Sadly, it means that it has other metals mixed into it or is only plated with a silver-like substance and has a ferromagnetic core. Learn how to tell the difference between fake jewelry and the real deal with these simple tips: Check for Tarnishing. Silver is part of a unique group of metals called noble metals, meaning that they resist oxidation and corrosion, which you might be familiar with as rust or decay. "If your magnet sticks strongly to the piece, it has a ferromagnetic core and is not silver." https://amzn.to/2xLA5Df Gold silver platinum test kit on Amazon. Some suggest using a magnet to test gold or silver jewelry for authenticity. If you find your piece is indeed authentic but is lacking the aged look you want, go ahead and add some patina! or an old penny, it’s not silver. If you see any other colors aside from red, brown, or green, this would indicate that the item in question is indeed only silver plated and made of a different metal entirely. One small droplet of bleach will tell you immediately if you have a real or fake product. Look for the "925" or "Sterling" Stamp The markings for sterling silver can be stamped with the word “sterling” or with a number that denotes the purity of the silver, like “92.5”or “925”, for example. To do this test, you want to have a magnet made of neodymium. The item could be silver-plated, but a scent indicates that it is not made entirely of sterling silver. Coin silver was oftentimes not marked at all, or marked only with the maker's name or initials. Bring your items to our store at 3173 Poplar Ave. or call 901-324-4009. Pick up the coin and feel the weight. Diamond Fluorescence: is it a Good Thing. But if you already have the item in your possession, any of these methods would be appropriate to check your piece of jewelry. If you’re looking at jewelry in the store, be sure to give it a whiff. If the weight feels the same, your silver jewelry piece is more likely to be genuine. Sterling silver isn’t the only kind of silver that was used in jewelry. Some of the early makers of silverplate flatware were Rogers Bros, Rogers & Bros. FB Rogers Silver, Wm Rogers, the Meriden Britannia Company, Middletown Plate Co. (Superior Silver Company) and others. Martha Stewart is part of the Meredith Home Group. Be sure to only let it sit for two hours at most, as any longer will start to corrode the metal. 12 Festive Family Menus to Get You Through This Holiday Season, Learn How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh for the Entire Month of December, Quick, Easy, and Delicious Pasta Recipes Ideal for Weeknight Dinners, How to Hang a Wreath Without Making Holes in the Door, The Best Front Porch Decorating Ideas for Every Month of the Year, How to Disinfect Your Kitchen and Your Food During the Coronavirus Outbreak, According to Experts, How to Keep Your Houseplants Happy in the Winter, How to Wash Your Hands Properly, According to a Doctor, How to Plan a Beautiful, Meaningful Micro Wedding So That You Can Celebrate Your Postponed Nuptials Right Now, Six Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health While You Work from Home, the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith, a test that you can do while at the store. Not only has silver been used for jewelry, but it’s been a staple of coinage and bullion for hundreds of years! This is especially useful if you’re looking at estate jewelry, or any handcrafted or artisan pieces. This is because the bleach hastens the oxidation process and creates that dark patina that you see on antique or artisan jewelry. This method is readily available online if you want to go this route and can be done in the privacy of your own home. Aside from the stamp, look for tarnish. Be sure to download our complete guide here! © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Sometimes other metals such as zinc or platinum are added instead of copper to help prevent tarnishing, but if the composition of silver is 92.5%, then the tarnishing shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Continuing on with magnets, another test you can to spot counterfeit silver is … Remember, this means that the silver has a purity of 92.5%, which is quite high! Thankfully you don’t have to do all these tests to determine whether your piece of silver jewelry is authentic, so mix and match tests based on what’s appropriate for the piece you’re examining. All can be made in 45 minutes or less. Many manufacturers are using less than sterling grade silver due to the risings costs of the metal, and if you’re looking to have that beautiful, shiny, genuine and clean sterling silver in your piece of jewelry, you must make sure to validate whether it’s authentic. We’ve found 10 ways to check whether the silver you’ve got your eye on is the real deal. Copper tends to oxidize and creates copper salts with your sweat, oils, or lotion on your skin, leaving behind a greenish hue. It can be hard to tell whether a piece of jewelry is authentic, especially in an age where jewelry is mass-produced and affordable. Silver is low right now...but watch the market and it does go up. Even though silver tends to be the least expensive noble metal to work with, many jewelry makers will still cut corners and try to save money by silver with another metal mixed in. While not all the silver was used for jewelry, it was still a favored metal among many people. Out of all these regions, Peru and Mexico dominate, producing over 20% of the world’s silver. Since authenticity is important to state when buying any piece of jewelry, these stamps will be displayed proudly, and the jeweler will mention the purity of the metal and any other part of the piece, such as gemstones. Silver makes a really lovely bell-like ringing sound when it … Enter to Win $10,000 to Makeover Your Home! As mentioned above, you may recognize this when you’re wearing a piece of jewelry, and then suddenly, your skin turns green. When silver is exposed to air, it oxidizes. The bleach test is recommended by some as a way to spot fake silver coins. Shopping for silver at the flea market, estate sales, and yard sales means that you can find some great deals, but you have to know what to look for. 2. Compare this to 14k gold: that’s only 58.3% pure. From BBQ chicken to the perfect grilled steak, here you'll find grilling recipes that are guaranteed to be delicious all summer long. Bleach Test. Do they mention the types of metals they use? The acid's color should remain the same if it is pure silver. International sellers of silver will stamp silver as 925, 900 or 800." If you can smell sulfur or a distinct metallic fragrance, then it is not sterling silver. So, what happens if your piece of jewelry sticks to this magnet? Magnetic Slide Test. How to Tell If an Item Is Made of Real Silver. If the site you are looking at does not offer reviews, look at the company itself. Silver is one of the best conductors of thermal energy found … As you can see, there are a multitude of ways you can test to see if your silver jewelry is genuine or not. This is a great test to conduct for those of us who have a strong sense of smell. "The first thing you should look for when you found an item you suspect to be real silver, is markings like a stamp or hallmark," explains Nicolas Martin, flea market expert and founder of Flea Market Insiders. Sterling silver is prone to tarnishing. There was another type of silver used in the 17th century called Britannia silver. Sterling silver has a purity of 92.5 percent or higher. The magnet test is a good trick among antique appraisers. If you’re shopping for jewelry online, one of the best things you can do when you find a piece of silver is to not only read over the listing itself but to read reviews on the item itself. Surprising, isn’t it? What are their returns policies? Silver is coated over copper or any other metal and the object is electroplated before dipping in silver to have a coating of real silver over it. There is a less invasive chemical test called the silver Acid Test. It’s still technically a silver alloy but it’s not as high of a grade as sterling and may have more issues with oxidation and staining. This means that you can test whether a piece of jewelry is pure silver just by using ice! Fake silver or silver-plated items are generally made of other metals. Silver is the most heat-conductive metal in existence, so ice melts very quickly whenever it comes into contact with it. China began refining silver and made advancements in mining to be able to gather the resource easier. Everything You Need to Know. Sterling silver is odorless, so go ahead and smell the piece in question. You should also be able to discern marks if you can have the item in front of you. It’s a really easy way to see whether the piece you’re looking at is authentic. You can find these at any hardware store, sometimes at crafts stores and we included it below so you can buy it by following our link. If the acid becomes red, your item is genuine sterling silver. "I always recommend that shoppers look at piles of what dealers are putting out as scrap piles of silver," says Sue Whitney, who has authored five books on antique shopping and decorating with repurposed furniture. Silver will not exhibit these signs. When genuine silver is crafted, it is often engraved with a marking such as 9.25, Sterling, Sterling 925, or S/S. The “Scientific” Test; Here is where you have to pretend to be one of the MythBusters guys. For instance, if your piece is marked 626, that means that it is 62.6% silver, and the remaining amount is of other metals. Since pure silver is incredibly soft, copper hardens up the metal to the point that you can work with it for jewelry. For instance, if a piece tarnishes the skin or loses its shine quickly you will see people mention that. Sterling silver is a specific designation of silver; it’s not just pure silver, as that would be too soft. Knowing whether or not something is actually made of silver is important in terms of more than just cost: People who have an allergy or sensitivity to other metals have to make sure that their jewelry is real silver if they want to wear it without a negative reaction. A necklace may have it on the back of a pendant or on a small tag on the clasp. Rust or a lack of oxidation indicates that the item is made of a different material from silver. Like other precious metals, silver has distinctive properties that can help you to identify it. This is generally recommended only if you’re looking to gain authenticity for personal purposes, as the testing method damages the piece. Have you ever had a stinky piece of jewelry? 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