Sell or Pawn Antique Silver in Houston, TX
Hallmarked sterling, flatware sets, tea services, and vintage silver jewelry, valued for the maker and the age as well as the metal. Cash the same visit, or pawn it and keep the family piece.
Houston Loan & Jewelry buys and pawns antique silver at 1801 Durham Drive STE 7 in the Heights and at 3270 S Loop W near the Medical Center. We evaluate sterling flatware, tea and coffee sets, hollowware, coin silver, hallmarked Georgian and Victorian pieces, and vintage silver jewelry for free. Each piece is priced on its silver content first, then on maker, age, pattern, and condition, so collectible antiques can earn well above melt. Sell for same day cash or direct deposit, or take a no credit check pawn loan with a 61 day minimum term, 12 month maximum, and 35% maximum APR. Call (713) 766-2919.
Antique Silver We Buy Every Day
Inherited, tarnished, incomplete, or boxed in the attic. If it is real silver, it has value.
Antique Silver Jewelry
Victorian lockets, bangles, brooches, charm bracelets, and old European pieces.
Sterling Flatware
Full or partial sets by Gorham, Towle, Wallace, Reed & Barton, Kirk, and more.
Tea & Coffee Sets
Teapots, coffee pots, creamers, sugar bowls, and matching trays.
Hollowware
Bowls, pitchers, candlesticks, trays, goblets, and serving pieces.
Georgian & Victorian
Hallmarked British silver, often dated to the year it was assayed.
American Coin Silver
Early 1800s spoons and pieces marked Coin, Pure Coin, or Dollar.
Mexican & Taxco Vintage
Mid century Taxco silver with maker marks and eagle assay stamps.
Continental & Scandinavian
German and Italian 800 silver, Russian 84, and Georg Jensen pieces.
Metal Is the Floor, History Is the Upside
Antique silver has two values. The floor is the silver itself: purity, weight, and the day's spot price. The upside is what the piece is worth to a collector, and that depends on who made it, when, and how well it has survived.
- Hallmarks and purity. We read the marks, then test the metal, since old marks can be worn or misleading.
- Maker and era. Named silversmiths, early dates, and famous patterns can multiply value.
- Condition. Crisp engraving and intact marks matter more than shine. Dents and repairs lower it.
- Completeness. Full flatware services and matching tea sets sell better than odd pieces.
Antique Silver Marks and What They Mean
Check the underside, the back of a handle, or near a clasp. British silver carries a system of hallmarks that can tell you the purity, the city where it was assayed, and often the year it was made.
| Mark | Silver content | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Lion passant (walking lion) | 92.5% | British sterling, often with a city mark and date letter |
| Britannia figure | 95.8% | British Britannia standard silver |
| Sterling / 925 | 92.5% | American and later international sterling |
| Coin / Pure Coin / Dollar | About 90% | American coin silver, mostly before the 1860s |
| 84 (zolotnik) | 87.5% | Imperial Russian silver |
| 800 / crescent and crown | 80% | German and Continental silver |
| EP / EPNS / A1 / Quadruple Plate | Trace only | Silver plate over base metal, little melt value |
Quick melt math: 1,500 grams of sterling flatware (forks and spoons, not hollow handle knives) holds 1,500 × 0.925 = 1,387.5 grams of pure silver, or about 44.6 troy ounces. At an example spot price of $62, that is about $2,765 in metal alone. Our offer starts there, then adds for maker, pattern, and condition.
The Most Common Surprise in Estate Silver
Most families have both. Grandma's tea service might be heavy, beautiful, and silver plated, while a small box of spoons turns out to be solid sterling. Plate is a thin coat of silver over copper, brass, or nickel silver, so its metal value is close to zero.
That does not mean plate is worthless. Early Sheffield plate and some signed pieces still sell to collectors, and we will tell you honestly which is which. Estate collections that mix silver with gold and gems are covered on our estate jewelry page.
How Selling Antique Silver Works Here
One visit, start to finish. Watch every step at the counter.
Bring It In
Walk in with your silver and a photo ID. No appointment needed.
Sort & Read Marks
We separate sterling from plate and read every hallmark.
Test & Weigh
Purity is confirmed and silver is weighed on a calibrated scale.
One Clear Offer
Metal value plus any maker or age premium, explained piece by piece.
Sell or Pawn
Cash or direct deposit today, or a pawn loan to keep the heirloom.
Need Cash but Not Ready to Part With It?
Heirlooms are hard to let go of. A pawn loan uses your antique silver as collateral, with no credit check, and the piece comes back to you when the loan is repaid.
| Pawn | Sell | |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the piece | Yes, after repayment | No |
| Credit check | None | None |
| Cash amount | Based on collateral value | Full offer |
| Term | 61 days to 12 months | Paid same visit |
What Houston Says About Us
Tips Before You Come In
- Do not polish. Patina and crisp hallmarks are worth more than shine.
- Keep flatware sets and tea services together, with their chests or boxes.
- Bring any family history, receipts, or old appraisals you have.
- Do not throw out odd pieces. Single spoons and forks still weigh in.
- Separate anything you already know is plated.
What to Bring
- A valid government issued photo ID (required for every sale or pawn).
- Your antique silver, in any condition.
- Original chests, cases, or boxes, if you have them.
- Provenance notes, receipts, or prior appraisals (optional).
Not Sure If It Is Sterling or Plate?
Bring it in and we will read the marks and test it for free. If it is plated, we will tell you straight, with no pressure to sell anything.
Antique Silver Questions, Answered
You can sell or pawn antique silver at Houston Loan & Jewelry, 1801 Durham Drive STE 7 in the Heights, (713) 766-2919, or at our Medical Center store, 3270 S Loop W, (713) 388-6584. Both are open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 11am to 3pm. Walk in with no appointment, get a free evaluation, and leave with cash or direct deposit the same visit if you accept the offer.
We start with the metal: purity from the hallmarks, weight in grams, and the day's silver spot price give us the melt value, which is the floor. Then we look at maker, age, pattern, condition, and completeness. A signed Georgian piece, a named American maker, or a full set in a sought-after pattern can be worth well above its silver weight.
Look for the marks. Sterling pieces are usually stamped Sterling, 925, or carry British hallmarks such as the lion passant. Silver plate is often marked EP, EPNS, Quadruple Plate, A1, or with a maker name alone. Worn plate may show copper or brass at the edges. We test anything unclear for free.
Silver plate has only a thin layer of silver over base metal, so it has very little melt value and we usually cannot make a metal offer on it. A few pieces, such as early Sheffield plate or signed designer plate in excellent condition, can still have resale value, so bring them in and we will tell you honestly either way.
Yes. A pawn loan lets you keep ownership of a family piece and pick it up when you repay. No credit check is needed. Our loan program has a minimum repayment period of 61 days, a maximum of 12 months, and a maximum APR of 35%, and the loan amount depends on the value of the silver you pledge.
Many sterling candlesticks, compotes, and knife handles are filled with pitch, plaster, or cement to add weight and stability. Only the silver shell has metal value, so we estimate that portion rather than paying on the total weight. Weighted pieces by a known maker can still carry collector value.
No. Tarnish does not reduce the silver content, and aggressive polishing can wear down hallmarks, soften engraving, and strip the patina collectors want. Bring it as it is. If you also have newer sterling pieces, see our silver jewelry buyers page.
Get an Antique Silver Quote Before You Drive Over
Send a few photos and we will reply with a starting range. The final number is set at the counter once the marks are read and the silver is tested and weighed.
- A clear photo of each piece or set.
- A close up of every hallmark or maker's stamp.
- The number of pieces in any flatware set.
Prefer to talk? Call the Heights at (713) 766-2919 or the Medical Center at (713) 388-6584.
We Also Buy and Pawn
Houston Jewelry & Loan offers jewelry-backed collateral loans. Our advertised loan program has a minimum repayment period of 61 days, a maximum repayment period of 12 months, and a maximum APR of 35%.
For example, a $10,000 loan at 35% APR repaid after 3 months would have an estimated total repayment amount of approximately $10,875, assuming no additional fees. Any applicable fees will be disclosed before the loan is completed. Loan amounts and terms depend on the value of the pledged collateral.
Silver Guides Worth Reading
Buying or Selling Silver: 10 Tips That Get You the Best Price
Practical tips for getting a fair number on silver, whether you are buying or selling.
Read the guide →Precious Metals Explained: What Really Decides the Value of Your Gold, Silver, and Platinum
How purity, weight, and market price combine into what a piece is worth.
Read the guide →Sell Silver in Houston for the Best Price
What to know before you sell silver anywhere in Houston.
Read the guide →Find Out What Your Antique Silver Is Worth
Bring your flatware, tea sets, hallmarked pieces, or vintage silver jewelry to either showroom. We read the marks, test and weigh the silver, and give you one honest offer, with no pressure to sell.