THE “HALLMARK” TEST
Inspect your silver jewelry all around for a mark known as a “hallmark” (you might need a magnifying lens for this). An imprint of the numbers “925” indicates that the jewelry piece contains 92.5% of pure silver. Other marks may be “Sterling Silver,” “Ster” or “Sterling.” Markings are normally found on larger parts of the jewelry piece where they can be engraved.
THE “MAGNET” TEST
Hold a regular magnet above or near your jewelry piece. Pure Silver is not magnetic, so if your jewelry piece is drawn to the magnet, it is not real 92.5 sterling silver or more. Chances are that the alloy your jewelry piece was made has a different composition percentage.
THE “WEIGHT” TEST
Another easy way to tell if your jewelry piece is real 92.5 Sterling Silver is by comparing it to an item of a similar weight that you know is made of real silver. If the weight feels the same, your silver jewelry piece is more likely to be genuine.
THE “SCIENTIFIC” TEST
Here is where you have to pretend to be one of the MythBusters guys. Gather around some protective goggles and gloves and wear them. Then add a drop of nitric acid to a small silver part of your jewelry. If it turns green, it is not made of genuine silver. Nitric acid is a chemical with a high copper content, which discolors non-silver items.
THE “EASY PEASY” TEST
We left the easiest test for the end. Try rubbing your silver jewelry lightly on a soft, light-colored cloth or piece of paper. If black marks appear on the cloth, the jewelry piece is likely to be genuine silver. Real silver oxidizes when exposed to air; this creates the tarnish that appears on the cloth or paper when it is rubbed.
We are proud of our fine 92.5 Sterling Silver jewelry crafts. That’s why since many years ago we mark ALL of our jewelry pieces with a 925 mark as a proof of Genuity. Additionally, we are open to all kinds of audits and lab tests as a proof of our quality transparency. For your next silver jewelry piece, you can trust Jessica Jewelry.
