How can you tell if sterling silver is real?
Silver is a beautiful metal, and an excellent option for jewelry. When you’re shopping for silver jewelry, though, you’ll notice there are different types of silver. Some pieces of jewelry are identified as pure silver, while others claim to be sterling silver. What’s the difference? Is one better than the other? And how can you tell if a piece of jewelry is really silver?
- First, let’s compare silver and sterling silver. The primary difference between the two is their composition. Pure silver contains 99.9 percent silver and .1 percent copper or nickel. It’s very soft and hard to work with because it won’t hold a shape. This is why jewelers mix other elements, typically copper and nickel, to make is stronger. Sterling silver is made of 92.5 percent silver, so it’s still very valuable. Sterling silver is hard and easy to make into different shapes. Any silver jewelry with an intricate or braided design is probably sterling silver, as are many rings. Sterling looks beautiful when it’s polished and sterling silver rings won’t leave dark marks on your fingers.
- Is sterling silver real silver? Sterling silver is certainly real, and the fact that it’s a different type of silver doesn’t change its status in the jewelry industry. However, you’re likely to come across fake sterling silver. Would you know the difference?
- Jewelers know how to tell if sterling silver is real. High-end jewelry stores won’t sell you a fake, and they are trained to spot a fake so that they won’t inadvertently sell it. There are also tests they perform to verify whether sterling silver is real.
- The nitric acid test is the most accurate method, and nitric acid is easily attainable. Just one drop of this acid on fake silver will turn it greenish. If, however, the acid turns cloudy grey, it’s real silver. Jewelers are careful not to damage the piece with this test.
- An x-ray doesn’t damage the jewelry, making it a preferred testing method for silver and other precious metals. Using an x-ray, a jeweler can tell if the piece contains the right amount of silver to be considered sterling.
- There are methods you can use to test silver at home. You can look for a hallmark, most commonly 925. Older pieces might have a hallmark of sterling or STG. You can also weigh it, comparing it to a piece you know for a fact is really silver, because fake silver is lighter than genuine silver. If a strong magnet sticks to the piece, it’s not real silver, but if you rub the piece with a white cloth and come away with black residue, it’s real. Real silver doesn’t have a metallic odor, so you may be able to tell by smelling it, but it does give off heat, so if you place an ice cube on your sterling silver earrings and it begins to melt, they’re made of real silver.
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