In general, sterling silver is referred to the alloy of 92.5% pure silver with 7.5% of other metal, usually copper. Sterling silver properties are suitable for jewelry maker to create a nice piece of jewelry. However, how can you be sure whether the sterling silver jewelry that you are looking at is really contained the metal silver? There are ways to test whether your silver jewelry is made by real silver or not. Rear and learn.
1. Using magnet: this is the simple and easy way to test your silver. Silver, in the similar way as gold and platinum, they are not attracted to the magnet. If the silver jewelry piece is attracted by a magnet, you can be sure that the piece is not real silver.
2. The mark of “925”, “.925”, or “S925” to indicatepercent of silver inside the alloy metal. This mark should be put somewhere on the jewelry body, on the clasp or other hidden area of the jewelry. It can be either stamp or mark of this number. Typically, for necklaces and bracelets, the stamp will be on the clasp while for rings, it will be stamp on the inside of the band.
3. Using a soft and white cloth: rub the piece with this cloth, if there are black marks on the cloth, you can be sure that the piece contained real silver. This black mark is occurred by oxidation of silver in the air. This is the reason for tarnish of silver jewelry after sometimes. Don’t worry about the beauty of jewelry, you can easily remove these marks by polishing reagent.
4. Using your smelling skill: a real sterling silver will not smell in anything. But if you got some smell, like faintly copper or brassy odor, the piece might probably not a real sterling silver.
5. Check on price: the real sterling silver is more expensive that the unreal on. There is no good to go with the really cheap one, although it was on sale.
6. Using chemical reaction between silver and nitric acid. The sterling silver will turn its color to creamy color while silver plated or nickel-silver will turn green. However, to test by this way, you have to be aware for the risk of handling this chemical reagent.
With these tips, you can test sterling silver by yourself and you don’t have to worry about the real sterling silver anymore.
