Silver jewellery: the standards, the marks and the parts that are not silver

Sterling, 800, and other silver standards

The most common silver standard in UK jewellery is sterling, .925 fine, marked 925 inside the band or on the clasp. Older British silver carries an assay office hallmark, the lion passant for sterling, alongside town marks like the leopard head for London or the anchor for Birmingham. Continental European silver is often .800 fine and marked 800. Some Mexican silver is .950. Some Asian silver is unhallmarked and tests across a wide range. If you already know what you have, the service page to sell silver covers the label, the cover level and the paperwork.

The number tells us the silver content per thousand parts. .925 is 92.5 per cent silver. .800 is 80 per cent silver. XRF testing on arrival reads the alloy directly and confirms what the stamp suggests, or flags it where the stamp is wrong. What 925 means on silver and what 800 and 830 mean explain each standard in full.

Hallmarks and where to look

Rings carry the hallmark inside the band. On a necklace or bracelet, look near the clasp, or on the small tag fixed to the chain a link or two along. Earrings are marked on the post or the butterfly back, which usually takes a loupe. Brooches and pendants are marked on the back.

If the piece is hallmarked, photograph the mark close up before posting. A clear photo lets us give a more useful indicative figure before the parcel moves.

Stones, charms and non-silver components

Many silver pieces carry stones, enamel, glass, paste or non-silver components such as a leather strap or a base-metal clasp. For a silver-content offer we calculate based on the silver only. Where the stones are genuinely precious, a diamond, sapphire, ruby, emerald or opal of any real size, we will say in the valuation whether it is worth removing them for separate sale or whether the piece is better sold whole.

Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market. For silver jewellery the calculation strips out any obviously non-silver mass before the tested silver weight and purity are valued against the live silver market.

EPNS and silver-plated pieces

EPNS, Electro Plated Nickel Silver, looks like silver but contains no silver at all. The mark "EPNS" or "EP" on the back is the telltale. Sheffield Plate and other rolled-silver-on-base techniques fall in the same category. These pieces have decorative value but no bullion value. We will tell you clearly if your parcel includes EPNS so nothing is mistakenly valued as silver.

Posting silver jewellery

1. WhatsApp photos of every piece (and any hallmark close-ups) to 07944 014111.
2. Wait for our reply and a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label.
3. Bag each piece separately so chains do not tangle and stones do not rub.
4. Pad inside a jiffy bag and use a rigid outer mailer.
5. Drop off at a Post Office counter and keep the receipt.
6. Forward the tracking number to us on WhatsApp.

Postal cover, declining and payment

Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. A heavy silver parcel can exceed that cap because silver is bulky relative to value. Tell us before you ship and we will split the parcel across more than one label. Accept and we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour. Decline and the parcel comes back to you by tracked post at our cost.