6 Ways to Test Silver
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Stories about fake coins from Asia and gold bullion bars drilled and filled with Tungsten have been in the headlines recently. But the truth is, counterfeiting is just about as old as the concept of money itself. The weight of the metal will have a specific diameter and thickness. If the silver weighs less, it might be made of light-weight silver alloys rather than sterling silver.
Whether it is silverware, jewelry or just an antique bar of silver, it will tarnish over time. It is often used in a less than pure form, such as for silver-plated coverings, where silver is basically painted in a thin layer over a less expensive material. When looking at how to test silver there are ways to test if it’s authentic silver and not just silver-plated. Never buy gold bullion below its melt value unless you know and trust its origins. Base metal coins will sound duller and their ring will be shorter -- much like the difference between clinking crystal versus glass champagne flutes. Other ways of determining the authenticity of silver is through a jeweler’s scale , a jeweler’s loupe , and to a certain extreme, XRF analyzer machines that uses x ray fluorescence.
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Many manufacturers are using less than sterling grade silver due to the risings costs of the metal. Suppose you’re looking to have that beautiful, shiny,genuine, and clean sterling silverin your piece of jewelry. In that case, you must make sure to validate whether it’s authentic. That tends to mean it’s either silver plated and made with copper or just plain old zinc alloy! If you’re looking at jewelry in the store, be sure to give it a whiff.
Silver Doesn’t Smell
You can’t fully rely on this test because there are many metals that are not attracted to magnets but still look like silver. Perform other tests along with the magnetic method, in order to get the best results. One of the major uses of silver used to be in the form of coins until the 20th century, when the bank notes arrived. Coins were then minted with metals such as brass or nickel.
This means tungsten is very difficult to use in minting or fabricating small items. It is brittle, and stamping it with a design will result in coins with less detail unless it has been plated with a thick layer of gold. Gold and silver are extraordinarily dense metals – much denser than just about any base metal .
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The ice will begin to melt immediately, as if it has been placed on something hot, rather than as if it it was placed on something that was just room temperature. Keep in mind that there are a few other metals that do not stick to a magnet and can be made to look like silver. It is better to perform the magnetic test in conjunction with another test to make sure the core is not another metal. Products often can be mistaken as silver if they are silver plated . Scroll down to Step 1 to begin testing your silver. Also make sure to view the instructional video below, which explains each test in greater detail and shows actual testing of a real vs. fake American Silver Eagle coin.
SD Bullion has been in operation for almost a decade. Throughout this time, we have grown to be one of the largest and most respected precious metal dealers in the world by providing the best prices and best service. And precisely because silver is always in high demand, many wrongdoers see it as an opportunity to take advantage of ill-advised people.
Bleach can also be used to check the authenticity of the silver metal. If it tarnishes after coming in contact with oxidising chemicals like bleach then it is real silver. Real silver will turn black when exposed to bleach. Use the silver Acid Test to see the amount of silver content in the item. A few drops on the item will reveal some details based on the color. If the acid turns bright or dark red, it is likely that you have fine or sterling silver.
If the acid becomes red, your item is genuine sterling silver. But if your acid turns brown or green, it means that the concentration of silver is only 80% or 50%, respectively. Suppose you’ve ever experienced that strong smell with a piece of silver-colored jewelry that you’ve owned before. In that case, the chances are that it wasn’t silver. Another visual difference between genuine silver and fake silver is whether it haslayering or flaking.This is a dead giveaway that your piece is platedor made with some other metal.
Other colors will reveal a different metal is used and is just plated with silver. On the other hand, silver-plated items contain a large amount of cheaper metals, such as copper, zinc, and/or nickel, and a thin layer of silver plating. The easiest way to conduct this test is to place a real silver coin and a potentially fake silver coin side by side. Put an ice cube on each coin and then check to see how quickly each ice cube melts. This particular test indicates whether a coin or piece of bullion is composed from genuine silver or gold by examining its chemical reaction to acid. Acid test kits can be purchased online staring at approximately $14 USD.
While it might not seem like ice and silver go together, silver has the highest thermal conductivity of any common metal or alloy, though copper is right behind. Owing to this property of silver, it is easier for you to check the authenticity of gold. Magnet does not attract silver and the moment you bring them close together, is exactly the moment when you can distinguish whether its fake or original. One of the reasons why silver is so appreciated in the industry is its dense and ductile properties.
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