How can you tell if your sterling silver is real?
It’s beautiful, used in flatware, jewelry, and decorative items, but is sterling silver real silver? The answer is unquestionably yes, and jewelry made from sterling silver can be both more intricate and more durable than pure silver jewelry. The question to ask yourself, then is not “Is sterling silver real?” but rather “Is this item made of real sterling silver?” This is important to know, especially when you’re shopping consignment or at an estate sale, so we’ve got some helpful information to help you determine the sterling silver you’re buying is real.
- Look for a mark. Real silver often has a mark, either a stamp or a hallmark. Because sterling silver has a purity of 92.5 the markings will often say things like S925, .925, or just 925. Sterling silver without this mark can sometimes still be real silver though, so don’t dismiss it out of hand if you don’t see a mark. Instead, try some of these other tests.
- Check it with a magnet. Precious metals like gold, copper and silver are not magnetic, while metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt are. If a magnet will stick to the piece you’re testing, that means it’s not real silver, or it may just be silver plated.
- Give it a sniff. Fake silver will sometimes smell like brass or copper. If you detect a metallic odor, your silver is fake, because genuine sterling silver is odorless.
- Rub it with a cloth. This is another easy way to determine if silver is real. Get a clean white cloth and rub the piece as though polishing it. Silver will oxidize and tarnish so if you rub a tarnished piece and black residue comes off, it’s real silver.
- See if it flakes. Items that are silver plated are covered with real silver but have a different metal underneath. You can scrape a silver plated piece with a fingernail and see a different metal underneath it, but that won’t happen with real silver.
- Try the ice test. If you place a cube of ice on top of a silver item, it will melt. This is because silver has a very high thermal conductivity, so even at room temperature ice will melt quickly.
- Use a little bleach. When you put a drop of bleach on it, does sterling silver tarnish? Yes, but when you rub it with a cloth it will go right back to its original shine. Fake silver will not stand up to polishing because after you’ve polished it for a while the cheaper metals within will be exposed. If you have a piece that rusts, though, it’s not sterling silver. Similarly, if it turns your skin green it’s made of a lower quality metal.
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