Genuine silver will be stamped with. Most genuine silver jewelry is marked with 925. The easiest way to tell if sterling silver is authentic is to find the print on the piece. Sterling silver rings, necklaces and bracelets will be stamped “925” somewhere. Rub your silver ring or necklace with a soft white cloth.
If it's real silver, it will leave black marks on the fabric. It happens because silver oxidizes when it comes into contact with air. That rust is transferred to the fabric when you rub the surface with it.
Genuine silver
is soft and slightly supple.If you find an object full of bumps and not at all smooth, it may be another metal or alloy that looks like silver. Any piece of jewelry made of genuine sterling silver should not be rough either. Available with a purity of 93.2% or 96%, silver silver is heavier and more durable than its sterling counterpart. A piece of jewelry made of a material other than sterling silver will not retain its shine over time.
There are many products sold around the world that claim that it is made of sterling silver, they pass off a counterfeit product as real, but when tested, they prove otherwise. However, if you are buying new jewelry or simply want confirmation before buying second-hand pieces, these are the methods to know if the silver is real. When you buy original sterling silver jewelry, you don't have to worry about constantly replacing them. Because sterling silver has a purity level of 92.5%, any amount between 80 and 90% of silver is called “minted silver”.
Whether or not you buy a piece of sterling silver jewelry, tableware, or any other sterling silver product, it's important to have an idea of how you can tell a real piece from a fake. Sterling silver products have marks to identify their brand and say that they are composed of 92.5% silver. You can tell if sterling silver jewelry is original or not by checking the label and performing the magnet test, the ice test, the bleach test or using your senses. In theory, a drop of nitric acid on a silver-plated product, or other low-quality alternatives to real sterling silver, would alter its color and produce a greenish tint.
It's illegal for items that don't meet these standards, such as fake silver products, to have the 925 or “sterling” stamp. Because of this, it's a preferred method for analyzing not only sterling silver, but also other precious metals. You should also keep in mind that some luxury sterling silver designers are starting to add rhodium to their rings. Once you have the magnet, place the product close to it, if it sticks or even moves when you pass the magnet over it, it's not sterling silver.
