Worried you bought a piece of jewelry meant to be a long-lasting gift but could be a cheap knock-off instead? Don’t get duped by fake sterling silver jewelry. There are a lot of ways to make convincing fake silver and old jewelry, so it’s important to know how to identify real silver as silver buyers cape coral fl.

While it might be challenging to know if something you buy online is authentic, there are several tests you can run on supposed sterling silver jewelry. Give your jewelry a closer look with these tips and you should be able to find the real thing.

1. Visual Assessment

Sterling silver can sometimes be stamped to show it is real. Depending on where you buy the jewelry from, these stamps may differ.

The UK will stamp sterling silver with a lion. Whereas in the US you may see a stamp in the form of 925, or some variation of that number like .925 or S925. This means the piece is 92.5% sterling silver and is authentic.

Sterling silver jewelry makes great gifts, but only when it’s the real thing. Buying from reputable companies can help you avoid fake metals. You can look here to find some great sterling silver options to mark special occasions.

2. Magnet Test

Whether your jewelry is gold or silver, it should not attract a strong magnet. These are no-ferrous metals, like platinum, and shouldn’t stick to a magnet, even weakly. If you run a strong magnet over your silver jewelry and any of it sticks, that means it is at least made in part with non-silver metal like copper or nickel.

While it won’t tell you exactly the kind of metal it is, you can at least test it against some metal or a mixture of those that are attracted to magnets.

3. Best to Bleach

If you want a surefire test for silver, you can bleach your items. This might sound like a tough test, but ts is a helpful tool in identifying silver.

Sterling silver will oxidize and tarnish when it comes into contact with bleach. However, you can polish off the discoloration and return it to its usual silver self. But if the jewelry does not tarnish when it comes into contact with bleach, it’s not made of silver.

Fake silver jewelry will tarnish over time and not be able to return to its silver style with a simple polish. It may even rust as it ages, indicating it was not silver from the start.

Sterling Silver Style

Sterling silver jewelry is more expensive than options like nickel or copper because it is long-lasting and will remain a beautiful silver shade with minimal work on your end. The occasional polish can help bring out the shine in anything silver, but fake silver won’t last.

Make sure you check the jewelry either before you buy it or before you gift it so that you’re sure you aren’t wasting money. And if this helped you feel more confident in identifying silver, keep reading for more good tips.

Paul Petersen