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How Do I Know If a Dish Is Real Silver or Not?

Silver has long been used for jewelry and decorative items, but unfortunately, it's also been used for mere plating. Pure silver is much too weak to stand up to use as jewelry or flatware, so it's usually mixed with another metal to produce sterling silver, at 92.5% pure silver. It is much cheaper to put a thin coat of silver on the outside of another metal. Knowing how to spot sterling silver is an essential skill for anyone interested in collecting or investing in silver.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass
Magnet
Light colored cloth
French's brand mustard
Nitric acid
Vinegar

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the plate with the magnifying glass.
  
  Most items made of sterling silver are stamped with the numbers "925." For necklaces, the stamp is usually on the clasp, but for other items, it could be anywhere. This is the official marking that declares something truly is sterling silver.
  
  If you can't find the stamp, it doesn't necessarily mean it is not sterling silver, so there are a few further tests you can try.
- 2
  Hold a magnet to the plate.
  
  Quite often, iron and nickel are used as the base items plated with silver. If the item is the least bit attracted to a magnet, then it's not sterling silver, because silver is not a magnetic metal.
- 3
  Rub the item with a light colored cloth. Check the cloth for black stains.
  
  Silver oxidizes with air. This means, silver will build up a black tarnish on the surface. If the tarnish comes off on the cloth, it's a good sign that the material is silver.
- 4
  Place a drop of French's mustard on the plate, preferably in an inconspicuous spot. Heat the mustard with a match or lighter, and then wipe it off. Check the spot for black tarnish.
  
  Silver reacts with sulfur the same way it reacts to air, only faster. If the mustard leaves a black spot of tarnish on the surface of the plate, then it is very likely the plate has a high silver content.
- 5
  Place a drop of nitric acid on the plate, again, in a spot that isn't likely to be viewed. Check for a green stain.
  
  Many jewelers will keep nitric acid in stock for just this reason. When it comes into contact with silver, nitric acid will turn creamy, but when it touches silver plating, the item will turn green.

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