ISLANDERS trying to cash in on their unwanted gold and silver are at risk of being left seriously out of pocket, an undercover JEP investigation reveals today.

The paper’s consumer team asked three dealers to value a number of gold and silver items which independent experts said were worth between £5,400 and £6,500.

All the gold items were valued by the experts at their scrap value, but a silver salver made by one of the finest English silversmiths of the 19th century was given its retail value as a very collectible antique.

The results of the investigation were surprising, if not shocking. One of the dealers, aware that the salver was by a very good maker, offered £700 for the lot. Others simply did not know what the items were.

While no one we approached broke the law, the experience shows more clearly than ever why you should always shop around and remember the old maxim, buyer beware.

Trevor Le Roux, the director of Trading Standards, said: ‘Never ever accept the first offer and make sure that you get at least a second, third or even fourth opinion.’

• See today’s JEP for the full report