At Argentor you will not receive added value for precious stones and/or pearls, nor for the design of your jewellery, exclusive or not. If possible we remove the stones and/or pearls. Should that not be possible, we will deduct some weight of the piece of jewellery. Jewellery containing real diamonds are bought as a whole (including diamonds) at the buying rate corresponding to their purity in silver.

Inform yourself about the possible value of your diamonds and whether or not they're worth breaking out. If desired, we can always refer you to our specialist partners for selling your diamonds and/or jewellery with historical value.

We only buy scrap silver from a minimum weight of 1 kilogram.

^{1: See also : 'Are there any additional 'hidden' costs I have to factor in when selling to Argentor?'.}

Scrap silver is bought at the rate corresponding to the purity of the silver. You can always check our live buying rates on our webshop. Our buying rates are adapted every minute to the actual silver rate and will only be hedged once you present your silver in our office.

The buying rates for scrap metals as mentioned on our website are the actual rates you will receive as well. No additional costs will be held off these rates.

What you do need to consider is an administration fee of €10 (VAT incl.) in case the invoice is less than €100. This administration fee will be held off the purchase price. Small amounts can therefore better be saved and sold once you have more in order to avoid the administration fee.

No, the price for bigger volumes remains the same. Given the high value of precious metals the spreads taken by retailers like Argentor are rather limited. Traders and other retailers can contact us for more information about our buying rates.

+ Ever since the adaptation of the Belgian law regarding cash payments (September 18th 2017), it is forbidden for us to pay in cash to professional sellers. All purchases, regardless of their total value, have to be paid by bank transfer¹ or exchange of materials.

+ As for private sellers, we can pay a maximum of €500, regardless of the total value of the purchase. All balances exceeding have to be paid by bank transfer¹.

^{1: Our bank transfers are carried out the following working day before noon. How fast you receive the payment onto your banking account depends on the speed of the transfer between our bank and yours. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you still haven't received the payment after three working days.}

Cash payments are carried out immediately¹. Bank transfers are carried out the following working day before noon. How fast you receive the payment onto your banking account depends on the speed of the transfer between our bank and yours. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you still haven't received the payment after three working days.

^{1: See also 'Does Argentor pay in cash?’.}

You will receive 21% VAT on the sale of scrap silver, in case you dispose of a valid Belgian VAT number¹. We will never pay VAT to foreign VAT tax payers, independents in secondary profession² or private sellers.

The correct VAT regimes and corresponding codes are always mentioned on our invoice. In order for your own bookkeeping to be correct, it is best to base yourself on these codes.

^{1: Only when you are liable for VAT and do not enjoy tax exemption, and when it is an expense in the function of your profession, you will receive VAT on your sale of scrap silver.}

^{2: Independents in secondary professions who are subject to VAT regulations must also make a VAT declaration and pay VAT contributions. However, if your income is below €25.000, you may request an exemption from VAT obligations. You do not have to submit a tax return or charge a tax on outgoing invoices. Therefore, you cannot recover any VAT from the incoming invoices. For more information about the tax exemption rule, see the FOD Finance website.}

Since February 20th 2012 precious metals sellers and buyers are obliged to identify and register their clients and suppliers. This procedure of identification and registry aids in tracing and identifying thieves and fences.

No. Argentor does not have a duty of notification. We are, however, obliged to keep our full bookkeeping records during the mandatory period of 7 years for the event of an investigation.

Residents of Belgium do not have to indicate their investments in precious metals on their tax return. Only if they keep their silver on a foreign securities account should they include this in their personal tax declaration in Belgium.

Residents of the Netherlands must report the value of their investments every year in ‘box 3: Saving and investing’.

There are several ways to test whether or not you are in possession of real silver¹:

+ Based on the hallmarks present on the jewellery: with the aid of a magnifying glass you can check if there's an alloy stamp/ hallmark² in your piece of jewellery. That mark indicates the purity of the metal. Most common alloys for yellow and white gold jewellery are 18 carats (750), 14 carats (580) & 9 carats (375). Most common alloy for silver jewellery are 925 (sterling silver), 835 and 800. The actual purity of jewellery made before 1980 can differ slightly from the hallmark. After 1980 laws regarding hallmarks were however tightened which makes chances that the purity and hallmark do not correspond a lot more slim.

+ With the aid of testing fluid: you can buy testing fluids in several shops in the Diamond quarter near Argentor or online. These can be used to test gold and silver alloys but not platinum or palladium. We use a spectrometer to determine the purity of platinum & palladium. The spectrometer sends x-rays through the object, allowing the metal content to be determined with great accuracy. We advise you to file through the upper layer of the jewel in order to remove the (possibly gold/silver plated) top layer. Next, you apply the acid directly on the scratched surface. The purity of the metal is then determined depending on whether or not the acid decolours. We highly advise against the use of a 'touchstone'. That method can create false results since only the filed off layer is tested. In case your jewellery is gold/silver plated, the acid will indicate that the purity is much higher than it actually is.

+ You can always ask your jeweller for advice.

^{1: In case of doubt Argentor can use several other testing methods to determine the purity of your metals, one of which the spectrometer (based on x-rays) is the most common one.}

^{2: The presence of a hallmark is never conclusive evidence of purity. Hallmarks can be forged as well.}

Whether it's jewellery from a heritage, coins from a collection or silver cutlery you no longer use… When you are planning to sell precious metals it's of the utmost importance that you assess the value of your material as best as you can. Take a look at following tips and think carefully when selling your precious metals.

+ Form an idea of what your goods are worth. Try to figure out the value of your goods before you decide to sell them¹. By weighing the pieces and checking for hallmarks (if possible) you can easily assess the value of your items based on the actual rates². Alternatively, you can go to a jeweller (or several jewellers) for a taxation. This will help you to form an idea of the value of your items. Never send material to a buyer without having a clue of its value!

+ Try to sell directly to a jeweller you know or a well-known precious metals trader. Research has shown that a jeweller will often offer a better price for your precious metals than a small exchange office. That is certainly the case in the Diamond quarter of Antwerp, where there are a lot of jewellers located. There you can rest assured that you will receive a fair price for your precious metals. Larger trade offices (such as Argentor) will also be able to offer a better, and especially more transparent, price! Do not sell your precious metals to the first buyer that comes along! Chances are you'll receive a better price somewhere else.

+ Have realistic expectations when it comes to pricing! Keep in mind that terms such as 'rare', 'exclusive' and 'collectors item' have to be taken with a grain of salt. Exchange offices will often only be interested in the percentages of precious metals within your jewellery and/or other materials. They won't pay attention to the craftsmanship and skills needed for the creation of certain pieces. On top of that you need to take into account that productional fees and VAT were calculated in the price you paid, meaning that the price you paid will always be higher than the actual value of the piece. In other words, it's not because you paid €1.000 for a ring that it's actually worth that much. That being said, caution is always recommended! Coins, unlike jewellery, are often worth more than solely their weight in gold, silver, platinum or palladium. Informing yourself about buying and selling premiums is always a good idea, but manage your expectations. The premium will always depend on the actual market situation (supply & demand) and will vary from trader to trader.

+ Check if your jewellery contains diamonds and whether or not they are of value. Unlike some jewellers, most gold traders will not pay extra for the precious stones that are inside jewellery, since it's another craft of which they don't have knowhow. That's also the case at Argentor, where you will not receive added value for precious stones and/or pearls³, nor for the design of your jewellery, exclusive or not. Inform yourself about the possible value of your diamonds and whether or not they're worth breaking out.

+ Compare the reputations of companies online. These days you can easily find online reviews about virtually every - trustworthy - gold trader, either on their own website, either on Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, etc. Googling the names of the companies you wish to work with will go a long way. At Argentor we find it very important that customers can rate us. On this page you can read all reviews left behind by clients. Take into account that these reviews are solely aimed on the operations of our webshop!

^{1: See also: 'How can I know whether or not I am in possession of real gold?'.
2: See also: ‘What does Argentor pay for gold?’.
3: See also: 'Can I also sell pearls and precious stones at Argentor?'.}

Only in case you are already registered with us as a B2B client/supplier - and depending on the quantity and composition of the material - we can arrange for the material to be picked up by Mikropakket (in Belgium & Luxemburg). We charge €12,40 (VAT excl.) per transport for this service. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you wish to use our pick-up service. We will provide you with all the necessary information and documents.

Should you send material to Argentor on your own initiative, you do so completely at your own risk! Argentor cannot be held responsible, nor for parcels sent to us by regular or registered post, nor for parcels you place in our mailbox yourself.

For appraisals without commitment to sell, we ask €20 (VAT excl.) per analysis.