1.5066 £/g

999 (Fine Silver) 1.6272 £/g

999.9 (Fine Silver) 1.6288 £/g

Coin Weight Checker

Maple Leaf, Vienna Philharmonic & Co. — Check weight against target data.

Melt Value Calculator

Material value for silver alloys — 800, 835, 925 and more.

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Calculating Silver Value — The Formula

The material value of a silver item is determined by three factors: the weight, the fineness (silver content) and the current spot price per gram. The basic formula is:

Silver Value = Weight (g) × Fineness × Spot Price (€/g)

From Ounce Price to Gram Price

The international silver spot price is quoted in US dollars per troy ounce (USD/oz). One troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams. To obtain the euro gram price, divide the ounce price by 31.1035 and then convert using the current EUR/USD exchange rate:

Silver Price (€/g) = Spot Price (USD/oz) ÷ 31.1035 ÷ EUR/USD Rate

Silver vs. Gold — The Price Difference

Silver is significantly cheaper per gram than gold. While one gram of fine gold currently costs around 90 EUR, one gram of fine silver is approximately 1 EUR. The so-called gold-silver ratio has historically ranged between 40:1 and 120:1 — currently it stands at about 85–90 ounces of silver per ounce of gold. This large price difference makes silver particularly attractive as an entry point into physical precious metals: even with a small budget, you can acquire meaningful quantities.

Calculation example: 100 g sterling silver (925) at a spot price of 1.00 €/g: 100 × 0.925 × 1.00 = 92.50 € pure silver value.

Silver Alloys and Finenesses

The fineness indicates how many thousandths of the total weight is pure silver. The higher the fineness, the closer the material value is to the full spot price. Here is an overview of the most important silver alloys:

◆ 999 (Fine Silver) — 99.9% purity. The standard for investment silver such as the Maple Leaf, the Vienna Philharmonic or silver bars. Maximum material value, no significant alloy additions.
◆ 925 (Sterling Silver) — 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper. The world's most common alloy for high-quality jewelry, cutlery and silverware. Recognizable by the hallmark stamp "925".
◆ 900 — 90% silver. Typical for historical circulation coins of many countries, including US half dollars (pre-1965) and French francs.
◆ 835 — 83.5% silver. Common in older European circulation coins (e.g. pre-1972 German DM coins, Dutch guilder coins, Belgian francs). Often found in antique silverware.
◆ 800 — 80% silver, 20% copper. Frequently found in tableware, cutlery and older household items from the 19th and early 20th century.
◆ 625 — 62.5% silver. Used in some older European commemorative coins and certain Swiss coins.

Tip: For unstamped items, an XRF analyzer or a precious metals tester at a jeweler can determine the actual fineness. The hallmark alone does not guarantee exact silver content — wear and historical tolerances may cause deviations.

Sterling Silver (925) — The Everyday Silver

Sterling silver is by far the most well-known silver alloy in the world. The name originates from medieval England, where the "sterling penny" served as the standard coin. The alloy consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper — a ratio that has proven itself over centuries.

Why Is Copper Added?

Pure silver (999) is too soft for everyday use. Rings, chains and cutlery would quickly bend and get scratched. The 7.5% copper addition significantly increases hardness and durability without noticeably changing the silver appearance. The result is a material that can be polished, remains dimensionally stable and still retains over 92% of the precious metal value.

Typical Uses

You encounter sterling silver in everyday life more often than you might think: high-quality jewelry (rings, pendants, earrings), cutlery and tableware, picture frames, writing instruments and decorative objects. Unlike silver-plated items (silver coating on base metal), sterling silver has a real material value that can be realized through melting.

Calculating Value

The silver value of sterling is exactly 92.5% of the fine silver price. At a spot price of 1.00 €/g, 100 g of sterling silver is worth 92.50 €. When purchasing through dealers or refineries, a deduction of 10–20% is typically applied, as melting and refining costs are incurred. Make sure to obtain multiple offers before selling old silver.

VAT on Silver

Investment gold is VAT-exempt in the UK under VATA 1994 Sch. 9 Group 15, an exemption Britain kept after Brexit in its own right. Silver has no such relief: every purchase carries the standard rate of 20%, and a private buyer cannot reclaim a penny of it. That is the single biggest reason silver behaves differently from gold as an investment here.

Why the Margin Scheme Does Not Apply in the UK

Buyers in several EU countries pay VAT only on the dealer's margin for second-hand silver coins, which brings the effective surcharge down to roughly 5–11%. That route is closed in the UK. HMRC excludes precious metals and investment gold from the VAT margin schemes (VATMARG02100), and VAT Notice 718 — still quoted by dealers and forum posts — was withdrawn on 23 December 2021. Older guidance describing a "second-hand margin scheme" for coins is out of date. In practice the 20% falls on the entire price, for a pre-owned coin exactly as for a new bar. If a seller quotes you a margin-scheme price, ask in writing which VAT treatment the invoice relies on.

Impact on Silver as an Investment

VAT is the biggest structural disadvantage of silver against gold as a store of value, and it bites harder in Britain than across the Channel. A 1 oz coin at a spot value of about £25 costs you around £30 once the full 20% is added — there is no margin scheme to soften it. The silver price has to rise roughly 20% before you are back at your cost. On resale, dealers work from the spot price excluding VAT, so the tax is simply gone. Silver can still pay off over a long horizon if the price gain exceeds that opening handicap, but the hurdle is real and it is why many UK investors put the investment portion into gold and keep silver for its industrial upside.

Tip: Silver can be left in a bonded warehouse, where the goods are not yet in free circulation and no import VAT has arisen. The charge is only deferred, not avoided: it falls due the moment the metal is withdrawn and imported into the destination country, at that country's rate — 20% if that country is the UK. The warehouse country's rate makes no difference and no jurisdiction is a loophole; Estonia, often cited as one, has applied the standard 24% rate to investment silver since 1 July 2025. Factor in the VAT, the storage fee and the cost of eventual delivery before you compare offers.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Silver Calculator

How do I calculate the silver value of my jewelry?

Weigh your jewelry on a precision scale (accuracy at least 0.1 g). Check the hallmark — for sterling silver it reads "925", for older silver often "800" or "835". Multiply the weight by the fineness (e.g. 0.925) and the current silver gram price. Our silver calculator above performs this calculation automatically for you.

What is the difference between 999 and 925 silver?

999 fine silver contains 99.9% pure silver and is used for investment products such as bars and bullion coins. 925 sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, which makes it harder and more suitable for everyday use. The material value of sterling is therefore only 92.5% of the fine silver value. When calculating value, the correct fineness is crucial — 999 silver is worth about 8% more per gram than 925.

Why do I pay VAT when buying silver?

Because the exemption is written for investment gold alone (VATA 1994 Sch. 9 Group 15). Silver is treated as an ordinary good and takes the standard rate of 20% on the full price. There is no margin scheme to soften it in the UK: HMRC excludes precious metals from the margin schemes (VATMARG02100), and the VAT Notice 718 still cited for the opposite view was withdrawn on 23 December 2021 — so a second-hand coin is taxed exactly like a new bar. When you sell back to a dealer the basis is the spot price excluding VAT, so the tax is not recovered.

How much is a kilogram of silver worth?

The value depends on fineness and current spot price. At a gram price of 1.00 EUR, one kilogram of 999 fine silver is worth exactly 1,000 EUR. One kilogram of 925 sterling silver would be worth 925 EUR, one kilogram of 800 silver correspondingly 800 EUR. Use our calculator and select "Kilogram" as the unit for an instant calculation.

Is it worth selling old silver cutlery?

That depends on the silver content and weight. Antique cutlery is commonly 800 or 835 silver. A 6-piece set with a total weight of 300 g in 800 fineness has a material value of 240 EUR at a spot price of 1.00 EUR/g. However, you will typically receive only 80–90% of that when selling, as the dealer factors in melting and refining costs. For rare patterns or high-quality branded pieces, the collector value may exceed the material value.

How do I tell if my silver is real?

Real silver usually bears a hallmark (stamp) with the fineness: "999", "925", "835" or "800". Additional clues: silver is not magnetic — if an item responds to a magnet, it is silver-plated or fake. The ice cube test demonstrates silver's high thermal conductivity: an ice cube melts noticeably faster on real silver than on stainless steel. For a reliable determination, an acid test or XRF analysis at a jeweler is recommended.