Month: February 2022

Buyer Beware!

Before you buy a silver necklace or ring, you had better make sure it is 100% (or at least 99%) authentic silver. Nobody wants to spend money on expensive jewellery only to find out in the end that it is fake jewellery. That would be equivalent to being tricked by the silversmith. Nowadays, unfortunately, we have several con artists and scam fiends who will loot you of your hard-earned money at the drop of a hat. So care is essential. 

Magnetic Measure

There are several ways in which you can test silver jewellery to see whether it is the real and right stuff or an ersatz version that is best avoided at all costs. You must do the following to establish a proper criterion for silver jewellery purity. Take a magnet made of rare material and gather your silver jewellery. A magnet doesn’t usually stick to silver.

A True Test

First, hold the magnet close to some paper clips and iron nails to make sure it is a proper magnet, to begin with. If it readily attracts these odds and ends, well and good. Now bring the magnet into proximity to the silver jewellery or bar. Let it slide to see whether there is an attraction or not. If it slides away with relative speed, rest assured that it is solid silver worth its weight in the world’s precious metal venues. However, if the silver tends to lag a lot and stick to the magnet partially, well then it is not silver but an amalgam or alloy. It either has iron or some other metal added to it. 

Tactics of the Trade

Remember that there are ways that the con men jewellers of today can hoodwink you despite all of your best intentions. They have cards up their sleeves you never even knew about. Sometimes the con artists would add a little bit of stainless steel to the silver. Since stainless steel is not attracted to a magnet, you might suppose that this silver is authentic. The point is that it is not. So to remain on the safe side, there are a couple of other tests that may help you determine once and for all whether the silver you are buying is the real deal or a carbon copy version. A con artist who was operating a silver jewellery shop a few meters from Carports Newcastle was outed for having sold fake silver to thousands of customers claiming it was real silver. 

Other Ordeals

Place an ice cube on the silver. If it melts real quick, that means that it is indeed silver. Silver has a high degree of thermal conductivity, so it quickly absorbs the ice cube’s heat, thereby melting it readily. Then you can also drop the silver a couple of inches from a metallic surface. If it makes a ringing sound, it is genuine silver. One last thing you can do is to pour a single drop of bleach on the silver. If it darkens, then it is silver. Use gloves on your hands for this since bleach is very corrosive. Finally, if you still have misgivings, use a silver testing toolkit you can find in the marketplace. 

Reality is Reality

Silver is one of the most beautiful metals. Its name ranks way on top there with gold as a treasured item among jewellery makers. Yet did you know that even the purest of silver is not exactly pristine? On the contrary, you will find most of the silver jewellery around the world made up of sterling silver with a few added metals. Sterling silver is composed of 92.5% silver alongside a filler of 7.5% foreign metal (mostly copper). If you want to know whether the silver is sterling silver, examine the jewellery or piece of silver. It ought to have a “.925” or “925” mark on it. If these are not there look more closely since it may have an “S925” stamp or even a small written “Sterling” imprinted on it. This is known as the quality mark. 

Different Strokes

Beyond this, we have the hallmark. In case these are absent, there are numerous ways in which you, the buyer, may determine whether the jewellery is sterling silver or not. Remember, the marks on the silver differ by country. France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America all have their own rules and regulations regarding silver. 

Cutting-Edge Criteria

Sterling silver emits a bell-like sound upon being dropped on a metallic surface. This lasts for one to two seconds in the form of a mini-echo. Take extra precaution you do not drop the silver from too great a height since that way you will damage it. Next, you can take in the jewellery’s fragrance to see whether it is real or counterfeit. Sterling silver doesn’t have any smell of any sort. Despite the small amount of copper mixed in, it is odourless. So this is another way to determine the authenticity of the item.

Calling All Acid Tests

After this, another test you may perform is to try and bend the item slightly in your hands. Silver can be quite ductile, but know this much that sterling silver is very tensile and does not bend easily. Furthermore, silver turns a darker shade upon being exposed to the atmosphere. This is due to the oxidizing nature of the air. Take a soft textile material and gently rub the silver. If a tarnished mark is left behind on the cloth, it is sterling silver. A magnet placed directly over sterling silver will not attract the piece. 

Conductivity & Corrosion

When placed in a cold bowl of ice cubes, Sterling silver becomes very frigid to the touch. This is a sign of its excellent thermal conductivity. Send your silver jewellery to a reputable person who will pour a droplet of nitric acid on it. If the ensuing colour is green, it is a fake, but it is sterling silver if it is an off-white hue. 

Extreme Measures

A professional lab may prove to be the best remedy for those who still have their doubts and are not convinced easily. There the silver will undergo everything from a test by fire to penetration by an XRF gun. The former involves melting a minimal quantity of the jewellery to test its chemical composition. As for the latter, the silver is subjected to x-rays to test its mettle. Besides this, spectroscopy and a specific gravity test can be conducted. The first one determines the molecules and chemicals which go on to make the silver. The second displaces water to discover the real nature of the silver. When using this process make sure to keep the blinds Newcastle and windows of the lab open for maximum natural light and fresh air.

A Simple Way to Tell

One of the justices of whether a piece of jewellery is made of sterling silver or not is its cost price in the marketplace. Genuine sterling silver has a hefty price. That is because a lot of detailed work has gone into its making. The craftsmen who sweated day in and day out to create such a luxury item ensured that it was a precious and treasured art object. Remember, if the silver sells at too low a price, it is not the real deal. You are being deceived by con men jewellers if such is the case. By the silver jewellery cost, you will automatically know if it carries any sophistication or is a fake imitation product that is just not worth it.