How Much Is Sterling Silver Worth Per Gram Today?
How-To Guides
Wondering how much your sterling silver is worth per gram today? Sterling silver value follows a simple, repeatable formula, and once you learn it you can price a spoon, a bracelet, or a whole drawer of flatware in minutes.
What Sterling Silver Really Is
Sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver mixed with 7.5 percent other metals, usually copper, to give it strength. That is why you will see it stamped "925" or "Sterling". The 0.925 purity is the magic number you will use in every calculation below.
Pure or "fine" silver is stamped 999 and is softer, while silver-plated items only have a thin coating over a base metal and have almost no melt value. If you are not sure which you have, our guide on sterling vs plated and how to tell shows you the quick checks.
Silver Purity Reference Table
| Type | Common Stamp | Silver Purity | Purity Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Silver | 999 | 99.9% | 0.999 |
| Britannia | 958 | 95.8% | 0.958 |
| Sterling | 925 | 92.5% | 0.925 |
| Coin Silver | 900 | 90.0% | 0.900 |
| Plated | EP, EPNS | negligible | 0.000 |
The Per-Gram Value Formula
Silver, like gold, is quoted per troy ounce, and one troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams. To find the value of sterling silver per gram:
- Get the live silver spot price per troy ounce.
- Divide by 31.1035 to get the price of pure silver per gram.
- Multiply by 0.925 because sterling is only 92.5 percent pure.
- Multiply by the weight of your item in grams for the total melt value.
A Worked Example
Say silver is trading at $30 per troy ounce today. (It moves daily, so this is just for practice.) Here is the per-gram value of sterling:
- Pure silver per gram: $30 divided by 31.1035 = about $0.96 per gram.
- Sterling silver per gram: $0.96 times 0.925 = about $0.89 per gram.
Now imagine a sterling bracelet that weighs 40 grams. Its melt value is 40 times $0.89, which is about $35.60. A heavier item, like a 200 gram set of flatware, would be worth roughly $178 in melt at this price.
To run your own numbers instantly, use our sterling silver melt value calculator, and keep an eye on where silver is heading with our live metal charts.
Weighing Silver the Right Way
Accurate weight is everything, because melt value scales directly with grams. Use a small digital scale and weigh items separately from any non-silver parts like knife handles, which are often hollow and filled. Our guide on how to weigh your jewelry at home has the full method, and the weights and conversions guide helps if you are switching between grams, troy ounces, and pennyweights.
What Affects How Much You Actually Get
- Buyer margin. A refiner or dealer pays below melt to make a profit, often 70 to 90 percent of melt for scrap.
- Collectible value. Antique, designer, or hallmarked pieces can sell well above melt to the right buyer.
- Weight of stones or fillers. Remove or account for anything that is not silver before you weigh.
When you are ready to sell, the same safety rules that apply to gold apply here. Read how to sell gold safely for tips that work for silver too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the per-gram silver price the same everywhere?
The underlying spot price is global, but what a buyer offers varies. The melt value is your baseline, and dealers adjust from there. Because the spot price changes every day, always check current numbers before a sale.
How much is silver-plated worth per gram?
Almost nothing in melt terms, because the silver coating is microscopically thin. Plated items are valued for their look or brand, not their metal. Confirm what you have with this plated versus sterling guide.
Do I include gemstones or knife handles in the weight?
No. Only the silver counts toward melt value. Weigh stones and weighted handles separately so you do not overestimate what your piece is worth.
However much your silver is worth, BigStash.app makes it easy to log each piece with its weight and purity, then watch the melt value update as silver prices move, so your collection's worth is always current.