In times of economic hardship, one of the first things that people have turned to throughout the ages is the buying and selling of precious metals.
With the economy in the state it's in today, it's no surprise that this old method of dealing with money problems has come up again.
For many people, scrap silver can be an extremely profitable sideline.
Its value keeps going up and it's in short supply.
That means that any silver scrap you find has some real intrinsic value.
Recycling this scrap into cash is a smart idea.
So, where can you find scrap silver?There are lots of different options, including old electronics and household goods, as well as coins, but one of the most popular ways to get it is by buying broken silver jewelry.
This jewelry isn't worth its original price, since it's no longer wearable, but the silver in it is still worth its weight, and can be recycled into a number of other things.
You can get an amazingly good deal on real silver jewelry, even if it's bent, dented, broken or seriously tarnished beyond the hope of cleaning.
Of course, you'll need to know what you're looking for, and you'll have to get a good idea of what the going price for silver is.
Pure silver is best, but can be hard to find.
Fortunately, many alloys can still be sold as scrap silver, too.
You'll just end up with a slightly lower price, depending on the purity of the piece.
Jewelry suitable for scrap silver sale can be hard to identify if you don't know what you're looking for.
It's often been broken and unwearable for a long time, resulting in a heavy dark patina.
It may be dirty, tangled in a large amount of junk or costume jewelry, or found in the corners of old drawers.
Many people probably run into this kind of jewelry on a regular basis without ever realizing what it is.
Learn the signs that differentiate silver from base metals and which will help you find the real thing.
If you're buying jewelry you hope to sell for scrap silver, be sure not to pay too much.
You'll usually have to spend some time on it, especially if the real jewelry needs to be sorted out from lower quality material in a large lot.
Since you're trying to make a profit, it's important to think about time spent, as well as the value of the material itself.
Remember that prices fluctuate all the time.
While silver retains an enduring value, the amount you'll make at any given time will be different.
Remember to remove all stones and other metals, keeping them separate from the silver.
Scrap should be sold individually, not as one piece of jewelry.
If the piece is still wearable, it's probably worth more, so don't think about destroying good jewelry for its silver value.
Remember to find out the going rate, so you'll know whether scrap merchants online or off are offering you a good deal.
Scrap silver is a great way to make some extra cash from old jewelry, as long as you know what you're doing.
Take some time to learn about the process of finding and selling scrap, and you could find yourself in much better circumstances.