Sterling candlesticks and candelabra, chambersticks and tapersticks, pairs and full sets, cast and loaded, Old Sheffield Plate and quality EPNS. Each piece weighed and hallmarked, the maker identified, and — crucially — cast versus loaded established before we value the silver.
Most candlesticks are loaded — a silver shell over a weighted, filled base — so they feel heavy but hold less silver than the scales suggest. We value the recoverable silver only, never the filler, and explain exactly how we got to the figure. Free insured postage. Written valuation. Paid in 72 hours.
We buy silver candlesticks and candle-holding pieces of every size and period, in sterling silver, Old Sheffield Plate and quality electroplate, single or in sets. The single most important thing we establish first is whether a piece is cast or loaded, because that — not the reading on the scales — decides how much silver it really holds.
Candlesticks are the piece where gross weight is most misleading of all — the same trap that matters on silver salvers and trays with wooden handles, and on silver tea sets with insulators. For the wider picture across all silver, our sell silver and silver plate hub explains how hallmarks, makers and metal standard drive value.
Before anything else, we establish whether your candlesticks are cast or loaded, because the two are valued on completely different bases.
Cast candlesticks are solid silver throughout. They are valued on their full weight — grams × 0.925 × the live silver price — plus any premium for maker, period and condition. Because they are solid, cast pairs can be genuinely valuable on metal alone.
Loaded (filled) candlesticks are a formed silver shell, often quite thin, built around a threaded steel rod with the base packed with pitch, plaster or resin for weight and stability. That filling is not silver. A loaded pair can tip the scales at a kilogram while holding only a modest amount of recoverable silver, so we value the silver shell alone. This is the honest basis — and the one a careful buyer must use.
Standing a pair of candlesticks on the scales, reading a kilogram, and multiplying by the silver price can overstate the value many times over, because most of that kilogram is pitch and a steel rod, not silver. We identify the fill, assess the silver shell, and price only the recoverable metal. If a buyer quotes you a big number from gross weight without mentioning "loaded", treat it with caution.
Valuing loaded silver honestly takes experience, and it is exactly what we do on camera. We weigh each piece, confirm sterling by the hallmark (the lion passant) and by non-invasive testing, and judge the gauge and dimensions of the silver shell to estimate the recoverable silver — never by cutting the piece open or destroying the base. Good, undamaged loaded candlesticks by a recognised maker also carry a design and collector premium above their silver content, and a matched pair or set is worth more than the pieces separately. The higher of that collector value or the silver value is what we offer, and the reasoning is set out in your written valuation.
The metal standard sits alongside cast-versus-loaded as the other key question, because it decides whether a piece is valued on silver at all.
Sterling silver carries a full hallmark — lion passant, assay office mark, date letter and maker's mark — usually on the base rim or the underside of the foot; loaded sterling sticks are still hallmarked despite the filled base. Old Sheffield Plate, made before about 1840 by fusing silver onto copper, may carry no lion but has its own maker's marks; good examples are collected. Electroplate (EPNS) — marked EPNS, EP, A1 or with a maker's name but no lion — holds only a microscopic layer of silver and is valued for design and maker, not metal. For plated pieces specifically, see sell silver plated ware.
A named maker lifts candlesticks above their metal value, and complete sets command a premium: a matched pair beats two singles, and a garniture of four beats two pairs. Condition matters too — because loaded sticks have a thin shell, they are prone to dents, splits at the stem, leaning where the internal rod has shifted, and loss to the baize base seal. None of this stops us buying; we simply factor it into the figure. If a candelabrum has detachable branches, send them with the bases so the set can be valued complete. To understand what your candlesticks are worth before selling, you can also request a free silver valuation.
Tell us roughly what you have — "a pair of Victorian silver candlesticks" is enough. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.
Wrap each piece in tissue and bubble wrap — avoid newspaper, which can mark silver. Pack detachable branches separately in a sturdy box. Insured to £5,000 from the moment the courier scans it.
We email a unique parcel code and your opening time. Your parcel is opened on camera and photographed before a specialist touches it.
Cast or loaded established, weighed and hallmarked, maker identified, silver shell assessed. Accept the offer or have it returned free. Payment within 72 hours of the opening, or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free label →It depends almost entirely on whether they are cast (solid silver throughout) or loaded (a thin silver shell over a weighted, filled base). A cast pair is valued on its full silver weight at the live silver price, plus any maker and period premium, and can be worth a great deal. A loaded pair looks and feels heavy but contains far less recoverable silver, because the base is filled with pitch or plaster around a steel rod. We weigh each piece, establish whether it is cast or loaded, and value the recoverable silver honestly rather than on misleading gross weight.
Most Victorian and later candlesticks are loaded: the silver is a fairly thin formed shell, and the base is filled with pitch, plaster or resin around a threaded steel rod to give weight and stability. That filling is not silver, so a loaded pair can weigh a kilogram yet hold only a small fraction of that in recoverable silver. It matters enormously to value — pricing a loaded candlestick on its gross weight would massively overstate it. We assess the silver shell only, which is the honest and correct basis, and explain the figure in your written valuation.
Look underneath: loaded candlesticks usually have a base sealed with green baize or a thin silver or metal disc covering the filling, and they feel dense and very heavy for their size. Cast candlesticks are solid metal, often slightly less top-heavy, and may show the same colour of silver right through any small nick. Hallmarks appear on both types. If you are not sure, don't worry and don't cut into the base — send them in or email a photo and we will identify cast versus loaded at no cost.
Look for a full hallmark including a lion passant, usually struck on the base rim or the underside of the foot — that means sterling. Marks such as EPNS, EP, A1 or a maker's name without a lion usually mean electroplate. Loaded sterling candlesticks are still hallmarked despite the filled base, so the presence of a lion passant confirms the shell is sterling even though the weight includes filler. If you are unsure, send them in or email a photo of the marks and we will identify them at no cost.
Yes — a matched pair generally carries a premium over two singles, and a matched set of four or a garniture more still, because complete sets are harder to find. We buy single candlesticks, pairs, sets, chambersticks, tapersticks and multi-branch candelabra, whether cast or loaded. Send whatever you have; each piece is weighed and hallmarked, cast or loaded is established, and you receive a written valuation before deciding what to sell.
Request your free label today. Cast or loaded established, each piece weighed and hallmarked, maker identified, silver shell assessed honestly. Written valuation. Paid within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
Also see: Sell silver tea sets · Sell silver salvers & trays