Guide
What is sterling silver flatware worth?
Sterling is 92.5% silver, so a set's value starts with its weight and today's silver price. Some pieces are mostly something other than silver, though. And silverplate looks the same but is worth very little.
Updated October 28, 2026 · Prices as of November 2, 2026, 5:02 p.m. Pacific
Is it sterling or silverplate?
Turn each piece over and look for a mark on the back of the handle.
- Sterling: "Sterling", "925", or ".925". British sterling carries a lion hallmark.
- Coin silver: older American pieces marked "Coin" are usually 90% silver, slightly less than sterling.
- Silverplate: "EPNS", "Silver plate", "Triple plate", "Quadruple plate", "A1", or a maker such as "1847 Rogers Bros.". These are a thin layer of silver over base metal and have little silver value.
Hollow handles and weighted pieces
Knives, cake servers, carving sets, and some serving pieces have hollow sterling handles filled with cement or resin, with steel blades. Candlesticks, compotes, and some bowls are often marked "weighted" and filled the same way. Only the thin sterling shell counts, so these weigh far more than the silver they contain.
Work out the silver value yourself
- Troy ounces = grams ÷ 31.1035
- Silver content = troy ounces × 0.925
- Silver value = silver content × the silver price
For example, a kilo (1,000 grams) of solid sterling is 32.15 troy ounces, which holds 29.74 ounces of pure silver. With silver at $50 an ounce, that's $1,487 of silver; at our 80% rate we'd pay about $1,190. Silver is at $50.26 an ounce right now (the Kitco bid).
Work out yours in our estimate calculator →
Is the pattern worth more than the silver?
Some patterns sell for more as flatware than as silver, especially complete sets in popular patterns in good condition. If that matters to you, check a flatware replacement service before selling for the silver. Monogrammed and worn pieces usually sell for their silver.
We pay on the silver after melting
We buy sterling by its verified silver content after melting, with a 1 kilo minimum for scrap sterling. There's no need to separate hollow-handled pieces; we account for them. Send photos of the marks and a rough weight for a free estimate.
Silver guides: Sterling silver jewelry · Sterling flatware · Sterling hollowware · Scrap silver · Silver bars · Silver rounds · Troy ounces, grams, and pennyweight
The highest payouts for your silver, at a published percentage of the live Kitco bid.
Your sterling
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Send photos of the marks and a rough weight, and we'll reply with a free written estimate.