Fake silver. How to distinguish silver from other metals

Silver is a precious metal that has been used both in everyday life and on an industrial scale from ancient times to the present day. Not only women's jewelry is smelted from it, but also contacts for particularly precise instruments. The range of silver products is impressive, and its availability pleases consumers. You can find jewelry to suit your taste in large shopping centers, small shops, subway passages, and jewelry workshops. Therefore, it is so important to learn how to determine the quality of metal. The authors of the program tried to understand the main differences between silver and counterfeits, and told in an accessible and understandable way how to avoid becoming another victim of scammers when buying silver jewelry.

When choosing a silver product that you like, you need to carefully consider it. Its surface should be smooth, polished, without burrs or cracks. Each product must have two imprints (stamps). The manufacturer's stamp, as well as a mark in accordance with the standards for marking products made of precious metals. Be sure to check for sample availability. Silver has a purity of 800, 830, 875, 925, 960, 999. Products that have a purity lower than the minimum (800) are not stamped. They are not considered precious.

Every silver item must have a tag. It indicates the name and legal address of the manufacturer, size, fineness and name of the precious metal. As well as the total cost of the product, weight in grams and price per gram. There is also the name of the insert material (if any), the designation of the industry standard and the QC stamp. The tag is made from thick types of paper and various types of film. In small enterprises, information is applied to jewelry tags with a ballpoint pen or rubber stamp. Large manufacturers use printing.

There are several ways to check the quality of jewelry. To distinguish silver from a fake, the authors of the program advise taking ordinary chalk and rubbing the product with it. If the chalk turns black, it means you have silver in front of you. You can hold a silver item to a magnet - silver is not magnetic! Or take a needle and scratch the inside of the decoration with the tip. If it is brass (i.e., fake silver), then the coating will “slide off,” exposing the reddish metal. Often counterfeits give themselves away as a poorly marked sample, which is not clearly visible or is completely blurred or erased. The authors of the program advise that you should buy silver products only in specialized stores. And don't forget to take the sales receipt. It must indicate the price, date of sale and all characteristics of the product.

A real silver product is easy to distinguish from a fake, and this article will help us understand all the nuances. Let's get acquainted with the most effective ways to determine the authenticity of silver.

Stamp and hallmark

Each product with a high content of precious metal has 2 hallmarks - the manufacturer’s name and an assay mark. Their presence indicates that the product is sold legally in the country.

The hallmark is placed on:

The state mark consists of several elements:

• Right profile of a lady in a kokoshnik;
• Letter code of the State Assay Supervision Inspectorate in the lower left corner;
• Try;
• Standard frame.

Pay attention to the shape of the frame; it is an oval with cut off sides. Let’s assume that the image is surrounded by a circle and the sample is printed next to it in a rectangular or oval frame with trimmed edges.

Foreign-made jewelry may have different marking methods adopted by the laws of the manufacturer's country. For example, the traditional English stamp is a walking lion, while French products were stamped with the head of Minerva, a boar, and a crab.

In order for the soft noble metal to gain strength, impurities of other metals are added to the alloy, usually copper, tin, and nickel. Therefore, a sample must be placed on the finished product - a number reflecting the percentage of noble metal content. The most common silver grades are 750, 800, 875, 916, 925, 960 and 999.

960 and 925 are most often used to create jewelry:

• 925 silver is called sterling, it does not lose its original appearance for a long time, does not darken even with prolonged wear.
• 800 hallmark is considered a coin alloy, used in the production of coins and cutlery, quickly loses its presentation.

The name tag is an abbreviation that allows you to find out the manufacturer, place, and year of manufacture. May contain letters and numbers. Antique items are decorated with the master's initials.

If there is no sample, this does not mean that you are faced with a fake. Perhaps this is 800 silver. Products made from it are allowed to be produced without an imprint. Some silver simulants are stamped MNC, which means “magnesium-nickel-zinc.” A false sample is applied unevenly; it is easy to recognize if you have a sample.

Thermal conductivity

Among all metals, silver has the highest thermal conductivity, that is, it quickly changes temperature under the influence of the environment:

• Press the cool ring against your skin, it will instantly take on her temperature.
• Place the chain or necklace in a container of hot water and then remove it immediately. The jewelry will not have time to change the temperature.
• An ice cube is suitable for testing. If the item is large enough, place ice from the freezer on top.

Physical properties

• Consider the quality of the coating.
• Sterling silver must be white, with a bright polished shine.
• Blackened antique stylized and doesn't shine as brightly.
• Over time, antique jewelry becomes covered with a black and gray coating. If the coating is red or brown, you have another alloy, for example, brass or cupronickel.
• Silver can be matte, but it should not have any tint. A reddish tint is a sign of a large amount of copper in the alloy.
• Throw the ring, earring or coin on the table.
• When falling, a loud sound should be heard, melodic, clear sound.
• Silver spoons you can knock on each other.
• Copper fakes knock dully, cheap alloys produce a metallic sound, like small coins.
• Rub the item with your palm.
• Counterfeits containing zinc leave dark marks.
• Silver plating can be gently rubbed to see the background color.
• Place the jewelry in a glass of water for several days. Genuine silver will remain pristine, but counterfeit silver will rust.
• Smell it. This method requires that you have a sample.
• Those who had silverware, remember their special, specific smell.
• If there is a coating, scrape it off. Cupronickel, like other copper alloys, smells of copper.
• Taste it.
• In brass, cupronickel, nickel silver without sputtering will have a metallic taste.
• Noble metals are tasteless.
• Weigh it. There are reference books for numismatists that contain information about ancient and modern coins. Weigh your sample, compare the resulting weight with the indicated one.

Checking with improvised means

If after examining the product there are still doubts, you can conduct several tests using available tools:

Be careful, traces of iodine are very difficult to wash off from the surface of jewelry. Most likely, the stain will remain forever.

Sulfuric ointment:

• Apply ointment.
• After 30 seconds, wipe off with a cloth or napkin. The application area should darken.

Sulfur ointment is one of the most proven and safe testing methods. It is used against skin inflammations, so it can be applied without gloves. Sold at any pharmacy.

Lapis pencil:

• Wet the tip of the pencil.
• Place a small drop.
• If the drop turns black, this is a fake. Lapis is composed of silver nitrate and does not react with either silver or gold.

Lapis was once widespread, but now it is not sold in all pharmacies. This is an outdated remedy for cauterizing warts and papillomas; if it gets on open skin, a black spot will remain for a long time.

• Take stationery chalk and rub the decoration with it.
• Set aside.
• Check the result in a few minutes. If the chalk turns gray, you have a real noble metal in front of you.

Bleach:

It is believed that if you pour a small drop of bleach and wait a few minutes, the item will react with the acid and darken. But a lot depends on the composition of the bleach. Silver is a low-reactive metal, so household chemicals may have no effect. The imitation can be irrevocably damaged, especially by chlorine.

Vinegar:

According to the electrochemical activity series of metals, silver is a low-active metal, therefore it does not react with 9% vinegar. Most alloys will not react with such a weak acid without heating.

Copper is also a low-active metal, so vinegar will not harm products with a high copper content. It is even recommended to soak cupronickel cutlery in acid if plaque has formed.

Needle:

• Make a deep scratch with a needle.
• Take a close look to see if the color of the core differs from the coating.
• A yellow or red tint indicates that spraying has been applied.

Magnet:

• Take a strong magnet and pass it over the surface of the object.
• Silver has almost no magnetic properties, but a fake made of steel or nickel will be immediately attracted.
• It should be noted that metals with a high copper content are also non-magnetic.

Nitric acid:

This option is only suitable for those who are familiar with chemistry.

• Under the influence of nitric acid, a violent reaction occurs with the release of gas, silver dissolves, and an aqueous solution of silver nitrate and nitric oxide are formed.
• This experiment should not be carried out at home.

• The most reliable ways to determine To determine whether your jewelry has jewelry value, you can call tests with iodine, sulfur ointment, lapis pencil, needle, chalk.
• Iodine is unsafe for the product, stains remain for a long time, they are almost impossible to wash off.
• Lapis pencil is very convenient, the reaction occurs quickly, but you will have to specially order it, since it is not sold in all pharmacies.
• Using a needle you can find out whether the coating has been applied, but the scratch can no longer be removed.
• Chalk does not spoil the product.
• The dark spots remaining after the sulfur ointment can be wiped with ammonia or placed in a soda solution. Another option is to boil it with a piece of regular aluminum foil.
• Not everyone can determine the taste, sound or weight of silver. In addition, this requires a large sample, such as a ring or coin.
• Testing with a magnet will not give the desired result if the main material of the alloy is copper. So, cupronickel and brass will not be attracted to a magnet.
• Bleach and vinegar were useless, nitric acid is not suitable for home use.

The most reliable chemical test is a professional sampler. The simplest kit for testing precious metals costs less than 1000 rubles. It can be purchased at jewelry shops, some pharmacies, and online stores.

Reacting with silver, the substance becomes blood-red and turns black or green on the fake. The reagents are convenient and penetrate through coatings of any thickness. Be careful, the sampler is very caustic and may irritate the skin.

It is easy for an uninformed buyer to sell a fake, for example, made of cupronickel or aluminum, instead of silver jewelry. In order not to fall for the bait of unscrupulous sellers, it is important to know how to verify the authenticity of a precious metal. It's easy to do. Using different methods, you can determine whether an item is made of a noble metal or simply plated with silver. In the first case, the jewelry is made of silver, and in the second, a thin layer of it is applied to a certain alloy.

Standard Silver Tests

When you go shopping, it is important to remember how to properly test your silver. The main criteria to pay attention to when choosing:

• The sample shows the percentage of silver contained. This is a required element. 999 sterling silver is very soft, so products are not produced from it. The maximum value that can be found on sale is 925. This mark means that the jewelry is made from an ingot consisting of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
• High thermal conductivity. This property characterizes rapid heating and heat transfer. So, if you hold silver objects in warm hands or place them in a container of hot water, they heat up in a matter of seconds.
• Appearance. Noble metal has a characteristic silver-white hue. Thanks to their reflective properties, these items shine in the sun. If rings, chains, and earrings are not cleaned in a timely manner, they become dull and take on a pinkish tint.
• Weight. Noble metal has a high density. You can distinguish a fake from an original by holding the product in your hand: it should be weighty.
• Sound. If you take a silver coin and knock it on the product being tested, a characteristic ringing sound should be heard. This speaks volumes about the quality of the metal.

Ways to test silver at home

Having looked at jewelry, cutlery, vases and other items made of precious metal, it is easy to verify their authenticity. This can be done directly at the point of sale or at home. There are simple and simple ways to do this. Knowing how to test silver will prevent you from bringing home a cheap trinket instead of an expensive item.

Testing with iodine helps determine the authenticity of the metal, the main thing is not to spoil the thing. To carry out the test, carefully apply iodine to the product with a cotton swab and wait a little. Then evaluate the result: if a dark spot appears, you have a precious metal, a white coating is a fake. Be prepared for the fact that traces of iodine are difficult to wash off from the surface of the jewelry. Perhaps the dark spot will remain forever.

Vinegar

Silver is a low-active metal, so it does not react with weak household chemicals. So, if you place a piece of jewelry or cutlery in a container with 9% acetic acid, then no effect will occur without heating it. If the item is made of a different alloy, a violent reaction is possible, so be careful not to spoil, for example, a family value.

Khrompik

Using potassium dichromate or Chrompik, you can determine the silver sample. This reagent has a bright orange color that changes when it interacts with metal. To determine authenticity, you need to clean the product and add a few drops of Chrompik. After 1–2 seconds, you need to remove it with filter paper or a napkin. The quality of the sample can be judged by the resulting color. A light brown shade means a sample of up to 750, red - over 750. A bright red intense color indicates a sample of 916.

Checking at home can be done using such a means as ordinary chalk. With this method it is impossible to damage the item being tested. To do this, you need to rub the product with limestone and evaluate the result. Dark stripes that appear on a piece of limestone will indicate that you are dealing with a precious metal.

needle

You can do the test using a thin needle. To do this, you need to lightly scratch the decoration. There will be no trace of the needle left on the precious metal, and scratches will form on the product coated with a thin layer of silver, since as a result the layer of precious metal is removed. This method is inappropriate in a store, but can be easily done at home.

Sulfur ointment

Using a pharmaceutical preparation such as sulfur ointment, you can check the authenticity of silver. For this purpose it is necessary:

• lightly rub the item with fine-grained sandpaper;
• apply the ointment to an inconspicuous area;
• wait 10–15 minutes;
• inspect the product.

The dark spot that appears is a qualitative reaction. Nickel, stainless steel or other alloys do not react in any way to this drug. This method of checking must be handled with extreme caution so as not to damage the jewelry that is dear to your heart. Be prepared for the resulting stain to remain forever. This method is similar to testing with iodine.

Magnet

Knowing that real silver is not magnetic, you can test its authenticity experimentally. To do this, you need to bring the product being tested to a magnet. If there is no reaction, it means you have a genuine alloy in your hands. It is only important to consider a few points.

Silver refers to a noble metal that has increasingly been subject to counterfeiting lately. Therefore, in today’s material we will look at how to distinguish silver from other metals. Traditionally, all actions will be carried out at home. Please share your experience through the comment form.

Ways to distinguish silver from other metals

Before determining the authenticity of silver, choose a method suitable for selling it at home.

No. 1. Dark marks on the skin

Since silver can be checked for authenticity using a simple and understandable method, let’s start with it. If after wearing the jewelry you notice that there are dark marks left on the skin, most likely this product is made of zinc.

No. 2. Boiling water

If there are no stones in the jewelry, lower the silver into boiling liquid. Leave for literally 5 seconds, then remove. If you have the real thing in front of you, it will be very hot. The fake will become barely warm.

No. 3. Needle

Arm yourself with a needle. Run it over an inconspicuous area and evaluate the result. If the top layer has come off in the area of ​​abrasion, it is not silver, but a brass fake. Our precious metal will remain without traces.

No. 4. Chalk

To understand how to distinguish silver, you need to use simple chalk. Run it over the product. Black traces should remain on the chalk, this is how you distinguish silver from other metals. If you carried out the procedure at home, and nothing like this happened, then you are holding a fake in your hands.

No. 5. Iodine

If the silver is real, it will react with iodine. Apply a little alcohol solution to the jewelry; it should darken. Keep in mind that iodine is difficult to remove from silver. If during the procedure the product acquires streaks and becomes cloudy, it is a fake.

No. 6. Sulfuric ointment

Before you determine whether it’s silver or not, you need to buy sulfur ointment at the pharmacy. At home, apply the product to a silver item. You should see the decoration darken a little. Fakes do not give any reaction.

No. 7. Lapis pencil

You can conduct an experiment using a lapis pencil; it can also be purchased at a pharmacy without any problems. Swipe across the silver. There should be no marks left on the pencil.

No. 8. Nitric acid

To conduct the experiment, you need to take the decoration and choose an inconspicuous place. Make a small cut. Add nitric acid. If the silver is of the highest quality, it will turn black at this point.

Many people have jewelry in their homes made from an unknown metal that is very similar to silver. To avoid accidentally throwing away an expensive item, let's find out how to determine whether it is silver or another metal, without instruments and at home.

The article will also be useful for those who bought silver jewelry not in a jewelry store, but somewhere on the market and want to find out whether it is a fake or not. Moreover, nowadays, thanks to advanced technologies, any metal can be counterfeited, and you should always check what you buy.

Determination of silver by appearance and characteristic properties

First of all, if you receive an unknown piece of jewelry that looks like silver, you need to look at the standard and mark of this silver. But even if the product has both a stamp and a hallmark(s), this still does not give you a 100% guarantee of authenticity.

These simple methods will help you:

• Silver conducts heat very well. Take a glass of boiling water and dip your product into it, and immediately remove it (it is best to do this with tweezers). If the decoration is genuine, it should immediately become the same temperature as boiling water. It is worth carrying out such an experiment very carefully so as not to harm yourself or get burned.
• If you rub your finger on a piece of silver jewelry and it remains clean, then it is a genuine, high-quality metal. The fact is that very often scammers mix a very small percentage of pure silver with zinc (about 65 to 35), in which case a darkened coating of zinc will remain on your hands.
• A method for those who have good hearing - try throwing your silver from a small height onto a hard and flat surface. The sound should be ringing, vibrating, loud, and not dull.
• Be sure to run a magnet over your jewelry before purchasing. Genuine silver is classified as diamagnetic and will not be attracted to a magnet.

All these methods will not require any additional devices or instruments from you, which is very convenient in the field.

A short but very useful video on how to check silver for authenticity at home.

The video will be useful to those people who like to buy silver on the market, or order it at online auctions.

Authenticity tests using additional accessories

Now let's conduct some more accurate experiments to test silver at home.