Silver jewelry is one of the most versatile and popular among metal products. After all, silver never goes out of fashion. It suits almost all stylizations — modern, formal and old-fashioned. However, recently many imitations of natural silver and so-called silver-plated jewelry have appeared. You will learn about how to determine whether it is silver or not and whether it contains impurities from this article.

There are several ways to check the authenticity of silver. The simplest of them is that before you buy your favorite ring, chain or earrings, you should look at it carefully and find a sample. 925 — guarantees the high quality of silver.

• When buying chains, bracelets or necklaces, be sure to pay attention to the buckle — a round and oval ring that connects the jewelry with the lock. Do not ignore the opportunity to try on. This will help to notice that the clasp itself is made of silver, and the rest of the product is not.
• On silver and gold earrings, the sample is located either on the outside or on the inside of the schwenza — a stick that is part of the lock. If the model is curved, then usually the sample is placed on a hook.
• On the rings, the test is usually placed in the lower part from the outside.

Recently, an electronic sample began to be made on jewelry, which is difficult to find without a magnifying glass.

Since silver is a good conductor, if you hold the jewelry in your hand for a few minutes, clenched into a fist, it will heat up to body temperature. Or you can pour boiled water into a glass and lower the product into it for a few seconds. If it is really natural silver, it will instantly become as hot as water. But if there is a stone in the decoration, then it is impossible to check it in this way. It can spoil.

If after rubbing the product on the skin for a minute, a dark mark appears on it, it means that it is made of 65% silver. The remaining 35% is zinc. When such rings or chains are worn for a long time, a dark band forms on the finger or on the neck. Another simple way to quickly distinguish silver from a fake is to drop the product from a meter high on a hard surface, such as laminate or parquet. If you hear a loud vibrating sound, and not a quiet and dull one, then it is silver.

Another home method how to find out if it is really silver or not, hold it up to a magnet. If it is real, it is a diamagnet.

Look at the color of the chosen decoration. If it is too shiny or vice versa — it has a matte metallic shade, it may be a fake.

Do not be lazy to check the weight of the item. If it is very small, then it is not silver, but a low-value or non-precious material. To confirm this hypothesis, you can make several scratches on the surface with a sharp knife or needle. If it is soft, then the product is made of silver. Another color is visible under the first layer — it is not a jewelry metal, nickel silver (an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc, also called «new silver») or simply silver-plated copper.

In order not to spoil the product, rub it against the chalk. it is real silver if dark streaks remain on the chalk.

How to test silver iodine? Just drop one drop on the surface of the decoration. The reaction will take place in 1-2 minutes. The appearance of a light coating indicates that it is not silver. Instead of iodine, you can do the same thing by using sulfur ointment, which will leave a dark blue spot.

Now you have many ways to how to know real silver or not at home To get a more accurate result, it makes sense to purchase special reagents or consult a professional jeweler.