Silver is the third most precious metal in the jewelry industry just after platinum and gold. People tend to make many ornaments with silver as it comes at a much cheaper cost than gold. On the other hand, you can use silver in forms of regular use ornaments. Here is how you melt silver.

How to Melt Silver with Borax?

Borax is a chemical that the ornament makers use widely. They use it to intensify the process of melting silver and to accomplish the job quicker.

  • So when you are going to melt silver, you need 3 chemicals for sure, borax, soda, and sodium nitrate, or potassium nitrate. Basically what we see as silver is a compound of silver and chlorine or silver chloride.
  • This is why when you melt 1 kg of this metal, the original silver comes out as 500 to 700 grams. You need to make a mixture of soda and borax in 1:1 proportion.
  • For 1 kg of silver chloride or silver powder, you need ½ kg of this mixture. Put them into a large crucible as during the melting process, the silver chloride powder boils.
  • You have to add a little quantity of sodium nitrate into it until it gets the form of a metal. You need to put the sodium nitrate repeatedly in smaller amounts so that it doesn’t create a flame due to the intense heat of the crucible.

How to Melt Silver Coins at Home?

A human being is using silver from the historic age. They used to make several things out of silver like coins, weapons, utensils, and so on. In modern society also, people use to buy silver coins for their future uses. If you want to melt the silver coins at home, then you should follow the steps mentioned below,

  • Place the silver coins on such a surface that will not melt due to the temperature at which silver melts.
  • The best thing you can use for this is a stone pot or a brick. Other than that, you can put it in a crucible to melt. It will be easier to separate two metals if you are melting any kind of alloy metal of silver.
  • Take a furnace and put fire into it. Now put the crucible into the fairness and wait till it starts bubbling. It will start bubbling as soon as the temperature will touch the 879-degree centigrade mark and the metal will start running.
  • It’s time to separate the silver from the alloy metals. It is not a very hard job to do. Since the alloy is a mixture of two metals, both of them have different melting points. So whichever melts first, separate it from the other one.
  • It is better to have the place well ventilated where you are melting the silver alloys. It will protect you from the immense heat that the furnace will generate and if there are any trace gases coming out from the metals.

Silver Melting Kit

To melt silver at your home, you need to have the proper materials. If you will put the silver items into another metal pot, it is possible that it melts itself and pollutes the silver. Due to this, you need to have a proper silver melting kit.

  • A proper crucible is the most important thing you need to melt silver at home. It should be made of stone or brick so that it doesn’t melt due to the immense heat.
  • Next, you need a heavy-duty crucible tong to hold the crucible properly. It may cause serious accidents if you don’t hold the crucible properly. A graphite stick is always important in the kit so that you can stair the molten metal well.
  • If it is an alloy metal, then you need to take the solid part and segregate the metal. The graphite sticks help you with this.
  • To melt silver coins, you need something to generate the heat. The furnace or a blow torch will be really helpful for you in this circumstance.
  • Though it is a bit expensive as per its cost, still you can use it. But in case you have a large amount of silver to melt, then it might not be that useful for you.
  • After you melt the silver, now you need to take it out of the crucible and put into a mold to give it a proper shape as and when it will get cold.
  • Other than these materials, you need to have a goggle, an apron, a pair of safety gloves, and a face shield for your personal protection.

Melting Point of Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is the alloy metal that contains 92.5% of silver and the rest consists of other metals, mostly copper. As pure silver is softer you can’t make ornaments or other things with it. So you need to put some other metals into it to give it the firmness. So it is to melt the sterling silver you need to provide a temperature of at least 876-degree centigrade.

Melting Silver Powder

Melting silver powder is not a game of kids. You need to take proper precautions before you melt the silver powder. It is actually an alloy of silver nitrate and thus it may bubble up while you heat it to melt.

Can You Melt Silver on a Stove?

Generally, you don’t get the required temperature from the stove. But if you can increase the temperature to 876-degree centigrade then melting silver on the stove is possible. If you use a crucible of stone to melt the silver, then it may absorb the heat and eventually reach the melting point.

Can You Melt Silver with a Propane Torch?

The experts forbid to melt silver with the help of torches. But actually, you can do it.

Is it Worth Melting Down Silver?

Yes. When there are things made of silver but you can’t use them, then you can take the silver out of those things through melting silver down.

Tips

  • Basically what we see as silver is a compound of silver and chlorine or silver chloride.
  • Sterling silver is the alloy metal that contains 92.5% of silver and the rest consists of other metals, mostly copper.
  • The experts forbid to melt silver with the help of torches.

Can I melt my own silver?

The furnace or torch is what you’ll be using to heat your silver to its melting point. As such, the furnace or blow torch are critical items in melting silver. If you are starting out, you might want to start with a blow torch and then move up to a furnace once you are committed to melting silver.

Can you melt silver with propane torch?

Melt down bits and pieces of silver wire, filings, old earring wires and even whole pieces of sterling silver jewelry, using a propane torch. Place silver scraps into the crucible. Hold the torch in your right hand, with the flame close to the crucible so that it’s a couple inches away from the metal.

How hot does it need to be to melt silver?

Silver/Melting point

Is it worth melting down silver?

Yes, you can melt down silver coins but it is not recommended for a variety of reasons. First, the silver is easier to sell or exchange if it is in the form of a recognizable coin or bar.

Can u melt down sterling silver?

You can melt solid sterling silver scrap using a butane torch. Sterling silver is a precious metal that is used to fashion a variety of decorative, functional and wearable objects, including everything from dishes to baby rattles, photo frames to necklaces.

How do you recover silver from silver plated items?

To extract silver from a silver–plated item, mix a solution of ¾ sulfuric acid and ¼ nitric acid inside a metal pot, heating it up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit. Attach a copper wire to the object you wish to extract silver from and dip it into the solution for a few seconds.

Is silver plated worth anything?

Since there is only a small amount of silver on each item, there is no melting value for silverplate. Pieces that are more decorative, rare, and in good condition might sell for more money. Silverplate value is more about the antique market than it is about the metal market.

Will vinegar and salt dissolve silver?

Yes, white vinegar mixed with hydrogen peroxide will slowly dissolve silver.

How do I get rid of silver plated items?

If some tarnish is being stubborn, add more salt, baking soda, or water. Make sure that the aluminum foil is in direct contact with the silver–plated item. Some people let their silver sit for just a minute or two. Others leave it soak for up to a half-hour.

How do I clean silver at home?

Vinegar, water and baking soda together are a great option for many things including your tarnished silver. To use this method you just need to mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water. Let the silver soak for two to three hours.

Does anyone buy silver plate?

We buy your Silver and Silver Plate. Free, tracked and insured home collection from USPS.

Can Coke clean silver?

If you don’t have any chemical cleaner, you can use Coca-Cola, or Coke, as a simple cleaning substitute for sterling or plated silver. The acid in Coke works to cut through any grime or rust on the silver’s surface. Once you soak the silver in cola, you can have a piece that looks good and new!

What is a good homemade silver cleaner?

Sprinkle in two tablespoons of table salt and two tablespoons of baking soda. Drop your silver pieces into the water. When they settle on the aluminum foil, they should not be touching each other. Allow your silver to soak for two to three minutes, or as long as five minutes for heavily tarnished items.

How do you clean silver fast?

Put the silver items in a bowl of appropriate size and cover them with white distilled vinegar. Add baking soda into the bowl – the approximate proportions are 4 tablespoons of baking soda for every cup of vinegar. Leave the silver in the mixture for 1 hour. Rinse with clean water and dry well with soft cotton cloth.

Does baking soda and vinegar clean silver?

Sterling silver can be cleaned with baking soda and aluminum. Mixing baking soda, boiling water, and vinegar in a aluminum-lined tray will help remove tarnish from silver. Soak your silver in boiling water for about 30 seconds before polishing it to remove any stains.

Does wd40 clean silver?

Use the multipurpose WD-40

Spray it on the silver jewelry and use a clean microfiber cloth to polish it in a circular motion. You will slowly see the tarnish disappear. WD-40 is an excellent cleaning agent that you can use to clean and shine your jewelry and several other items.