Showing posts with label what is sterling silver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what is sterling silver. Show all posts

Thursday, May 10, 2012

How to check quickly if a metal is silver?


Silver testing  - How to do it.

Solid silver or silver plate?
If you are interested in buying silver antiques, the first thing to do is to check out the hallmark (A gold and silver hallmark guide is ideal for this). 

If the piece been produced in the UK, your hallmark guide will date it and be able to pinpoint the region of manufacture.

Understanding the hallmark is important because silver plate is also hallmarked in Britain and at first glance, the mark can look similar so you need to be careful. 

An item which has been silver-plated has only a thin coating of silver of just a few microns plated onto a base metal. By contrast, a sterling silver item is made of solid 92.5 percent silver throughout. 

The difference in value between the two is enormous although in some cases it may be difficult to tell sterling silver from plate silver by eye alone.

hallmarks guide

What if there are no hallmarks visable?

If a piece of metal has no hallmarks it may still be silver or at least it may have a percentage of silver contained within it. There are home silver testing kits available for this.

Silver testing is not a difficult process and can be carried out by a jeweller or simply by yourself at home, by using a silver testing kit. This is easy to use and will tell you if your candlesticks are silver or silver plate.

Silver jewellery – is it really silver?

Today, there is a lot of imitation silver on the market - especially with the explosion of cheap jewellery flooding in from the third world. Although many of this cheap “silverware” ends up on the counter at inexpensive jewellers and on market stalls, you can find it in better jewellery shops and often for much higher prices than it is worth. 

Testing your supposedly solid piece of silver with a silver testing kit will ensure that you are not being sold a dud!

Is that a real Rolex?

Fakes, such as fake Rolex watches – can also turn up in surprising locations. They can look pretty good but often it is the silver content, or lack of it, which is the first sign to spotting a fake. Use a silver testing kit to check if your 1920s silver Rolex Oyster is really what it appears to be. 

So what is a silver testing kit?

There are many kits available on the market to test all sorts of precious metals and they are easy to use. Silver reacts to nitric acid – the active component of the silver testing kit. When you test, try to pick an area on the piece that is not too noticeable because you first need to scratch the surface and then apply a drop of nitric acid to the area.

If the liquid turns green the item is silver plated. However if it turns grey, your item is silver.
Exact colouration will depend upon the kit that you use so you need to follow instructions carefully. 
You can use a small magnet will show if there is any steel content in your item. 















What is Sterling Silver
 
Is my rolex a fake?


How to date UK Silver



Friday, April 1, 2011

The Difference between silver and silver plate

Sterling Silver and Plated Silver both have a characteristic sheen that can reflect brillianly under both candle light and natural light. both types of silver can be similar weights but sterling silver is considerably more valuable financially than silver plate.

So when one tell whether their silver coloured metal is the real thing?

Well, Sterling silver has several characteristics that distinguishes it from plated silver.

Silver jewelry comes in various forms, including sterling and plated. Sterling has 92.5 percent silver content; plated has a thin layer of silver bonded to a base metal.
Sterling silver is more expensive and retains its value over time because of its high silver content.

How to distinguish between Silver and silver plate

1 Check for sterling markings. These are words or numbers stamped on a item that represent its value. If it is a piece of jewelry, such as a necklace or ring, turn it over. For silverware, look on the handle, and for tea pots, look at the bottom. You should see the number ".925" marked on the piece. You may also see, "925/1000", or just the word "Sterling". Any of these indicate the piece is sterling silver.

2 Check for plated silver markings. These are found in the same places as sterling markings. You may see "EP," "EPNS," "EPC" or "Heavy Plate." These or any other markings other than sterling markings usually indicate an item is silver plated. Sometimes the markings are so small that you will need to use a magnifying glass.

3 Look for markings from other countries. Not all countries mark sterling silver the same way. For instance, some sterling silver items in England have a lion's head engraved, and sterling silver from Norway is marked "830." Research a silver marking guide, such as the "Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks and Makers' Marks" "Guide to gold and silver hallmarks"to compare the markings on your item and determine its country of origin.

4 Apply nitric acid to the surface. It will not affect sterling silver, but will turn silver-plated items green. Buy a silver jewelry testing kit; it will likely include a nitric acid-based solution. Find an inconspicuous spot on the item. Lightly scratch the spot with your fingernail or a needle, and apply a small drop of nitric acid.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

What is Sterling Silver

What is Sterling Silver?

Many people think that sterling silver refers to silver that has a British hallmark. Although this is true in Britain, sterling silver does not have to be British.
How do you tell if the metal you are looking at is real sterling silver?

Picture the scene!

You are looking at a pair of expensive silver candlesticks at an antique fair.
The colour is tarnished and although they have a great shape, you are concerned that you might be about to “get done”. The stall holder assures you that they are sterling silver but, sterling silver goblet

But what does this actually mean?

Many people think that sterling silver refers to silver that has a British hallmark. Although this is true in Britain, sterling silver does not have to be British. It can come from any country of origin but should carry a maker’s mark or assay office stamp to guarantee it is authentic.

Sterling silver is the good quality solid silver that we think about when considering silver. It is not pure silver. Pure or fine silver is too soft for most uses – it can wear away and be bent out of shape. Sterling silver keeps it’s shape and is hardwearing for most uses such as jewellery or any kind of object or implement such as the candle sticks that you are considering

What is sterling Silver (part 2)