\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Please be aware that this does also work on silver-plated jewelry, so its not a good test to use if youre concerned about it being silver-plated. Is it safe to clean jewelry with alcohol and how do I do it? Whether youre investigating the pieces in your jewelry box to find out the worth of things you already own, or considering a new purchase and want to make sure you get what you pay for, its important to be able to distinguish genuine 925 silver from other metals. Patina can be added with bleach, but the difference between a natural patina and forced is quite stark. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Still, you can wear your jewelry without worry if it does happen to be made of silver and other alloys. Enjoy! Just because something looks like silver doesnt mean its pure sterling silver. Real silver turns black over time. What is 925 Sterling Silver Actually Made Of? "Thank you. The scratch must be deep enough to penetrate any gold-plating and expose the base metal. Sterling silveris a specific designation of silver; its not just pure silver, as that would be too soft. If you dont want to scratch your piece, or potentially leave a mark from the acid, use a black stone plate. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. There are a few ways to visually inspect a piece of silver jewelry to see if its genuine. There was another type of silver used in the 17th century calledBritannia silver. Winner of Parents magazines Best of the Web and a New York Observer Most Eligible New Yorker," her #1 bestseller, The Kickass Single Mom (Penguin), was a New York Post Must Read. Scrape the item against the plate. The weight of a silver dollar coin is 26.73 grams and a bar is between 930 and 1,080 ounces. Yes, silver plating does wear off over time. Get a free instant estimate from CashforSilverUSA >>. Silver will not exhibit these signs. So how do you tell if sterling silver is authentic? Since authenticity is essential to state when buying any piece of jewelry, these stamps will be displayed proudly. Watch to see if a streak or line of any type appears. Additionally, some people use a bleach test to see if silver is real, but this can damage valuable items. This is because silvers super-high thermal conductivity transfers heat onto the ice cube faster than any other surface can. Ideally, you want to try and place this small magnet at an angle because if it slides down your piece of jewelry, you can be sure its a real piece of silver. It can be hard to tell whether a piece of sterling silver jewelry is authentic, especially in an age where jewelry is mass-produced and affordable. Be suspicious if what a card displays looks questionable, or if there appears to be a sticker on top of the card. 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