It’s no secret that everyone loves gold and, really, what’s not to like. It’s expensive, it’s shiny and it just screams luxury.
Gold may get a lot of attention, it’s true, but there’s plenty to like about silver too. For one thing, it’s shiny and can relfect 95% of the light spectrum. In fact the words for money and silver are the same in at least 14 different languages and there are plenty of advantages to buying it:

• Value: Believe it or not, your silver is worth money. It may not be as much as gold, but there’s still plenty of value in silver these days whether you’re talking about a sterling silver box heirloom or your collection of silver dollars. An online search of silver buyers and sellers can easily help you find places where you can buy and sell it.
  Beyond, monetary value, silver can have sentimental value. There’s a reason pieces like a sterling silver box or silver jewelry are treasured and sought after by collectors. For some folks, there’s nothing better than visiting an antique shop and finding the perfect silver piece to go with your home décor.
• Food: There’s hardly any science (if any) to prove it, but some folks swear by eating off of silver. It may be the flavor of the food or something else entirely, but some folks will tell you it makes a difference.
• Elegance: Eating off of silver plates or drinking from a sterling silver cup adds a certain touch of elegance to a meal for some folks. Perhaps it reminds them of Sunday dinners at their grandparents’ homes or holiday parties.
  If you’re the owner of silver dishware, there’s a good chance the cup you’re drinking from or silver spoons and forks your eating with have been passed down from someone (perhaps a family member). Silver dishware can easily be passed down, keeping “treasured heirlooms” in the family. If your heirlooms aren’t in the best condition, clean them up with some polish before you pass them on.
• Health: Old wives tales talk about being able to glean nutrients off of silver dishware. Believe it or not, silver is naturally anti-microbial, meaning it keeps away germs and that means your food stays fresher. If you’re feeling particularly elegant, you can turn the most common of meals into something graceful with silver dinnerware. Imagine how classy you might feel by eating a salad or a delectable dessert off a silver plate.
• Romance: if you and your significant other are looking to spend time together, take some time for each other and take a break from the everyday grind of life, trying adding some silver to the mix. Fix a romantic meal and use your finest silver dishware; if it happens to be a special occasion, something like a sterling silver box for jewelry or a silver locket or a piece of antique jewelry can be the perfect gift and a way to show someone how special they are.

Now that the virtues of silver and buying silver have been extolled, here are a few tips to make things easier when you’re buying it:

• Look at the condition of the silver. Find out if there have been any repairs made or any history of damage. If you’re spending the money, you want to make sure you’re not buying junk.
• With antique silver, age determines value so if you’re buying silver from silver dealers, find out how old it is.
• Find out who made the silver you’re looking at. Names like Paul Storr and Engelhard are reputable and are associated with good quality, so stock up on those if you can.
• Keep an eye on trends. Things that are in vogue change constantly and some specific silver item like a sterling vase might be all the rage one day, but might not be a few weeks from now.

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits to buying and hanging on to silver. It has plenty of value, both monetarily and sentimentally, it can add a certain touch of elegance to your everyday life and can even have some positive effects on your health. When buying it, look for quality pieces like a sterling silver box and do your research to make sure you’re going home with quality products.