If you are administering an estate that includes silver, those pieces will need to be valued for probate. As with everything else in this process, an accurate figure starts with a good set of photographs.

The reassuring news is that silver is one of the easier things to photograph well. There are only two rules to keep in mind. Do not over complicate it, and take your photos in natural daylight wherever you can, because good light lets a valuer see the detail clearly.

What Actually Drives the Value

Silver is judged a little differently from a car or a painting. Three things really matter, which are what the piece is, what it is made of, and how much it weighs.

Almost everything below follows from that. Each photo you take is there to capture one of those three things, so once you understand the logic, the shot list more or less writes itself.

Start With the Whole Collection

Before you focus on individual pieces, capture everything together. Lay the collection out on a dining table or even on the carpet, and take one photo that shows every item in full.

If it is all too much for a single frame, simply take two or three shots instead. That overall view matters, because it tells a valuer at a glance what they are dealing with.

Then Photograph Each Piece for Scale

Next, work through the items one at a time, or in matching sets. A pair of candlesticks would be one photo, a tea service another.

If possible stand a familiar object such as a drinks can next to the piece when you photograph it. You do not have to, but it gives an instant sense of scale that a valuer can read straight away.

Find the Hallmarks

Now for the part that confirms what the silver actually is. Somewhere on each piece you should find a hallmark, which is a small set of stamped symbols.

The one to look for is a lion. In around 99 per cent of cases, a lion mark tells you the piece is sterling silver. If you spot one, take a clear close up of the mark, because this single photo does a lot of the work in identifying the piece.

Weigh It

The last step is the one people tend to forget, and it is the one that completes the picture. Pop each item onto a pair of kitchen scales and photograph the reading, showing the weight in grams.

Weight is central to valuing silver, so this small step makes a real difference to how accurate the final figure can be.

A Simple Job, Done Properly

Pulled together, it really is straightforward. For each piece you want a clear shot of the whole item, a close up of the hallmark, and a photo of the weight on the scales, all taken in good light.

Do that, and you will have given a valuer everything they need to reach an accurate figure.

If you have any questions about photographing silver for probate, or about the valuation itself, the team at Swift Values are happy to help.