Many gold and silver dealers don’t buy silverware as it can be difficult to test. But Canada Gold’s advanced testing machinery allows us to accurately test the precious metal content of your silverware, and offer you top dollar for it.

Even if you have damaged or mismatched silverware pieces, drop by any Canada Gold store to see how much your items are worth. Free expert valuations and no appointment necessary!

Pure silver is 99.9% silver, while sterling silver is an alloy consisting of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other precious metals (such as copper, steel or iron). Sterling silver is sensitive to air and water, and tarnishes easily. Silver however, does not tarnish even when exposed to the elements.

Pure silver is very soft, so it’s mostly used for jewelry. Silver flatware is often mixed with other precious metals (to make sterling silver) is to increase durability and help items such as silver cutlery and tea sets hold their shape.

We’ll calculate the value of your silverware using state-of-the-art density and x-ray fluorescence testing to confirm whether your items are silver or made up of other precious metals.

Testing is completely free and done right before you. If the tests go well, we’ll give you an obligation-free quote and offer to buy your precious metals on the spot.

You can also check your silverware for some of the hallmarks and stamps on our Stamps, Marks, and Hallmarks page.

Canada Gold will also purchase any collection of silver jewellery >$50 in value. 

Most flatware sets are silver plated, meaning they are made with copper, nickel or brass and have only a tiny layer of silver coating the outside. Unfortunately we cannot purchase these silver plated items because refining plated items results in more fees than the actual silver is worth.

We do not buy items with the following stamps (as they are all plated):

• Rogers (bros, sons)
  NOTE: Most Rogers pieces will have the year 1847 stamped on them. This is not the year the piece was made, but the year the company was established.
• Community
• Regency
• EP, EPNS, EPC, EPB (these letters indicate electroplated silver over nickel, copper and brass)
• 90 (this number indicates German silver, not 90% pure silver, but a silver plate which is 90% pure)
• and anything with the word “plate” included in the stamp

If you’re unsure whether your items are silver plated, call us toll-free at 1 888 682 5832 or drop by your nearest Canada Gold location for a free estimate.

There are some companies that recycle electroplated (EP) copper and brass flatware and can offer you cash for your items. However do your research first as some plated flatware should not be sold for scrap value! Depending on the age and condition, certain flatware pieces and tea sets could be considered vintage or antique and fetch considerably more than scrap value. For example, we see Rogers flatware almost on a daily basis. We cannot buy it because it is plated, however styles like the Eternally Yours style date back to 1941 and are highly collectible. Do your research and try to sell it online.

Find your Canada Gold store or learn more about our gold buying process.