How to price silver scrap without slowing the counter.
Silver pricing is straightforward when the workflow stays consistent: identify the purity, weigh the piece in the right unit, convert to fine silver, then apply live spot and your payout rule.
This guide is written for pawn shops, coin buyers, jewelry buyers, and scrap desks that need a repeatable silver quote process instead of ad hoc calculator math.
Common purities
Primary units
Best record
1Identify the silver before you price it
Start with the hallmark or test result, not the price sheet. Sterling flatware, jewelry, and coin silver do not all pay the same because the fine-silver content is different.
If a piece is marked .925, .900, or .999, use the matching purity. If it is unmarked, test it before you offer a number.
- Sterling silver is usually .925 pure.
- Coin silver is commonly .900 pure.
- Fine silver is typically .999 pure.
2Weigh the item in a unit you trust
Use the same unit every time, and make sure your staff knows whether the number on the screen is troy ounces or grams.
If you buy in grams, convert once and keep the conversion locked to the same quote. Avoid bouncing between ounce systems mid-calculation.
- Troy ounces are the standard precious-metals unit.
- Grams are fine if your workflow is consistent.
- Avoid avoirdupois ounces unless you convert them immediately.
3Convert the weight to fine silver content
Multiply the gross weight by purity to get fine silver weight. That is the number you should multiply by live spot before payout adjustments.
This step is what separates a fast buyer from a buyer who guesses. The formula should be visible to the counter staff and easy to repeat.
- Fine silver weight = gross weight x purity.
- Do not round too early.
- Keep the formula the same across all shifts.
4Apply live spot and your payout rule
Once you have fine silver weight, multiply by the live silver spot price. Then apply the payout percentage your desk uses for that weight range or category.
If you charge refining or handling fees, subtract them only after the payout math is clear so the staff can explain the final number to the seller.
- Live spot should come from the same feed for every quote.
- Tiered payout rules keep smaller and larger lots consistent.
- Fees should be visible, not hidden inside the offer.
5Save the quote trail
A saved quote is more than a receipt. It protects your staff, helps you explain the offer later, and gives you a pattern to review when margins drift.
Attach a photo when you can, especially for mixed jewelry or seller-provided bags with multiple items. That record matters when a quote is revisited.
- Keep the customer name, purity, weight, and offer.
- Store a photo if the device supports it.
- Use searchable history so repeat sellers are faster to handle.
Common mistakes
Using avoirdupois ounces without converting to troy ounces first.
Rounding the fine-silver weight too early and losing margin.
Ignoring different purities inside the same lot.
Making the quote from memory instead of the live screen.
Why this guide helps
Search engines reward pages that answer a specific buyer question with enough detail to be useful on their own. This guide gives that query a clear destination.
The app still handles the live quote. The guide shows the logic behind the number so the counter staff and the seller can both follow the math.
If you need the active desk workflow, open the app. If you need the explanation or the training material, keep reading the guides.
Do I need to quote silver in grams?
Can I buy Sterling and Coin silver in the same app?
What should I keep with the receipt?
Related pages and next steps
Use the guide to understand the math, then open the app to make the live quote.