Buying jewelry is always exciting. Jewelry is something that most people love having. With many companies claiming to sell real sterling silver jewelry, one needs to make sure that what they are buying is truly made of silver. There are many things that you can do to see if the Pieces of Jewelry you have is the real thing or not. Here are a few things you can do:

Marked

Real sterling silver will usually be marked with number 925 or 825 somewhere on it. The number 925 represents that the silver is made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of another metal. The number 825 is usually marked in antique silver. If it doesn’t have a number, then you might find the following words: “sterling, S, or SS”.

Magnetic Test

Let us keep in mind one thing, sterling silver is NOT metal. Therefore, if you have a strong magnet, you can run it through the piece of jewelry and if it’s real sterling silver, then it will NOT stick. If it sticks, then most likely it is a fake piece. This is a good procedure, however keep in mind that sterling silver is always mixed with some other metal, so if you see that it sticks slightly, do not assume it is fake.

Acid Test

In most stores, you can buy acid test kits where you can try it on your Sterling Silver Jewelry. If you do this, just keep in mind that if you use to much acid, it will damage it. When you put the acid on, it should turn a creamy light color if it is real. If it turns black, it’s made of 70-90% of silver, if it turns green, then it’s made of low quality silver. Make sure you do this test in an area that is not visible as it will leave a mark.

Get a Professional Opinion

You can take your pieces to a local jeweler or a pawnshop.  They might use an XRF Analytical Machine that uses x-ray technology to examine the piece and determine its content. It will be recommendable if you get two opinions to make sure of what your jewelry is made of.

Ice Test

Sterling silver has the highest electrical conductivity than any other element and it also has the highest thermal conductivity as well. As we know, ice melts quickly when exposed to room temperature, however if you put an ice cube on it, it will melt faster and immediately.