You inherited a big box of silver tableware a few years ago. You stuck it on a shelf for the last two years and then, when you pulled it out last week and looked at it, you discovered it had tarnished.

Ouch! That beautiful, shiny old silver was gray and oxidized-looking – ugly! But at the same time you were looking at it and feeling disappointed, a number of questions began to race through your mind. Let’s consider what those questions might have been and answer them.

It might interest you to know that the Greek philosopher Plato made some philosophical inquiries into precious metals. You remember Plato. He lived from about 428-348 B.C., studied with Socrates, and taught Aristotle how to think. In his famous book The Republic, Plato wrote that human beings, just like precious metals, come from the earth. He also wrote that human beings, like minerals, can be made of three different metals…

We have previously written on this blog about all kinds of collectibles that can contain gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals. We’ve explored canes and walking sticks, barware, smoker’s accessories, buttons and medals, and lots more. Today, we’d like to direct your attention to another investment that should be on your radar... Boxes that contain precious metals.

Have you ever failed to realize that an old ring, an old lab vessel, or a bit of white metal scrap was made of platinum? If you have, you are not alone. Because platinum is a white metal, it is easy to mistake it for silver or even something as low-end as polished pewter, stainless steel or even aluminum. Here are three facts that can help you recognize platinum more quickly and reliably.

People are collecting folding pocket knives, hunting knives, highly stylized custom knives crafted by skilled artisans, ancient knives, and knives that fall into other niches. The question is, do any of them contain silver or gold? The short answer is yes, they do and if you take a close look at an unusual knife, it could contain small decorations and “extras” that are made of silver or even gold or platinum. 

Here’s a video that shows how a new robot that Apple designed can pull apart an iPhone and separate out its parts. For reasons we do not know, Apple named this robot Liam. According to Apple, just one Liam robot can recycle 1.2 million iPhones a year.

You have probably seen niello without knowing what it was. It looks like black enamel that has been painted into the indentations around geometric patterns on the surface of decorative silver belt buckles, goblets, candlesticks and other objects. But niello isn’t paint. It is actually a compound made of silver, sulphur and other chemicals.

If you go shopping at antique malls or estate sales, you will discover a number of items for sale that are made of gray metal. How can you tell if they are made of silver, white gold or platinum?

On average, quarters minted in 1964 or before contain 18% pure silver that is worth more than $3.25. In 1984, everything changed. That was the year when the U.S. Mint started making copper-nickel clad quarters for circulation. They contain no silver.