How to distinguish silver from a fake: 8 ways

Silver is forged less often due to the low cost of the metal, but there are still cases of falsification. The newly minted owners complain about the soon darkening of products. At the same time to return the original appearance of the decoration is not always obtained. To be safe, you need to have basic knowledge regarding the characteristics of high-quality silver. You will also need to explore ways in which you can check the metal for fraud. Let's talk about everything in order.

What is it, quality silver

1. Products based on high-quality alloy have 925 samples. Find the appropriate mark you can on the back of the jewelry. If the area is thin, poorly viewed, use a magnifying glass.
2. Mark on the product says that before you real silver. Do not buy jewelry with an indicator below the specified. Often in such alloys mixed zinc, which contributes to the rapid darkening.
3. With silver jewelry there is a label - a passport. The document contains all the data regarding the purchased product. From this information you will find out the exact weight of the jewelry, the presence of stones and their size, a sample of silver.
4. In the high-quality jewelry of this kind should not be present zinc. It adversely affects the skin, reduces the durability of silver. Look for the label “Zink Free” on the label.
5. In our country, it is rare to find fake silver. However, do not buy jewelry in underground passages, in markets and short-term fairs. Go to the jewelry salon, which gives a guarantee on their products.

Method number 1. Sewing needle

1. It is easy to distinguish a product from silver from counterfeit, if armed with a conventional sewing needle. Try to scratch the surface of the decoration. If silver came off easily, and beneath it was a fusion of a different shade, you have a fake in your hands.
2. It is important to understand that the fabricated material may have a color similar to silver. Unscrupulous manufacturers make jewelry this way. So beware.

Method number 2. Nitric acid

1. To accurately verify the quality, take the jewelry, choose a place hidden from the eyes. Make the tip with a sharp instrument, then apply this area with nitric acid or another reagent.
2. If in the incision you notice a bloom with a greenish tint, the alloy contains a large amount of copper. In the case when there is a 925 sample on the product (the copper indicator does not exceed 7.5%), the coating will be beige.
3. The purest (real) silver, when exposed to nitric acid, will turn black at the cut point.

Method number 3. Lap pencil

1. Silver can be distinguished from a fake by chemical means. Lap pencil sold in a pharmacy. It contains in its composition ions of silver, which have a regenerating effect. With the help of a pencil to treat skin diseases.
2. Wear gloves, place the product on your palm. Spend the drug on the metal, wait a while. This alloy does not respond, but the surrogate will be black.

Method number 4. Boiling water

1. Virtually all available methods for checking authenticity of silver are based on the properties of this metal. For example, high-quality alloy jewelry has a high thermal conductivity. Simply put, silverware quickly heats up and cools at the moment.
2. To understand that before you is really a quality product, you can use boiling water. Heat the liquid to 100 degrees, send decoration in it (without stones). Wait 10-15 seconds, remove.
3. If the metal is very hot, that you can hardly hold it in your hands, silver is real. At the same time the product will cool down in seconds. Fake jewelry will be barely warm.

Method number 5. Sulfuric ointment

1. Sulfuric ointment is available without a prescription and is inexpensive. Apply the drug on the decoration with a middle layer, lightly rub. Hold for 3 hours.
2. Wipe the decoration with a sponge, rinse it and evaluate the result. Quality silver will darken substantially. Fake will take a green, pink, yellow shade, or does not change.

Method number 6. Magnet

1. Sophisticated falsifiers adapted to deceive people in all possible ways.For example, they create a chain in which the links are made of different alloys.
2. Simply put, a bracelet or chain has many links. On some circles the sample is placed, on others it is not. What to do in this case, to be sure of the quality of the jewelry?
3. Take a powerful magnet. Spread out the jewelry at full length, if we are talking about a chain or bracelet. Begin slowly leading with a 3-5 mm magnet. from decoration. Silver is not attracted, but a fake - easily.
4. It is important to understand that nonferrous metal or nickel silver does not magnet. However, these alloys do not include silver. We can say that this method is not very reliable.

Method number 7. Iodine

1. Place the decoration on a flat white saucer. Shake a jar of iodine, then apply a drop of the drug on the product. If you do not notice any reaction - in the hands of counterfeit.
2. In the case when a spot of blue tint appeared in the place of the drop, there is a lot of zinc in the jewelry. When interacting with iodine, high-quality silver turns black, and nickel silver does not change color at all.

Method number 8. a piece of chalk

1. The easiest method of checking silver is using white chalk.Place the decoration on the palm, brush it abundantly with chalk. Rub intensively.
2. Now appreciate the limestone: if it has acquired a black tint, be sure of a quality purchase. In the case of a fake chalk does not change its color.

As you can see, there are many ways to test silver. It is possible to reveal the falsified alloy with the help of a usual sewing needle, school chalk, lap pens, boiling water, iodine, sulfuric ointment, magnet and nitric acid.

Video: how to test silver at home for authenticity