Scrap silver: a gentle clean is fine
For broken chains, single earrings, mismatched cutlery and damaged sterling that is being sold by weight, a light clean with warm water, a small amount of washing-up liquid and a soft cloth is fine. It will not change the assay or the weight; it just makes the items easier to photograph and inspect.
Antique silver: leave it alone
On older silver, Georgian and earlier Victorian flatware, candlesticks, tea sets and named-maker pieces, collectors and dealers expect to see honest age. The fine dark tone in recesses (patina) is part of the visual identity of the piece, and aggressive polishing removes detail, softens engraving and reduces value. If a piece could be antique, do nothing more than wipe loose dust with a clean dry cloth and ask before you sell. Once polish has been applied, you cannot put the patina back.
What never to use
Avoid kitchen scouring powders, steel wool, household bleach and aluminium-foil-and-bicarbonate "miracle" baths on anything you have not confirmed is scrap. Abrasives scratch and dull the surface. Chlorine bleach can pit silver permanently. The foil-and-bicarbonate bath works by electrolysis: in hot water the aluminium pulls sulphur off the silver surface, converting dark silver sulphide back towards bare metal. It is quick, and that is the problem. It strips everything, including the deliberate dark tone sitting in engraving and chased decoration, and leaves a flat, slightly matte white surface that a dealer will recognise at a glance. The patina does not come back.
Cleaning that is broadly safe on scrap
Warm water and a mild washing-up liquid, with a soft microfibre cloth, removes everyday dirt without scratching. A dedicated proprietary silver dip (used briefly, then rinsed) removes light tarnish; do not use it on pieces with set stones or glued components. For anything sentimental, antique or named, ask first.
Photographing for valuation
For a WhatsApp photo, natural light beats indoor lamps. A neutral background, an item filling most of the frame, and a close-up of any marks is usually enough for us to give you an indicative figure. Do not over-clean before you photograph it. The patina is part of what tells us whether this is scrap or something a specialist should see.
Common questions
Will cleaning silver reduce its value?
On antique pieces, aggressive cleaning can. Patina is part of the value. On everyday scrap, a gentle clean is fine and does not change the assay or weight.
Can I use silver dip on hallmarked sterling flatware?
Briefly, then rinse, but if the flatware is named-maker or antique, ask first. Once you have stripped tarnish you cannot bring it back.
Does GoldPaid care if items are tarnished?
No. For scrap silver we weigh and XRF-assay the metal. Tarnish does not change either number. For antique pieces we may ask you to leave it alone so a specialist can look properly.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Request a free prepaid Royal Mail label
Two quick steps. The label arrives by email, usually within about 30 minutes during working hours. Requesting one commits you to nothing: you get a written offer after the XRF assay, and if you decline, your items come back to you free.
Two things worth knowing before you start, rather than after. Everyone sends a photo of a UK passport or driving licence, whatever the parcel is worth — it applies to every seller, so it is never a comment on you. And the parcel is handed in at a Post Office counter rather than dropped in a postbox: the receipt they give you is the proof of postage any compensation claim depends on.
Would you rather ask a question first, or send a photo? Message us on WhatsApp. It is the fastest way to get a sense of what something is worth before you post anything.