With the emergence of e-commerce and new jewellery sellers there has been an added amount of silver merchants. A silver merchant is a jewellery seller that specializes in silver products and jewellery items. These silver merchants often work online or off (sometime even both!) and you can do business with them nearly anywhere you are. If you are in the market to buy a piece of silver jewellery then a silver merchant just may be the best choice for you because they often will offer the best prices on the most quality pieces. Here we’ll tell you what to look for in a merchant and how to buy that silver from them!

Silver is often more expensive then gold, which is often why you’ll see more silver merchants then gold merchants. If you are looking for pure silver then you will be looking for a jewellery piece that contains more then 93% silver because nearly all silvers are combined with at least a little portion of platinum or plating. It is the dishonest silver merchants who will try and sell you a piece of silver saying it is pure when it is really sterling silver (a copy of silver). If you see a piece described as “like silver” or “silver-plated” then you should know that it is sterling silver and not actual, pure silver.

A true piece of silver also must come with a registered trademark of the person (or company) that backs its authenticity. If you see a piece of silver without this trademark then red flags should go up in your mind and you should ask the silver merchant why it doesn’t have it.

Now, let’s take a look at what you should look for when examining different silver merchants. It is true that silver merchants can often bring you the best price on a particular piece of jewellery but you must go about the process carefully. As in nearly any other business there are plenty of scam artists that make a living out of fake silver pieces. It is the few rotten eggs in the business that ruin it for the honest sellers. And it is honesty that is the first characteristic that you should look for in a silver merchant. If you feel as if you cannot trust them, then don’t even try. Instincts can play a large role in this but if you simply don’t feel comfortable then walk away and find a new seller. There are plenty of silver merchants out there so don’t settle for one that doesn’t feel right.

Another thing you should look for in a silver merchant are their references. If you’re thinking of doing business with a silver merchant without any references for their past transactions then you may run into some problems. Every silver merchant should have some record of the good sales they’ve made in the past. Making sure they do will keep you from getting burned in the end!