How to distinguish silver from a fake: 8 ways

Silver is faked less often due to the low cost of the metal, but there are still cases of falsification. Newly-made owners complain about the imminent darkening of products. At the same time, it is by no means always possible to return the original appearance to the decoration. To be safe, you need to have basic knowledge regarding the signs of quality silver. You will also need to study the ways in which you can check the metal for falsification. Let's talk about everything in order.

What is it, quality silver

1. Products based on high-quality alloy have a 925 test. You can find the corresponding mark on the back of the jewelry. If the area is thin, poorly visible, use a magnifier.
2. The mark on the product indicates that you have real silver. Do not buy jewelry with an indicator below the specified. Often zinc is mixed in such alloys, which contributes to the rapid darkening.
3. With silver jewelry comes a label - a passport. The document contains all the data regarding the purchased product. From this information you will find out the exact weight of the jewelry, the presence of stones and their size, a sample of silver.
4. Zinc should not be present in high-quality jewelry of this kind. It negatively affects the skin, reduces the durability of silver. Look for the label “Zink Free” on the label.
5. In our country, you can rarely find fake silver. However, do not buy jewelry in the underpasses, markets and short-term fairs. Go to the jewelry salon, which gives a guarantee on your products.

Method number 1. Sewing needle

1. It is easy to distinguish a silver product from a counterfeit, if equipped with a regular sewing needle. Try to scratch the surface of the decoration. If the silver has easily come off, and under it is an alloy of a different shade, then you have a fake in your hands.
2. It is important to understand that falsified material may have a color similar to silver. Unscrupulous manufacturers make jewelry this way. Therefore, be careful.

Method number 2. Nitric acid

1. To make sure of the quality, take a piece of jewelry, choose a place hidden from the eyes. Make a file with a sharp tool, then work on this area with nitric acid or another reagent.
2. If you notice a greenish tinge in the notch, the alloy contains a large amount of copper. In the case when the product has 925 samples (copper does not exceed 7.5%), the coating will be beige.
3. Pure (real) silver, when exposed to nitric acid, will turn black at the cut point.

Method number 3. Lapis pencil

1. Silver can be distinguished from counterfeiting chemically. Lapis pencil is sold at the pharmacy. It contains in its composition silver ions, which have a regenerating effect. With a pencil, skin diseases are treated.
2. Put on gloves, lay the product in the palm of your hand. Spend the drug on the metal, wait a while. The real alloy will not react in any way, but the surrogate will turn black.

Method number 4. Boiling water

1. Almost all available methods of checking silver for authenticity are based on the properties of this metal. For example, jewelry made of high-quality alloy has high thermal conductivity. Simply put, silverware quickly heats up and cools down at the moment.
2. To understand that in front of you is a really high-quality product, you can use boiling water. Heat the liquid to 100 degrees, send decoration (without stones) into it. Wait 10-15 seconds, remove.
3. If the metal is very hot, that you can hardly hold it in your hands, silver is real. In this case, the product will cool in a matter of seconds. A fake decoration will be barely warm.

Method number 5. Sulfuric ointment

1. Sulfur ointment is available without a prescription and is inexpensive. Apply the drug to the decoration with a middle layer, rub lightly. Soak 3 hours.
2. Wipe the decoration with a sponge, rinse it and evaluate the result. Quality silver will darken significantly. The counterfeit will take on a green, pink, yellow hue, or will not change in any way.

Method number 6. Magnet

1. Sophisticated forgers adapted to deceive people in all possible ways. They create, for example, a chain in which the links are made of different alloys.
2. Simply put, a bracelet or chain has many links. The test is put on some circles, but not on others. What to do in this case, to be sure of the quality of the decoration?
3. Take a powerful magnet. Spread the jewelry in full length, if it is a chain or bracelet. Start slowly leading with a 3-5 mm magnet. from decoration. Silver is not attracted, but a fake - easily.
4. It is important to understand that non-ferrous metal or cupronickel is not magnetized. However, such alloys do not include silver. We can say that this method is not very reliable.

Method number 7. Iodine

1. Place the decoration on a flat white saucer. Shake a jar of iodine, then apply a drop of the drug to the product. If you do not notice any reaction - in the hands of a fake.
2. In the case when a spot of blue hue appeared at the place of the drop, there is a lot of zinc in the decoration. When interacting with iodine, high-quality silver blackens, and cupronickel does not change color at all.

Method number 8. a piece of chalk

1. The easiest way to test silver is to use white chalk. Place the decoration on the palm of your hand, generously brush it with chalk. Rub intensively.
2. Now appreciate the limestone: if it has acquired a black shade, be sure of a quality purchase. In the case of a fake, the chalk will not change its color.

As you can see, there are many ways to test silver. A falsified alloy can be detected using a conventional sewing needle, school chalk, lapis pencil, boiling water, iodine, sulfuric ointment, magnet and nitric acid.

Video: how to check silver at home for authenticity