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How to Spot Sterling Silver

When shopping for sterling silver jewelry or other items, you want to be sure you are getting the genuine article. Real sterling silver contains at least 92.5 percent silver. The other part is another metal, usually copper, that is added to the silver to give it durability. You will run across many items that look like sterling silver, but in reality they are just silver-plated or don't have the required amount of silver content. There is no single test that is guaranteed to spot fake sterling silver, but there are some simple things you can do to detect most fake items.

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the piece closely. An older silver-plated item may have discolored areas where the plating has worn off or peeled away. Pay special attention to the edges.
- 2
  Look for an authenticating stamp on the bottom of the item or on the clasp of jewelry. By law all new sterling silver items must be stamped with this mark. The most common stamp for sterling silver in the United States is "925." Other stamps for sterling silver are " 9.25," STERLING," "STER," "STERLING 925," "925/1000," and "S/S." This is not a sure test. Many old sterling silver items will not have a mark, and some unscrupulous manufacturers will illegally mark plated items that are not really sterling silver.
- 3
  Take the item to a jeweler or coin shop and ask them to perform a nitric acid test on the item. They will place a drop of nitric acid on an inconspicuous part of the item. If the acid turns green, the item is high in copper and is not true sterling silver. The acid will turn a creamy color if it is true sterling silver. But even this test is not foolproof. Some low-quality silver alloys are made with cadmium, which will not react with the nitric acid.
- 4
  Rub a soft, light-colored cloth over the surface of the item. Genuine sterling silver will usually leave a black residue on the cloth because of tarnishing. However, some new silver sterling items have an anti-tarnishing overcoat, and will not leave a residue until after the coating has worn off.
- 5
  Place a magnet against the item. Alloys made with iron will be attracted to the magnet and are not sterling silver. Sterling silver will not be attracted to the magnet. But this is not a sure test. Many silver-plated items are made with copper, tin or nickel. These metals also will not be attracted to the magnet.
- 6
  Compare the weight of the item in question against a known sterling-silver object of similar size, Silver-plated items or items made with low-quality alloys are usually noticeably lighter than the genuine item.

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