I need to get a digital scale but there are so many on the market, I
have no idea what to get. I don’t want to spend a lot of money, but I
also don’t want to buy something that’s going to die out on me in a
short while. Some of the scales come with calibration weights but
it’s really not necessary since a 100 gram weight sells for just a
few extra dollars. So, can anyone recommend what they feel is a good,
inexpensive digital jewelers scale for a newbie, just starting out?
Michele (Miki)
It really depends on what your end use is going to be. For retail
sales you need a more accurate scale. To make specific gravity
measurements you should be able to go to the 0.00 (hundredth of a
gram). To just estimate the carat weight for your own personal use,
to the nearest 0.5 carat is probably accurate enough. For precious
metals, to the dwt at least tenths.
my best advice is to get the most accurate that you can afford.
remember that 1 carat is 200 mg, so 5 carat stone masses 1 gram.
John
I expect most of the digital scales that are sold use more or less
the same electronics and load cell except maybe the very expensive
ones and that’s still a maybe. I bought a basic $80 pocket scales
about four years ago and it’s still going strong. It has a capacity
of 200g and a resolution of 0.1g with a tare function. It serves’ my
needs for weighing wax patterns and silver for casting. I also now
have another unit sold as kitchen scales with a maximum capacity of
3Kg and resolution of 1g with a large enough platform to take an ice
cream container which I use for weighing investment. This one only
cost $30.
Jenny
Are there any inexpensive models/kinds of scales for weighing
silver? This might sound absurd to some, but is it possible to use a
food scale?
Liz
Are there any inexpensive models/kinds of scales for weighing silver? This might sound absurd to some, but is it possible to use a food scale?
As much as I hate sending someone into the abyss that is eBay, I’ve
found scales on eBay for my use that have worked out well.
When shopping for a scale for weighing silver you need to be sure it
has Troy Ounces and Grams measurements. That and Pennyweight are the
main weight measurements for precious metals. Pennyweight feature is
not a requirement. It can be derived by dividing a Troy Ounce by 20.
Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
rockymountainwonders.com
Not absurd at all, especially for silver. Set your food scale to
grams. When I sent off over 4 pounds of scrap to the refiner earlier
this year, I weighed it on the kitchen scale. I was within a gram of
their confirmation weight.
Chris L.
The usual kitchen digital scales measure to the nearest gram. This
would do for silver at a pinch unless you are alloying when you need
bit more accuracy for small melts. You definitely need 0.1g
resolution for weighing wax patterns for casting. Lots of the small
pocket scales seem to manage this.
Jenny
When shopping for a scale for weighing silver you need to be sure it has Troy Ounces and Grams measurements. That and Pennyweight are the main weight measurements for precious metals. Pennyweight feature is not a requirement. It can be derived by dividing a Troy Ounce by 20.
This is not the case in most of the world. Grams are perfectly OK
outside the US with the exception that for some strange reason gold
bullion is still priced in troy ounces. I suppose I can look up the
conversion if I ever need it. When I buy silver or gold it is priced
by the gram. When I’m weighing waxes or alloying silver it’s much
easier to do your calculations when measuring in SI units.
Interestingly enough my pocket scales can be set to measure
pennyweights and my digital callipers in inches. They are not default
settings so it’s not a concern and much less irritating than trying
to buy rulers that don’t also have a scale in inches.
All the best
Jenny
I purchased this little digital scale about a year ago, because it
is ridiculously cheap ($10!) and yet it had good reviews. I have
found it to be reliable and accurate to the gram so far. It also
measures ounces and troy ounces. I have weighed tiny wax rings with
it and measured off perfect quantities of gold and silver for
casting every time, even within a fraction of a gram. No more spilled
metal for me!
American Weigh 600g x 0.1 Digital Gram Coin Pocket Scale Mini :
David Cole
Not too shabby.I also wanted to weigh some silver charms I have, to
use in calculating the cost of my jewelry.
Liz
Here’s a thought, try the local Sheriff’s sale for picking up a
quality scale at a decent price. M
Here's a thought, try the local Sheriff's sale for picking up a quality scale at a decent price.
That worked for me in the seventies, when scales were balance beams.
My old one was stolen by a drug user, so it only seemed fair.
Ray Brown
Someone in this discussion suggested eBay. I tried that and got a
gram/caret scale for $17. My last one cost over $70 and only lasted
about 5 years. The manufacturer told me that a 5 year life wasn’t
unusual so I’m happy with my $17 purchase. I have a small studio and
mostly use the scale to figure out my costs so I can accurately
price my pieces. Thanks to the person who suggested eBay.