The most common question we get this time of year is some version of "is now a good time to sell?" The honest answer is that nobody, including us, knows where silver will be six months from now. What we can tell you is where the market sits right now, and how that translates into real offers on real items here in Chesapeake.
Where the spot price sits in April 2026
Spot silver has spent most of April 2026 in the low-to-mid $30s per troy ounce. That's meaningfully higher than the long, sleepy stretch of 2019-2023 when silver lived in the high teens and low $20s. For anyone holding sterling flatware or hollowware that's been in a drawer or china cabinet for a couple of decades, the underlying metal is simply worth more today than it was during the last time you might have considered selling.
You can always check the live price on our silver value calculator, we pull a live feed and show you a quick estimate based on weight.
What's actually been driving the move
A few overlapping forces are doing the work:
- Industrial demand for silver in solar panels and electronics has stayed strong. Silver is the most conductive metal we know of, and the photovoltaic industry alone now consumes roughly 200+ million ounces a year.
- Investment demand has held up. Silver coins, bars, and ETF holdings continue to pull metal off the market.
- Mine supply has been flat to slightly down. New silver discoveries are increasingly rare, and most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper, lead, and zinc mining.
None of this is a prediction. It's just context for why the metal is where it is.
What this means for sterling silver flatware and hollowware
Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver. So one troy ounce of sterling silver flatware contains 0.925 troy ounces of actual silver. At a $30 spot price, the raw silver content of one troy ounce of sterling is worth roughly $27.75. A typical sterling teaspoon weighs around 1.0 to 1.5 troy ounces; a dinner fork around 2.0 to 2.5; a place knife (which is hollow with a stainless blade) is mostly weight in the handle.
A complete sterling service for 12 will commonly weigh between 100 and 180 troy ounces, depending on pattern and weight class. At today's spot, that's a meaningful number, substantially more than it would have been five years ago.
Pattern and condition still matter
For collectors and pattern-completers, certain Gorham, Wallace, Tiffany, and Kirk Stieff patterns trade at meaningful premiums above their melt value. We'll always evaluate your pieces both ways and pay you whichever number is higher: collectible value where it exists, or full sterling content otherwise. Nothing is "weighed and dumped" without first being looked at.
So, is now a good time to sell?
If you've been holding sterling for sentimental reasons and you've decided you're ready to part with it, today's market is a comparatively good time to do it. If you're trying to time the absolute peak, that's a different question, and one we won't pretend to answer.
Either way: bring it in, ship it in, or send photos. We'll tell you straight what we'd pay, with no obligation to sell. We work by appointment from 2650 Indian River Rd in Chesapeake and serve customers across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the rest of Hampton Roads, as well as the entire United States via insured shipping.
Malpass, Inc. — Licensed & Bonded Buyer in Chesapeake, VA
We pay top cash prices for sterling silver flatware, jewelry, hollowware, coins, and bars. Local appointments at 2650 Indian River Rd, Chesapeake. Nationwide insured shipping for out-of-area customers.
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