Weighing

Click on picture to see the product categories.

Silver dealers like to weigh down to 1g and up to least 3000g (about 96oz), for heavy items such as teapots and salvers. For jewellery (including silver jewellery!) any 'gold scale' will do.

These 1g scales are also good for letters, parcels and food.

If the 'silver' scales' are too bulky for you (or too expensive) a cheap option is the 'digital spring balance', designed for suit cases will give an approximate weight for silver.

Confused about weights? 1g? 0.1g? 0.01g?, 0.001g ? See our article about weighing.

Want to know today's value of 1g (or 1oz) of silver? See the article about weighing.

Click on picture to see the product categories.

A resolution of 0.1g is just right for weighing gold.

Things to consider:
- choose a capacity: 500g = about 16oz; 1000g = about 32oz; 2000g - about 64oz.
- think about the size and weight of the scale: a table balance? Pocket-size?
- will the items you are likely to weigh fit on the weighing platform?
- will you be buying by weight? You will need an approved scale.

Confused about weights? 1g? 0.1g? 0.01g?, 0.001g ? See our article about weighing.

Want to know today's value of 1g of gold? See the article about weighing.

Click on picture to see the product categories.

(I sometimes say "scales" and I sometimes say "balances" - they are the same)

Weighing down to 0.01g is for gemstones (though not fine enough for diamonds).

There are also many specialist applications: chemicals (e.g. catalysts); powder (for ammunition); measuring specific gravity (relative density) for testing gold; miniature model aeroplane parts.

For general dealing in gold and silver 0.01g is a bit too sensitive. There's no harm in weighing gold down to 0.01g, but do check that the capacity is high enough. Confused about weights? See our article about weighing.

Click on picture to see the product categories.

Weighing down to 0.001g good for measuring specific gravity (relative density) when testing gemstones.

It is also used for weighing diamonds, switch the scales from grams to carats (100 points = 1 carat, 20 carat = 1 gram). Confused about weights? See our article about weighing.

Click on picture to see the product categories.

Some balances weigh in different resolutions (minimum weight) over different ranges. For instance, in 0.1 steps up to 1000g then 0.5g steps up to 3000g then 1g steps up to 5000g - all automatically.

This gives the best of all worlds, you can weigh gold down to, say, 0.1g and silver all the way up to, say, 5000g.

Q. Why so complicated, why can't they just make a scale that goes in 0.1g steps up to 5000g?
A. That's not a problem, there are plenty like that, but they cost a few hundred pounds.

Confused about weights? 1g? 0.1g? 0.01g?, 0.001g ? See our article about weighing.

Click on picture to see the product categories.

We bought a massive 'job lot' of scales in May (2019). As you see from the quantity listed by each item, there are only a few of each model. Once sold, there are no more.

My guess (only a guess!) is that most of them will be sold by Christmas and they will all be gone by February or March (2020).

Click on picture to see the product categories.

These scales are approved by Trading Standards for "use in trade". That means buying by weight. If you buy by weight you must, by law, use an approved scale. This applies whether you have a shop or a market scale; this applies whether you trade from an antiques centre or boots sales; this applies whether you work from business premises or from home.

See an article about Approved scales.

Click on the picture to see the product categories.

Individual weights, boxed sets of weights, mains adaptors (power supplies) for scales. Also button batteries for the smaller scales (we do not sell standard batteries that you can buy in any shop).