How to identify real silver from a fake. Expert advice: how to distinguish silver from a fake

It’s not without reason that they say that not everything shiny is a jewel, so you should know how to identify silver at home. Our age of technological progress, the emergence of ever new chemical developments, makes it possible to fake almost everything. Yes, this is not the most expensive of the noble representatives. However, increasing the mass of objects, it is often diluted with various impurities. Even a jewelry store is not a guarantee of the authenticity of jewelry. So, how can you recognize the real thing at home or not?

We learn to determine the authenticity of silver by its characteristic properties

First of all, when you take a silver item, carefully examine it. A ring, chain, bracelet or spoon must be stamped or hallmarked. These are three small numbers outlined by a rectangle. Unfortunately, neither the presence of such a mark nor the purchase of jewelry in a specialized store is a guarantee that the bracelet or set is genuine.

Therefore, you need to have some knowledge that will protect you from purchasing a low-quality product. Take the item in your hands. Silver is a good conductor, so it instantly warms up from the warmth of the palms. Place the item in a glass of boiling water. After a few seconds, try to carefully remove it. Be careful, it's hot. A real precious metal will reach the same temperature in an instant.

If your hands remain clean upon contact with a silver object, it means the metal is of high quality. A low-quality alloy diluted with zinc will result in blackened palms. Often, under the guise of pure jewelry, dishonest sellers try to sell items made of copper or brass that have a silver-plated surface. An ordinary needle will help bring deceitful traders to clean water. Place the needle in an inconspicuous area of ​​the jewelry. The top layer of coating will be erased, exposing the insides. If the color under spraying remains the same, then everything is fine. And if a red or yellow tint appears, you are looking at an alloy of brass or copper with a silver-plated surface.

There are a great many interesting ways to determine silver at home. It turns out that this noble precious metal can be distinguished by its sound. The silver ringing is fundamentally different from the dull grumbling and grumbling of the voices of its metal counterparts. It is light, drawn-out and vibrating. One thing is certain: this procedure requires an excellent ear for music.

In the past, some people could identify a silver object by its smell. Now this method is no longer relevant. In our age, there are a lot of means that allow you to fake even such a noble aroma. There is also no need to bend, say, a silver spoon. There is an opinion that she will bend. And an object made of another alloy will spring back when bent. But this technique is too extreme, so it is not advisable to take risks.

Another well-known property of silver things is their increased ability to reflect light. Place the high grade spoon in direct sunlight. It should play under the bright rays, blinding you with its light.

A simple magnet is perfect for recognizing genuine material. Pure and noble, without impurities, he will remain indifferent to him. This precious metal, like all others, is diamagnetic.

Tests for the authenticity of silver using reagents

How to determine the authenticity of silver at home using various reagents? The easiest method is to rub the item with a clean, soft white cloth. If a dark mark remains on the fabric, then the precious metal is real. Without a doubt. This happens because real silver is oxidized by oxygen, and the oxidized particles remain on the fabric.

Sulfur ointment will help identify a pure silver item. It is sold in all pharmacies. It is enough to spread sulfur ointment on the material being tested. Then leave for two hours. After time has passed, wipe off the ointment with a napkin. Summarize. If the item turns black, it means the precious metal is real. If it has acquired a red tint or the tone has not changed at all, then it is a fake.

There are two more ways to determine the authenticity of silver. Iodine can be used. This is the first method. Second, use ordinary chalk. Try rubbing, for example, a chain with a piece of chalk. If the chalk has acquired a grayish metallic tint, the authenticity is beyond doubt. Or drop a drop of iodine. This reagent will turn the pure material black. The stronger the blackness, the higher the noble metal content in the product. Iodine and sulfur ointment must be used carefully, because blackened jewelry is quite difficult to clean.

Here is one of my grandmother’s recipes or folk methods that allow you to reveal the purity of an expensive item. For example, we use ordinary black bread. You need to put the item in the crumb. Wait a few days. If the product is very blackened, there is a high probability of happily owning a wonderful metal.

The most accurate results for home testing are obtained using nitric acid. The test is carried out as follows: choose the most inconspicuous place, for example, on a bracelet, scratch it lightly and carefully drop one or two drops of nitric acid. The appearance of a green color means that you are looking at silver-plated brass, cupronickel, or jewelry of very low quality. Pure metal will turn black in this test.

Let us present a more complex method for quickly recognizing the quality of a piece of jewelry. For amateur chemists. It is necessary to remove the thinnest layer of coating from the jewelry. It is advisable to do this in an inconspicuous place by running one
file once. Then draw on the stone with the cut point for testing. You will get a metal strip. The touchstone is usually black shale. Now you need to prepare assay acid from potassium dichromate with nitric acid, keeping the proportion one to one. We moisten the touchstone, or rather the strip, with the resulting mixture. Based on the resulting color, we determine the presence or absence of precious metal in the product. If the material being tested contains a third of silver, the stripe on the stone will turn red.

The easiest way to determine whether silver is silver or not is to purchase a special composition called the “Silver Test”. Fortunately, the modern world is a world where absolutely everything is sold. This reagent is safe to use. It will help you easily establish the authenticity of the jewelry, and will also reveal the approximate quality of the precious item.

Learning to determine the hallmark of a silver product at home

Frankly speaking, testing silver at home is quite a troublesome task. But it is quite possible. And if you decide to do without the help of specialists, then the following information is about how to determine the silver standard for you.

1. To recognize what percentage of pure silver is contained in jewelry, you will need the Chrompik reagent, in other words, potassium dichromate. It has a bright orange color. Used to indicate a product sample of 500 and above. The surface must be carefully prepared. Clean the item from grease and all dirt, then wipe with a dry cloth. Sequentially drop a few drops of Chrompik onto the cleaned surface of the test material, removing them with filter paper. Take your time. An interval of two to three seconds will be sufficient. If the sample is from 500 to 750, a light brown stain will remain. Above 750, the spots will be red. And on jewelry made of precious metal, which contains a large mass of silver, the intensity of the color increases. For example, pure 916-grade test material produces a spot of the same rich, bright red color as the reagent itself.
2. You can use gold chloride. This reagent is mainly used by jewelers and customs officers to determine gold. The reagent can be used to determine the presence of precious metals in alloys. Speaking about silver, it should be noted that its content in the alloy can only be measured approximately using gold chloride. The cleaned surface must be treated with a drop of reagent. Gold chloride begins to react very quickly. Note that the result is instant. All basic properties are determined by the color of the sediment. When combined with gold chloride, the pure high-grade material produces an inky droplet color. The low precious metal content also produces dark shades, but of much less intensity. The resulting yellow or brown tone indicates that the alloy being tested is aluminum or copper.
3. Another way to determine a silver sample is to use the silver nitrate reagent. After treating the surface, carefully apply a drop of the substance. Pay attention to the color. If your product is of high quality, from 750 to 916, a drop of the reagent will take on a light gray tint. White color with varying degrees of turbidity indicates the low quality of the precious metal.

To summarize, I would like to say about a significant drawback of all the methods described above. It is impossible to expect from them a 100% guarantee of the results obtained. A situation may arise that your favorite ring has just been slightly silvered. You can verify the quality of the entire product only by making a cut.

Silver is a noble and highly sought-after metal in our area, which we constantly encounter in everyday life. Despite the fact that it is counterfeited less often than gold jewelry, the question of how to check silver for authenticity is still relevant. Below you will learn about the most effective methods for identifying counterfeits.

What you need to know about silver products

The first thing you need to find out about the present is that it always has a sample. A unique mark is placed on a silver product, and this is not always 925 standard. A similar figure is most often found in the CIS.

In each country, there can be a sample from 800 to 999. To find out more precisely about the product you have on hand (especially if we are talking about an old and valuable item), you can always find out what a particular stamp means.

A master of his craft will always be able to distinguish real silver by its appearance:

• like some other noble metals, silver perfectly reflects light, which is why you can notice a strong shine on it;
• it has a peculiar silvery-white tint;
• If you don’t take care of silver for a long time and don’t clean it, it seems to be covered with a dull dark film and acquires a pinkish tint.

By eye and touch

Are you unsure of the true value of your items or silverware? Then you should definitely check out the methods below to help you learn how to check the authenticity of silver at home. Despite their simplicity, they are very effective.

If you are careful, it is not particularly difficult to determine the authenticity of silver. Here are some simple options:

Other verification methods

If you don't trust your tactile sensations, you can use more detailed methods. How to identify real silver?

Option 1. Magnetic experiment

You can determine the value of the metal that is in front of you using a magnet. This experiment is based on the fact that real silver is not magnetic.

So you will only need to bring the magnet to the item being tested - if it does not react to the item in any way, there is a high probability that it is true silver. However, keep in mind that if you can get a super-powerful magnet, even this metal will react a little to it.

Among other things, it is worth remembering that there are many non-magnetic materials similar to silver. So such a test will not give 100% probability and should be carried out in conjunction with other checks.

Option 2. Slip test

This option is best suited for checking ingots. And it also requires a magnet. You need:

1. Set ingot on a flat surface at an inclination of 45 degrees.
2. Put on the ingot magnet so that it can slide down.
3. The magnet will slide very smoothly on real silver.

Someone may notice some illogicality, because it was stated above that silver is non-magnetic. The thing is that in this case, the direct magnetic field of the magnet itself will create a braking effect, which will contribute to the deceleration.

Option 3. Ice check

Ordinary ice will help you check the authenticity of silver at home. Just don’t take it out of the freezer until the experiment is carried out.

This option is best suited for bars and coins, but it does not work correctly enough for small accessories.

1. Remove ice from freezer.
2. Lay it down on the metal product being tested.
3. Being on real silver, the ice will melt as if it were placed on something hot.

Option 4. Iodine-sulfur test

There are not many precious metals that are susceptible to other substances. For example, if you anoint true silver with iodine, a stain will remain on its surface.

It is worth noting that this method should be used extremely carefully, as there is a risk of damaging jewelry that is dear to the heart. To carry it out, you should use a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of iodine, apply the product to an inconspicuous area and rinse it off immediately.

Sulfur-based ointment can also cause a similar reaction. You can buy it at the pharmacy. You need:

1. Lightly rub the product fine-grained sandpaper.
2. Apply a small amount of sulfur ointment on an inconspicuous area.
3. Leave the remedy for about 10-15 minutes and carefully inspect its surface.
4. dark spot on the product indicates silver. There simply won’t be such a stain on ordinary stainless steel or nickel.

Option 5. Chemical test

Another way to find out silver at home is to use a special chemical test. Don’t be afraid, you don’t have to “chemically” yourself - everything you need can be bought at the pharmacy. Be careful when using this method, otherwise you risk damaging the surface.

Instructions for using the chemistry set are as follows:

1. Wear protective gloves to neutralize the skin of your hands from chemical burns.
2. Find the most inconspicuous place on the product and scratch it a little. This can be done with a thin needle or a metal file.
3. Apply the purchased acid to the area, from which part of the layer has just been removed.
4. Evaluate the test results. They can be analyzed using the scale presented below.

You can learn even more useful information about how to identify silver without going to specialists from the video in this article.

Conclusion

Now you know several effective ways to test silver at home. With them you will always be sure of the authenticity of your favorite accessories. And if some points seem unclear to you, ask clarifying questions in the comments.

Silver is a noble metal from which both jewelry and household items and dishes are made. Although silver items are counterfeited much less frequently than gold items, sometimes there is a need to verify the authenticity of an item that is in your home or purchased for an occasion. We will tell you in this article how to determine the authenticity of silver at home.

How to determine the authenticity of silver?

In its pure form, silver is a very soft metal, so products made from it will be fragile. One of the purest samples, sterling silver, consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. The alloy is much harder than pure metal, which allows it to be used in the production of coins, jewelry and other household items. Each product that is positioned as silver must be marked with a hallmark indicating the purity of the metal. However, if there is no mark on an item, this does not mean that the item is not silver, it is simply made in a country where the mark is not required or the item itself is not certified.

Important! To determine the quality of a silver item with markings, arm yourself with a magnifying glass and study the numbers on the mark. According to international standards, the product is marked with numbers: 925, 900, 800. The numbers show the percentage of silver in the alloy:

• The number 925 means that the alloy is 92.5% silver and the rest is copper.
• Stamps 900 and 800 mean that the product is 90% and 80% silver, respectively. Such alloys are considered coin alloys because they contain a high proportion of copper.

Sometimes even the presence of a stamp with numbers does not fully guarantee the authenticity of the product. Therefore, it is better to use the physical properties of the metal and test the item at home. Let's look at the basic simple methods that will help answer the question of how to test silver at home.

Method number 1. By appearance

Real experts are highly likely to determine the authenticity of silver by eye:

• The metal reflects light well, so it shines a lot. The metal color is silver-white. If the product is not cleaned, it becomes covered with a dark film and becomes dull, with a pink tint.
• If you rub cupronickel silverware, a metal of a different color (usually pink) will appear under the whitish top layer. Chrome has a bluish tint, and nickel alloy has a yellowish tint. Silver does not change color - it remains white both inside and outside.
• Check authenticity by touch: hold the item in your hand. Since silver conducts heat very well, after some time its temperature will become equal to the temperature of your body.
• You can distinguish silver from aluminum by weight: silver is denser, therefore, in your hand it will be much heavier than aluminum, since the second metal is very light.
• The product, which many scammers add zinc to, will leave a slightly noticeable residue on your hands. Rub your finger on the silver jewelry: if your hand remains clean, then this is a genuine product, and if a darkened coating from zinc remains on your finger, then a very small amount of noble metal is mixed with zinc in the product.
• If you have good hearing, then throw the object from a small height onto a hard, flat surface. The sound when falling should be ringing, loud, vibrating, but not dull.

Method number 2. Checking magnetic qualities

If you are just planning to purchase jewelry, you can use a magnet to determine its authenticity. Run a magnet over the decoration.

Important! A genuine noble metal is classified as diamagnetic and will not be attracted to a magnet.

If you need to check the authenticity of a metal ingot, then use a magnet as follows:

1. Place the silver bar so that its smooth side is inclined at 45 degrees.
2. Place a magnet on the smooth side.

Important! On a genuine bar, the magnet will slide down smoothly. The magnetic field of the magnet creates a braking effect, which slows down the sliding.

Method number 3. Ice check

Silver has the highest thermal conductivity of all metals. The ice test works well on bars and coins, but poorly on small jewelry. Use this method if you are faced with the question of how to check a coin for silver left over from past generations.

Keep the ice in the freezer until the test is completed, and then proceed as follows:

1. Get the ice.
2. Place a piece of ice on the silver object.
3. Watch the ice carefully: it will melt as if it were placed on something very hot, although the metal itself is at room temperature.

Important! If you notice that the metal has begun to change color over time, this may not be a sign of poor quality. Read in more detail in our separate publication about this or that piece of jewelry made from such an alloy.

Method number 4. Chalk check

This is one of the simplest methods for determining the authenticity of a metal:

1. Rub the silver item with chalk.
2. If the chalk turns black, you have real silver in front of you.

Method No. 5. Using a lapis pencil

Instead of chalk, you can use a lapis pencil to determine the authenticity of silver at home:

1. Wet the surface of the object.
2. Drag the tip of the pencil over the metal.

Important! After a few minutes, the noble metal should darken at the point of contact with the pencil.

Method number 6. How to test silver with iodine

Very few substances can attack noble metals. Iodine has the following properties. If you anoint genuine silver with iodine, a stain will form on it. The greater the concentration of silver in the alloy, the blacker the stain will be and the faster it will form.

Important! Use this method very carefully, as you can ruin a beautiful product. To experiment, choose an inconspicuous area and apply a minimum amount of product with a cotton swab. After applying iodine, immediately wipe it off with a cotton pad. And you can start.

Method No. 7. Using sulfur ointment

Sulfur ointment is sold at the pharmacy. To check the authenticity of the metal, proceed as follows:

1. Lightly rub the piece with fine-grit sandpaper.
2. Apply a small amount of ointment to the surface.
3. Leave the item for 10-15 minutes.
4. Inspect the surface: a dark spot will indicate authenticity, but nickel and stainless steel will not have such spots.

Important! The method using sulfur ointment is risky, but effective. If silver has turned black under the influence of sulfur, you can return the item to its original color by boiling the item with pieces of aluminum foil and adding soda.

Method No. 8. Hydrostatic weighing method

This method is based on Archimedes' law. To implement this, you need accurate scales. The essence of the method:

1. First, weigh the item in the usual way and determine the dry mass.
2. Immerse the product in water and determine the mass in water.
3. Divide the dry mass by the difference between the two masses and get the density of the metal.
4. The density value for silver should be 10.5. If the density is about 7, you most likely have tin.

Method number 9. Chemical test

This method is used if you need to determine the authenticity of silver, but the product does not have a stamp. This method is used extremely rarely at the household level. It is used mainly by jewelers and laboratory workers. But if you decide to study chemistry, then buy a regular “silver test” reagent and rubber gloves, since you will have to work with caustic acids.

Instructions for use of the reagent:

1. Remove the thinnest layer of silver coating from the object. To do this, run the file over the surface once.

Important! If you do not want to leave scratches on the product, then use a touchstone. You can purchase it from the same place as the test reagent kit. Rub the object against the stone to create a relatively large residue of metal (a few centimeters in length). In this case, apply the acid to the mark left on the stone.

Do you love silver? It is beautiful and noble! But hallmarking began relatively recently, and if you inherited silver things, bought them on occasion, or received them as a gift, then I would like to determine their real value. How to check the authenticity of silver without resorting to the services of experts?

Silver jewelry has been valued at all times and does not lose popularity today. Dishes, church utensils, and jewelry were made from it. Even the ancient Persians, Egyptians and Greeks knew that silver had bactericidal properties, so they actively used it in medicine, however, this property is also relevant in modern realities.

Argentum, or silver, is in the same group with gold and platinum in the periodic table. These precious metals do not corrode and do not oxidize in air.

Silver has always been considered a magical substance with mysterious and miraculous properties. It is not only famous for its healing qualities, but also absorbs negativity and helps cleanse the spirit. That is why it is used in church and temple rites in almost all religions of the world. And in the times of the pagans it was associated with the Moon.

Silver infused water has healing properties, and regular use can significantly improve your health. By the way, astronauts on the ISS drink only silver water. And in Japan they have developed devices that purify the air using silver ions.

Do you know that silver jewelry is more popular than gold jewelry? Despite the fact that the shade of this metal is cold, people felt inner warmth and radiance, and happily wore and continue to wear silver jewelry. Precious stones in a silver frame are especially beautiful; they play with all colors and look catchy and contrasting.

Silver is versatile; jewelry made from it is suitable for both women and men, suitable for any outfit. It can be combined with enamel, gold, pearls and various stones.

Methods for checking quality and authenticity

Products made from pure natural silver are beautiful, but not practical. The fact is that this is a fairly ductile metal, it quickly loses its shine if it is not cleaned, and if worn carelessly, it breaks or becomes deformed; the pattern smoothes out over time. Jewelers have long begun to use various alloys with alloyed silver.

Unfortunately, samples are not taken in all countries, or the product may not be certified or manufactured privately. Therefore, the question of how to determine silver at home becomes relevant in some cases.

In an inconspicuous place, a special seal is placed on the inside, which shows how much real silver is contained in the alloy. It consists of three numbers and indicates the amount of precious metal in one kilogram. For example, a sample of 925 indicates that 1 kg contains 75 g of impurity and 925 g of pure silver.

What types of tests are there?

• 720 is low-grade silver, 280 grams is copper. This alloy is very strong and is used in industry. It is not suitable for jewelry, and such jewelry will not be sampled;
• 800 and 830 - cutlery is made from it;
• 875 - this alloy is often passed off as white gold, having previously been gilded;
• 916 - in Soviet times, silverware was made from it. Currently not used in jewelry;
• 925 is the most used standard among jewelers;
• 960 – close to natural silver, soft and easily deformed. Used in art, relief compositions. They no longer make jewelry from it;
• 999 – pure silver, from which coins for collections and bars are minted. Used in industry and medicine.

In jewelry stores, each piece of jewelry has its own passport - a small label on a strong cord with a seal, on which all the parameters are indicated: weight, fineness, presence of stones and their characteristics.

Thermal method

Silver has excellent thermal conductivity and quickly reaches ambient temperature. Hold the product in your hand and it will almost instantly heat up to 36.6 degrees. Dip it into cold or, conversely, hot water, the silver will immediately cool down or become hot.

By the way, using boiling water is a fairly effective method. The decoration removed from it will burn your hands and cool quickly, adapting to room temperature. The fake will be only slightly warm.

Real silver will melt an ice cube in a short time, which is completely impossible for cold metal jewelry.

Many substances react with silver, leaving traces on it.

Drop a drop of iodine onto the product and wipe it off immediately. Real silver will leave a black stain, which will be difficult to remove later. The method is not very good, you can damage the decoration, use it on an inconspicuous area from the inside.

Run an ordinary school chalk over the silver; the real thing will leave dark streaks. Vinegar does not give any reaction when interacting with silver, but non-ferrous metals, on the contrary, oxidize.

Sulfuric ointment

Sulfur-based pharmaceutical products also leave traces. Wipe the area previously selected for testing with fine sandpaper, apply ointment for one to two hours. If no stains remain, then it is a fake made of stainless metal or nickel.

Magnet

How to test silver at home if you don’t want to spoil the product with products that leave marks in the form of stains? It’s very simple - use an ordinary magnet. If the item is magnetic, then it is a fake. The method is quite common, but inaccurate; many non-ferrous metals also do not react to a magnet.

With a needle

Very often, costume jewelry is made from various alloys, and the top is coated with a thin layer of silver. Take a needle and scratch the metal - the silver-plated layer is easily removed, but pure silver has a high density of material, and it is impossible to break the molecular layer with a needle.

Nitric acid

Use this test method while wearing protective gloves. A drop of aggressive acid quickly darkens silver as an oxidation reaction occurs. The fake will hiss with greenish foam due to copper impurities in the alloy.

Metal tests can be found at your local pharmacy or specialty stores. In our case, it is called the “silver test”. For proper use, read the instructions and carry out simple manipulations.

Typically, lightly rub the area to be tested with sandpaper and apply the reagent. After a certain time, you can evaluate the results obtained by the color of the spot:

• shades of red – the product is genuine. Burgundy color indicates 925 standard, and scarlet indicates pure silver without impurities;
• brown colors - light characterizes low-grade silver, and dark color characterizes natural brass;
• yellow – jewelry is made of tin or lead;
• blue - in front of you is nickel.

You see, you don’t have to be a chemist to check the quality with chemical reagents.

Checking old silver items

Nowadays, silver is affordable for all segments of the population, so there is no need to counterfeit it, which cannot be said about antique jewelry or art objects.

They can be found in antique shops, private collections, or at grandma's flea market. Of course, they will not have a modern hallmark, and the master’s mark may be a fake.

It is better not to approach such items with iodine or nitric acid. You should have knowledge about the era of that time, the specifics of the decor, and, armed with a magnifying glass, a connoisseur will be able to visually determine the authenticity of a silver item.

Unfortunately, the average person does not have such knowledge, so to determine the true value, you can take the item to an experienced jeweler or for examination by specialists.

Humanity learned about the unique properties of silver more than 6,000 years ago, and perhaps much earlier. It has long been believed that this amazing metal is capable of absorbing negative energy, which is why it turns black. From a scientific point of view, it reacts with substances and trace elements found in the human body. If there is an imbalance in the body, then silver reacts sensitively to all changes.

1. To reduce high fever, wear a silver bracelet on your left hand.
2. Earrings improve alertness and concentration.
3. If you apply silver to your forehead, you can get rid of headaches and relieve eye strain.
4. A ring on the ring finger of the left hand strengthens the heart muscle.
5. If silver jewelry quickly darkens on a person, it means that he has health problems.
6. Silver dishes and cutlery are good for health.
7. Babies are given a silver spoon when their first tooth appears to strengthen the body. Of course, it must be used and not kept as a souvenir.

Conclusion

Based on the methods considered, several conclusions can be drawn. Home methods are not fully effective. Some components react with silver and leave stains on it that are difficult to clean. Therefore, if you are faced with the task of how to check silver or not, take your jewelry to an expert.

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.