Silver Seller Guide
Don't clean your silver before selling it — here's why, and what to do instead
Cleaning silver before selling is one of the most common mistakes sellers make. It never helps, and sometimes causes significant damage.
Why British Gold Exchange
40+
Years in the precious metals business
£0
Cost to request your free insured postal pack
24h
Maximum time to receive your firm, itemised offer
100%
Of items returned free if you decline
Ready to get a valuation?
The short answer
Tarnish has no effect on silver value — cleaning can reduce it
Silver tarnishes naturally when exposed to air, sulphur compounds and moisture. The black or brown surface that develops over time is silver sulphide — a thin layer that in no way reduces the silver content of the piece or the offer you'll receive for it. Our XRF analyser reads through tarnish to the metal below. Tarnish is irrelevant to your offer.
For silverware and jewellery, cleaning is unnecessary before selling and occasionally damaging. Overly aggressive polishing can wear down hallmarks, thin decorative surfaces and remove patina that, on antique pieces, is part of their character. For silver coins, the situation is more acute: cleaning almost always destroys collector value and reduces a potentially numismatic piece to melt value.
The simple rule is: send your silver exactly as it is. Whether it's heavily tarnished, slightly marked or pristine, the offer will be the same for the metal content. The only difference is when a piece has collectible value — in which case original, undisturbed surfaces are worth considerably more than polished ones.
What affects it
What cleaning does to different types of silver
How it works
From first contact to payment
Request Your Free Pack
We post a fully insured, tracked Royal Mail freepost envelope. No cost, no commitment required.
Send Your Items
Send your items exactly as they are — tarnished, dirty, or marked. Condition doesn't affect silver value; cleaning can damage it.
Receive Your Offer
A firm, itemised offer arrives within 24 hours. Every piece is XRF-tested for purity. Tarnish has zero effect on the XRF reading or the offer.
Get Paid
Accept and receive a same-day bank transfer. Decline and we return every item free of charge — no questions asked.
Common questions
Questions we hear most
Will heavy tarnish reduce my offer?
No. Tarnish is a surface oxidation layer that has no effect on XRF readings or silver weight. Whether your piece is bright or black, the offer is based on the underlying metal content. We see heavily tarnished items every day.
What if my coins have verdigris or corrosion?
Active corrosion (green deposits, pitting, flaking) on silver is different from tarnish. It can indicate environmental damage but usually doesn't affect the bulk silver content significantly. Send items as they are — we'll assess them and explain what we find.
Should I wipe down my items before packaging?
There's no need. Package your items in the foam provided and send them. We handle all assessment in our facilities. Wiping coin surfaces in particular carries a risk of surface damage — leave everything as found.
I've already cleaned my coins — have I damaged them?
It depends on the method used and the coins involved. If they're common-date bullion types (Britannias, standard Morgans, common pre-decimal), cleaning is unlikely to have changed the offer materially. If they were rare dates or proofs, contact us before sending to discuss.
What about cleaning silverware for a better appearance?
Silverware sold for melt is assessed purely on weight and purity — appearance doesn't affect the offer. If you'd like to retain some pieces and sell others, send everything and accept or decline individual items based on the offer.
Get Started
Send your silver exactly as it is — tarnish and all
Request your free insured pack and send your silver without any preparation. Our XRF testing reads through tarnish to give you a precise, fair offer within 24 hours.