sterling silver

Identifying Sterling Silverware

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Do you have a silverware set that you think might be valuable? Heres a guide on how to tell if your set is sterling or plated!

#1- Look at the markings on the back of the piece.

For hundreds of years, silverware has been required by law to be marked whether its Sterling Silver or not.

Sometimes these marks can be complicated, and occasionally confusing, but most of the time the marks on the back of silverware will tell you exactly what is made of without any other testing.

Good Marks- Sterling, 925

Bad Marks- AAA, triple plate, EPNS, IS, silver plate, copper, pewter

Marks that might mean its sterling or lower purity silver-  Lions, 800, 900, no markings at all

If your pieces are marked with either the good or bad marks, then you need to go no further. However, If you have one of the marks that are maybes, then continue reading on.

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#2- Look at the color of the pieces

There is no difference in color between solid sterling silver and plated silver when the silverware is newly made or clean, however, plated silver will tarnish differently then sterling. Sterling will always tarnish with black and brown colors, plated silver will usually get a multi color tarnish that will be purple, greenish, and bluish like an oil slick. If your piece doesn’t have a good mark on it, and it has acquired a sort of chemical color to it, then the odds are that your piece is plated.

#3- Bring it in for us to acid test.

We don’t recommend that anyone do this at home, but the last step in determining if a piece is plated or sterling is to file into it a few millimeters and put a drop of acid into the cut.

Don’t bother with these tests for silverware-

Unlike jewelry, magnets are bad for testing silverware as no silverware should be magnetic, whether sterling or plated. Tests that rely on temperature are also unreliable with silverware, likely due to the thickness of plating. The presence of green residue is also unlikely to mean anything as plated silverware doesn’t age like plated jewelry, and it will instead get the aforementioned “oil slick” color on it.

We hope this will help you identify whether or not your silverware is real silver or not.  If you liked this article or found it helpful, check back with us for more in the future!

What is Silver?

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Silver is a classic precious metal that has been used for jewelry throughout human history. Its brilliant white color is as beautiful as any other metal when cleaned and polished properly. It, along with gold, is soft enough for jewelers to shape but strong enough to last a lifetime.

What does Sterling Mean?

Sterling silver is the standard silver alloy used for jewelry. It is at least 92.5% pure silver, and the remaining 7.5% is usually copper. Hundreds of years ago, silversmiths found that if they mixed silver with other metals, it added some strength to their creations. In order to make sure that the silversmiths were still mostly making their pieces of silver and not cheaper metals, a legal standard was created that said that anything marked and sold as silver would need to be 92.5% pure silver.

What are the advantages of Silver in jewelry?

Silver is much less expensive then gold, is easy for jewelers to work with and repair, and has a thousand year old legacy as a metal of beauty, artistic quality, and value. It is naturally white and can look stunning as a mounting for colorful gemstones. Silver is also known for a wide variety of medicinal purposes and is naturally antibacterial; because of this very few people have any allergic reactions to silver.

What does it mean that silver tarnishes?

The main issue with using silver for jewelry is that it tarnishes. Tarnishing means that when silver is exposed to the air, it will slowly produce a small layer of silver sulfide on the outside, which is a blackish substance that will make the piece look dull if it isn’t cleaned off. Fortunately, silver can be cleaned in seconds by simply dipping the piece into silver cleaning solutions that are easy to find and cheap to purchase. At Silver City, we sell two varieties of silver cleaner that will last for years and only cost about $7 each.

Is there such thing as tarnish-free Sterling Silver? (the answer is No)

Some retailers sell sterling silver that they misleadingly say will never tarnish. The truth is that anything made of silver will tarnish if it is exposed to the air, as it is one of the chemical properties of the metal. In order to claim they have tarnish-free sterling, some manufacturers plate their sterling silver with a very fine layer of another white metal that doesn’t tarnish. This plating will usually only last months before the silver is exposed to the air, and the piece will begin to tarnish.

Why does some Sterling Silver look whiter than other Sterling Silver jewelry?

All sterling silver is the same color. Some retailers, unfortunately for their customers, will plate their sterling silver jewelry with a chrome-like metal to make it look shinier in the showcase. This plating will come off in months and is unable to be reapplied in any lasting way. The good news is that real sterling silver is naturally white and beautiful and only needs to be properly cleaned and polished to get as white and bright as the day you bought it.

Are there any other disadvantages to Sterling Silver in Jewelry?

Sterling silver is softer then gold, and it is very risky and inadvisable to set diamonds in it. Sterling silver also requires more heat to repair, which can sometimes cause complications if a sterling piece has gemstones in it that can’t be heated.

Gifts for Her

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If you are looking to buy jewelry as a gift for a wife, girlfriend, or mom, it can be difficult to choose. Jewelry comes in many shapes and sizes, and there are many options to choose from. If you come to Silver City, our jewelry specialists will help you choose a great gift. If you can’t come in or you’d like think about it ahead of time, this is a quick guide to get you on the right track.

Yellow or White Gold?

Most women either wear only yellow or only white gold. If you aren’t sure which one she likes, look at the jewelry she’s wearing next time you see her. If she wears no jewelry at all or you can’t figure it out, today’s most popular choice for women is to wear white gold.

Birthstones or Diamonds?

If you are looking for a nice piece of jewelry without breaking the budget, a piece with a birthstone is always the first place we recommend. Birthstones are thoughtful, traditional, and sentimental. At Silver City, we have a huge inventory of birthstone jewelry, with genuine and lab-created varieties available. If you want a custom approach instead, we can make a piece to your exact specifications. If you don’t know that she loves her birthstone, or you want to make a bigger statement, diamond jewelry is always a winner. There are diamond pieces of all kinds available at many price points. You don’t have to spend a fortune to buy a nice diamond piece!

Earrings, Pendants, Rings, Necklaces, or Bracelets?

Earrings are a piece of jewelry that most girls can never have too many of. A nice pair of birthstone earrings is always a solid, affordable choice if you aren’t sure what she likes. Rings are the next most consistent choice, if you know the kind of ring she likes. Some women love large stones, and some prefer subtle, petite rings. Like earrings, women can always have more than one ring! If you know that she has a nice chain to hang it from, then pendants are also a lovely gift. Pendants, like rings and earrings, have the advantage of being useful to women for matching specific outfits. If you know that she doesn’t have a nice chain, then that may be the best answer for you. Women’s chains are usually one of the cheapest jewelry options, and you may have enough money left over to buy her a pendant too! Finally, if none of these options sound like the right answer, there are bracelets and gemstone necklaces available. Bracelets and necklaces usually have much more metal in them than other pieces, which can increase costs, but they are also often more impressive.

Still not sure? Come see us!

Our staff are expert jewelry professionals, and we will go through our huge inventory with you to find a piece you (and she) will love!