It is said that investment in authentic and expensive jewelry is one of the best financial decisions a lady could make. But whether you are buying new jewelry out of love for nice things or accessorizing, or if your purchase decisions are guided by a future-thinking process – what can I get from this purchase decision in future – then this article could be open on your computer tab at a better time. At the end of the day, you want to know the actual value of your assets and how much you’d get for that item on the market.
At the same time, this article is also ideal for anyone looking for a quick financial fix looking for guidance on how to make money out of their valuable sterling silver jewelry or any other piece.
Your grandmother’s old ring might be worth more than you’d ever imagine! And through pawning, you would be able to get a loan.
Remember that pawning is different from selling in that a pawn represents a loan with the sterling silver piece in question serving as collateral. Money from pawning might not be much, but that loan could help you get through an emergency and cater for that unexpected bill.
So, how much is Sterling silver worth at the pawnshop?
Overall, Sterling silver or 925 silver is valued based on its weight in silver, less a specific percentage.
Note, however, that the pricing of silver (based on the weight) will be based on different factors, including fluctuations on the market and also the type/ brand of the sterling silver item you are pawning.
While you might be in a rush to sell that piece at the best pawnshop, an understanding of all the factors that affect the pricing of sterling silver is important. Otherwise, you’d walk out of the shop frustrated. The information shared below is also essential if you are looking for an online pawnshop.
Pricing of Sterling Silver in Pawnshops
As mentioned above, there are several factors that affect the pricing of sterling silver. These factors include the open market, weight, and the fineness of silverware.
Effects of the open market
Pawnshops, just like every other jewelry store, will price sterling silver items based on the prevailing open market value of the precious metal, even before they look at the weight and the fineness of the piece.
By open market, we mean supply and demand, market speculations, currency fluctuations, as well as current events. Since information on these market elements is available on the internet and even covered by the news, study the market conditions, or even ask your friend in the financial world to provide you with some insights. Having this information and learning past trends will ensure that you sell your jewelry pieces at the best prices and at the right time.
1.The fineness or the Purity of the piece
We all know that the purity of gold is signified by the karat, but do you know the standard of measuring purity in sterling silver? Well, sterling silver’s purity is measured by the Millesimal Fineness System, or simply the Purity or Fineness. This value is expressed as a percentage. With silver’s pricing based on the ounces of the item on sale, the weight of the piece is also crucial.
The pricing, fineness, and weight all come into play when it comes down to determining the worth of a sterling silver piece since silver is traded on the open market, just like gold.
But besides these intrinsic factors (weight and purity), the extrinsic factors are the ones that really determine the value of the sterling silver piece. So, throwing in the current economic/ political events, market speculation, and the forces of demand and supply, and top it all with the fact that silver is bought/sold 24/7/365, you cannot look at a fixed number as the ultimate cost of an ounce of sterling silver.
And that is not all: you also need to consider the pawnshop broker’s cut. The broker needs to turn a small profit on your silver piece when they are buying and selling it, and that means that the price will not be as high as you expect; even in the best market conditions. The pawnshop you approach will take into account all the factors mentioned above while adding a percentage of their cut.
2.Determining the Purity of Sterling Silver Pieces
As noted earlier, the worth of the sterling silver pieces is determined by the purity of the silver piece. So, how do you (and the pawnshop broker) determine the purity level of that sterling silver piece?
Well, the most obvious identifier of pure sterling silver is the authenticity marking often on the insides, sides, or even the clasps/ handles of the jewelry piece. What this means is that you are the looking for the price and purity level of a bullion bar or coin, you only need to look at the bullion. In other cases, however, you have to run other tests to determine the purity of the sterling silver piece.
Keep in mind that when we talk about markings, we mean the Fineness symbols, also referred to as Silver Hallmarks.
An obvious silver hallmark is a number; for example, the silver item in question could be tagged 925, 800, or 999. Sterling silver will have a 925 hallmark which represents a 92.5% level of purity.
In essence, the higher the number on the piece, the purer the piece is.
That said, don’t be duped by persons claiming to sell pieces of sterling silver jewelry made of 100% pure silver. In its purest forms, silver is a very soft/ malleable metal that cannot be molded into the fine jewelry you are now wearing. For hardness, silver is mixed with other metals or hardening agents, often copper. This means that sterling silver is technically a silver alloy.
Determining the Weight of Sterling Silver
Sterling silver’s worth is also determined by its weight; as noted previously. The good news is that determining weight is quite easy, especially if you have the purchase certificate for the item. And even without the certificate, you will only need a scale that takes measurements to the tenth of a gram.
But if your sterling silver jewelry has embellishments, you’d have to estimate the standalone weights of the gemstones and other non-silver features to obtain the actual weight of the silver piece.
Conclusion
To determine how much sterling silver’s worth in the pawnshop, you can mimic their calculations by figuring out silver’s current market value (on the open market), its weight, and purity. Don’t forget to allow for the broker’s cut.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.