How To Tell If Silver Is Real Or Not

If the silverware is real it will leave a slight or not so slight black mark.

How to tell if silver is real or not. This works best with older things of silver. Electroplated objects look like silver but they are much cheaper than real silver. Theyll do the test on the spot. Silver is not magnetic.

Silver is coated over copper or any other metal and the object is electroplated before dipping in silver to have a coating of real silver over it. If you have the time do this at your local jewelry store. If its silver a black residueshould appear on your cloth. Real silver chemically reacts with oxygen to form a patina tarnish while silver plating bonds to the underlying metal so stainless steel will leave no such mark.

If you place a strong rare earth magnet called a neodymium magnet on a silver coin or bar it should not easily stick to it. If they have a strong distinctive metallic smell theyre probably real silver. If the item is silver it willmake the ice melt faster. Polish it with a soft white cloth.

Unlike many othermetals silver is odorless. If youd rather do it at home order the proper solution and try it yourself. If you know how to identify real silver you can easily spot if it has been electroplated or not. If it sticks or it slides very quickly it is not silver.

It should slide down very slowly. Compare the smell to another metal that you know is not silver. One of the easiest ways to tell that your silver jewelry is pure or not is to see whether it leaves any kind of stain on your skin. If youve ever bought an inexpensive piece of jewelry youll know the stain were talking about that greenish or black stain that shows up underneath where you were wearing that ring or necklace.

Put a piece of ice on it. Check for flakes revealing adifferent metal underneath.