Silver Grades: What Exactly Is It?

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By Walter Calton


Exactly what is investment grade silver, and exactly how does this designation have an effect on the cost of this metal? Investment grade silver merely means the reality that the silver product is designed to satisfy the needs of silver traders, and the genuine purity level that is located with these items can vary greatly. For a few traders junk silver coins are best as these products can often be located close to actual price. These coins may contain in between 35% and 90% pure silver, but they are known as junk coins because they are not 0.999 pure as long as silver content goes.

For many traders the term investment grade silver simply describes silver coins, bars, as well as other items that offer a purity level of either 0.999 or 0.9999. These kinds of products are almost entirely made from pure silver and might cost greater than the market price because of the premium and other added expenses that might be involved in the transaction. It is not difficult to find real silver products that attain these levels though, and they are obtainable all over the Internet and at local precious metal sellers.

Most investors prefer real silver coins and bars because these items don't require any intricate computations. If a product contains less than 0.999 silver then the market value for silver will have to be divided through the purity level of the product to determine the actual value that a product contains. When a silver coin is 90% silver then it should have an actual price that is 90% of the silver spot price. Coins that are 40% real are merely worth 40% of the market value.

Investment grade silver offers peace of mind as the trader knows that they're getting top quality silver products that reveal a value appropriate for the cost paid. Oftentimes traders might prefer lower quality silver products rather, and this is usually due to a lesser value. If a product is not pure silver it will cost below a comparable product that is. Oftentimes scrap silver or even junk silver coins can be found for very close to the market value that silver has got. The premium is also lower on these items.

Every trader will have to figure out the lowest purity level for silver products which is acceptable. This purity level might be not the same with every trader, and personal tastes will certainly perform a big part in this decision.




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