Q&A for How to Test Silver

Yes, "925" means the bracelet and chain are 92.5% silver, which is also known as sterling silver.

You probably can't sell them until you know what they're made of (since buyers will want to know that before spending their money). Try one of the simple tests in our article to check your silver!

If they're non-magnetic and ice melts immediately on them, it sounds like they're silver (since those are two of the tests you can do it home). If you want to know for absolute certain, have the plates appraised by a professional.

Polish the silver with toothpaste or silver polish to remove the tarnish from the surface.

KP means Karat Pure or Plum, term used in 70's and 80's. Meaning Pure (Real).

Most sterling sets have stainless or good quality steel blades -- only the handles are sterling. Sterling is too soft a metal to hold a sharp edge.

It means it contains 62.6% pure silver and the remaining 37.4% containd one or more other metals.

If "1844" is listed below the maker's mark, it is likely the year of production. Numbers seemingly randomly placed are the model or pattern number of the item.

Yes. It depends on when and where it was made. Most modern items will have 925, .925, or "sterling" stamped on it. Some older items from Germany may have "stirling" or "starling." Items made in England before the 20th century may have hallmarks instead of words/numbers. For example, a sterling silver item might have the profile image of a lion.

The ice method from this article works really well. It is easy and costs nothing.

No, not always. Some countries do not require their silver to be stamped.

Any value it has is not because of the silver content. Its value is due more to design and decorative desirability.

Smell them. This works best with older things of silver. If they have a strong, distinctive, metallic smell, they're probably real silver. Compare the smell to another metal that you know is not silver. For more accurate testing, go to a pawn shop or jewelry store and ask them to do a free test for you.

It is illegal to mark fake silver with those signs and/or numbers, but that doesn't always stop swindlers. So, unless you are buying from a reputable dealer (who wouldn't want their business to go under for selling fake items), then trusting the symbols or numbering alone isn't a good idea.

You have to compare the melting rate of the ice on the silver to the melting rate of the ice in the pan. Put your silver in a hot pan, put a cube on the pan and one on the hot silver. The real silver will melt the ice much faster than the pan.

Hold a magnet to it. If the magnet sticks to the surface, the pot is either not silver at all or is only silver plated.

Gold, brass, and nickel.

If it is a small square with a lion, this is a hallmark of sterling silver made in England.

Yes, of course. You can scratch .925 silver with stainless steel, for example.

No, fingerprints do not disappear on real silver. If they did, that would be the easiest way to test silver!

There are wires that are SPC or silver-plated copper. They are used to improve the quality of sound for certain wires.

No. Unfortunately, lots of Chinese suppliers are stamping their silver plated items.

Pure tin. A friend picked up a homemade ingot of what he thought could be silver. It passed the magnet test.

Diamonds are not set in silver, but in white gold. Silver is too soft as a wedding band, so you should check the metal first.

"IS" stands for "international silver."

Electric fork lifts will have a panel with a few industrial grade silver contacts. The silver content can be quite high to only 50%. It will be fused to either brass or copper.

Electroplated. This is a process of electrodeposition that leaves a thin layer of (in this case) silver over a less-expensive base metal.

No. German silver is a name given to fake silver developed in Germany. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc.

If you can't locate any markings or stamps on your set, it is probably safe to assume that it is only plated. The other possibility is that the item is described as "stainless," not "stainless steel", so the set could be lacquer-coated, which is a common method of protecting silver or silver-plate items from tarnishing. The practice is much more common for plated items, due to the very thin covering of silver over the base metal.

The absence of any stamp or marking on an item doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't made from silver or isn't silver plated. If you have an antiques dealer nearby, take your item to them to ask for their opinion.