Many houses have jewelry made from an unknown metal very similar to silver. In order not to accidentally throw out an expensive product, let's find out how to determine whether it is silver or another metal, without appliances and at home.

The article will also be useful to those who bought silver jewelry not in a jewelry store, but somewhere in the market and want to know if it is a fake or not. Moreover, in our time, thanks to advanced technologies, any metal can be counterfeited, and you should always check what you buy.

Determination of silver by its appearance and characteristic properties

First of all, if you come across an unknown piece of jewelry that looks like silver, you need to see what kind of test and brand this silver has. But even if the product has both a stamp and a test (and what they are, read here), this still does not give you a one hundred percent guarantee of authenticity.

These simple ways will help you:

• Silver conducts heat very well. Take a glass of boiling water and dip your product in it, and immediately remove it (it is best to do this with tweezers). If the jewelry is genuine, it should at the same moment become the same temperature as boiling water. It is worth very carefully conducting such an experiment, so as not to harm yourself and not get burned.
• If you rub a silver jewelry with your finger and it remains clean, then it is a genuine high quality metal. The fact is that very often scammers mix a very small percentage of pure silver with zinc (about 65 to 35), in which case a darkened coating of zinc will remain on your hands.
• For those with good hearing, try throwing your silver from a small height on a hard and flat surface. The sound should be ringing, vibrating, loud, and not muffled.
• Be sure to run a magnet over the jewelry before buying. Genuine silver is diamagnetic and will not be attracted by a magnet.

All these methods do not require any additional devices and devices from you, which is very convenient in the field.

A small but very useful video on how to check silver for authenticity at home.

The video will be useful for those people who like to buy silver on the market, or order on the Internet auctions.

Authenticity tests with accessories

For now, let's do some more precise experiments to test silver at home:

In such simple ways, you now know how to determine the authenticity of silver. Best of all, to be sure of the authenticity of a piece of jewelry, buy it from certified stores and boutiques.

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How to distinguish silver from fake: 8 ways

Silver is less often counterfeited due to the low cost of the metal, but cases of falsification still occur. Newly made owners complain about the imminent darkening of products. At the same time, it is not always possible to return the original appearance to the decoration. To play it safe, you need to have a basic knowledge of the attributes of quality silver. You will also need to study the methods by which you can check the metal for falsification. Let's talk about everything in order.

What is it, high-quality silver

1. Products based on a high-quality alloy have a 925 standard. You can find the corresponding mark on the back of the jewelry. If the area is thin and difficult to see, use a magnifying glass.
2. A mark on the product indicates that this is real silver. You should not buy jewelry with a value below the specified one. Often zinc is mixed into such alloys, which contributes to a quick darkening.
3. There is a label with silver jewelry - 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, and the fineness of silver.
4. Zinc should not be present in quality jewelry of this kind. It has a negative effect on the skin and reduces the durability of silver. Look for the label “Zink Free” on the label.
5. Counterfeit silver is rarely found in our country. However, you should not buy jewelry in underground passages, markets and short-term fairs. Go to a jewelry store that provides a guarantee for its products.

1. It is easy to distinguish a silver product from a fake if you arm yourself with an ordinary sewing needle. Try scratching the surface of the decoration. If the silver came off easily, and there was an alloy of a different shade under it, you have a fake in your hands.
2. It is important to understand that counterfeit material can have a color similar to silver. Unscrupulous manufacturers make jewelry in this way. Therefore, be vigilant.

To be sure of the quality, take the decoration, choose a place hidden from view. Make a file with a sharp tool, then treat this area with nitric acid or other reagent.

If you notice a greenish tinge in the cut, the alloy contains a large amount of copper. In the case when the product has a 925 test (copper indicator does not exceed 7.5%), the plaque will be beige.

The purest (real) silver, when exposed to nitric acid, will turn black at the cut.

Method number 3. Lapis pencil

1. Silver can be chemically distinguished from counterfeiting. A lapis pencil is sold at the pharmacy. It contains silver ions, which have a regenerating effect. With the help of a pencil, treat skin diseases.
2. Put on gloves, spread the product in the palm of your hand. Spend the preparation on the metal, wait a while. The real alloy will not react in any way, but the surrogate will turn black.

1. Almost all available methods of silver verification for authenticity are based on the properties of this metal. For example, jewelry made of high-quality alloy has high thermal conductivity. Simply put, silver items quickly heat up and cool down at a moment.
2. To understand that there is a really high-quality product in front of you, you can use boiling water. Heat the liquid to 100 degrees, send the decoration into it (without stones). Wait 10-15 seconds, remove.
3. If the metal is very hot that you have difficulty holding it in your hands, silver is real. In this case, the product will cool down in a matter of seconds. The fake decoration will be barely warm.

1. Sulfur ointment is available without a prescription and is inexpensive. Apply the preparation to the decoration in a medium layer, rub in lightly. Incubate for 3 hours.
2. Wipe the jewelry with a sponge, rinse it and evaluate the result. High-quality silver will darken significantly. The counterfeit will take on a green, pink, yellow hue, or will not change in any way.

1. Sophisticated falsifiers have adapted to deceive people in every possible way. They create, for example, a chain in which the links are made of different alloys.
2. Simply put, a bracelet or chain has many links. Some circles are sampled, others are not. What should you do in this case to be sure of the quality of the decoration?
3. Take a powerful magnet. Spread out the jewelry to its full length for a chain or bracelet. Start moving slowly with a 3-5 mm magnet. from decoration. Silver does not attract, but fake is easy.
4. It is important to understand that non-ferrous metal or cupronickel does not magnetize. However, these alloys do not include silver. We can say that this method is not very reliable.

Place the decoration on a flat white saucer. Shake the jar of iodine, then apply a drop of the drug to the product. If you do not notice any reaction, you have a fake in your hands.

In the case when a speck of a blue tint appears in the place of the drop, there is a lot of zinc in the composition of the jewelry. High-quality silver, when interacting with iodine, turns black, and cupronickel does not change color at all.

1. The simplest method for testing silver is using white chalk. Place the jewelry in the palm of your hand and generously brush it with chalk. Rub vigorously.
2. Now appreciate the limestone: if it has acquired a black hue, be sure of a quality purchase. In the case of a fake, the chalk will not change its color.

As you can see, there are many ways to test silver. You can identify a falsified alloy using an ordinary sewing needle, school chalk, lapis pencil, boiling water, iodine, sulfuric ointment, magnet and nitric acid.

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How to determine the authenticity of silver at home?

Silver is a noble metal from which both jewelry and household items and dishes are made. Although silver items are counterfeited much less often than gold items, sometimes it becomes necessary to verify the authenticity of an item that is in your home or acquired on occasion. How to determine silver for authenticity at home, we will tell in the article.

How to determine the authenticity of silver?

In its pure form, silver is a very soft metal, so products made from it will be fragile. One of the purest samples is sterling silver, composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. The alloy is much harder than pure metal, which allows it to be used in the production of coins, jewelry and other household items. Each product that is positioned as silver must be marked with a stamp indicating the sample of the metal. However, if there is no mark on the item, this does not mean that the item is not silver, it is simply made in a country where the mark is not required or the item itself is not certified.

Important! To determine the quality of a marked silver item, arm yourself with a magnifying glass and study the numbers on the brand. According to international standards, the product is marked with numbers: 925, 900, 800. The numbers show the percentage of silver in the alloy:

• The number 925 means that the alloy contains 92.5% silver and the rest is copper.
• Stamps 900 and 800 mean that the item contains 90% and 80% silver, respectively. Such alloys are considered monetary, as they contain a high proportion of copper.

Sometimes even the presence of a stamp with numbers does not give a complete guarantee of the authenticity of the product. Therefore, it is better to use the physical properties of the metal and check the item at home. Let's look at the main simple ways to help answer the question of how to check silver at home.

Method number 1. In appearance

Real experts with a high probability determine the authenticity of silver by eye:

• Metal reflects light well, so it shines a lot. The color of the metal is silvery white. If the product is not cleaned, it becomes covered with a dark film and becomes dull, with a pink tint.
• If you rub cupronickel dishes, then a metal of a different color (usually pink) will appear under the whitish top layer. Chrome - gives off a bluish tint, and nickel alloy - yellowish. Silver does not change color - both inside and outside it remains white.
• Check for authenticity by touch: hold the object in your hand. Since silver conducts heat very well, after a while its temperature equals that of your body.
• You can distinguish silver from aluminum by weight: silver is denser, therefore, in the hand it will be much heavier than aluminum, since the second metal is very light.
• The product, into which many scammers mix zinc, will leave a slightly noticeable bloom on your hands. Rub your finger on the silver jewelry: if the hand remains clean, then this is a genuine product, and if a darkened coating from zinc remains on the finger, then a very small amount of noble metal is mixed with zinc in the product.
• If you have good hearing, throw the object from a low height onto a hard, level surface. The sound when falling should be loud, loud, vibrating, but not muffled.

Method number 2. Checking magnetic properties

If you are just going to buy a piece of jewelry, then you can use a magnet to determine the authenticity of silver. Swipe the decoration with a magnet.

Important! Genuine precious metal is diamagnetic and will not be attracted to a magnet.

If you need to check the authenticity of a metal ingot, then use a magnet as follows:

1. Place the silver bar so that its smooth side is angled 45 degrees.
2. Place the magnet on the smooth side.

Important! On a genuine ingot, the magnet will slide down smoothly. The magnetic field of the magnet creates a braking effect, which slows down the slipping.

Silver has the highest thermal conductivity of all metals. The ice test works well on ingots and coins, but poorly on small jewelry. Use this method if you are faced with the question of how to test a coin for silver left over from past generations.

Keep the ice in the freezer until the very moment of the test, and then proceed as follows:

1. Get out the ice.
2. Place a piece of ice on a silver object.
3. Watch the ice carefully: it will melt as if it were placed on something very hot, although the metal itself is at room temperature.

This is one of the simplest methods for determining the authenticity of a metal:

1. Rub the silverware with chalk.
2. If the chalk has turned black, this is real silver.

Method number 5. Using a lapis pencil

Instead of chalk, you can use a lapis pencil to identify silver for authenticity at home:

1. Moisten the surface of the item.
2. Run the tip of your pencil over the metal.

Important! After a few minutes, the noble metal should darken where it touches the pencil.

Method number 6. How to test silver with iodine

Very few substances can act on precious metals. Iodine has such properties. If you anoint genuine silver with iodine, a stain will form on it. The higher the concentration of silver in the alloy, the blacker the stain will be and the faster it will form.

Important! Use this method very carefully, as you can ruin a beautiful product. For the experiment, choose an inconspicuous area and apply a minimum of funds with a cotton swab. After applying iodine, wipe it off immediately with a cotton pad.

Method number 7. Using sulfuric ointment

Sulfur ointment is sold at the pharmacy. To check the authenticity of the metal, proceed as follows:

1. Rub lightly with fine-grained sandpaper.
2. Apply a small amount of the ointment to the surface.
3. Leave the item on for 10-15 minutes.
4. Examine the surface: a dark speck will indicate authenticity, and there will be no such stains on nickel and stainless steel.

Important! The method using sulfuric ointment is risky, but effective. If the silver has turned black under the influence of sulfur, then you can return the product to its original color by boiling the item with pieces of aluminum foil and adding soda.

Method number 8. Hydrostatic weighing method

This method is based on Archimedes' law. To implement it, you need an accurate balance. The essence of the method:

1. First, weigh the item in the usual way and determine the dry weight.
2. Submerge the product in water and determine the mass in the water.
3. Divide the dry mass by the difference of the two masses to get the density of the metal.
4. The density value for silver should be 10.5. If the density is about 7, you are most likely looking at tin.

This method is used if you need to determine the authenticity of silver, and the product is without a stamp. This method is used extremely rarely at the household level. It is used mainly by jewelers and laboratory workers. But if you decide to do chemistry, then buy a regular reagent "silver test" and rubber gloves, since you have to work with corrosive acids.

Instructions for using the reagent:

1. Remove the thinnest layer of silver from the item. To do this, slide the file once over the surface.

Important! If you do not want to leave scratches on the product, then use a touchstone. It can be purchased from the same location as the test reagent kit. Rub the object against the stone to create a relatively large amount of metal (a few centimeters in length). In this case, apply acid to the trail that remains on the stone.

1. Prepare assay acid: 1 part pure nitric acid and 1 part sodium dichromate, or use a ready-made test.
2. Apply acid to the part of the product from which you have removed a small layer of metal.
3. The surface will shine as if polished.
4. Evaluate the test results. Pay attention to the color of the surface where the acid is applied. A color scale is attached to the instructions for using the test. Usually, it looks like this:
   • The bright red color is pure silver.
   • Dark red - 925 sterling silver.
   • Brown - 800 proof.
   • Green - 500 samples.
   • Yellow - tin and lead.
   • Blue is nickel.
   • Dark brown - brass.

All available and known methods have one significant drawback - they are superficial and do not provide a 100% guarantee that the product is not silver-plated. To make sure that the item is made of silver, it is necessary to make a cut and check the quality of the precious metal in the place of the cut. Therefore, just one piece of advice - try to buy silver jewelry in trusted places. Let your life be genuine!

You inherited beautiful cutlery from your grandmother, and you wonder: are they valuable silver or cheap pieces of iron? Or have you purchased a silver piece of jewelry somewhere, but something about it confuses you? Then let's set up a mini-laboratory at home and conduct simple experiments, during which we will find out whether you have a silver thing or from an alloy of some inexpensive metals.

A Few Facts About Silver

1. This is a noble metal that is used to make not only jewelry, but also dishes and household items.
2. Silver itself is a soft metal. For greater strength, copper is mixed with it. In such an alloy, the proportion of silver is 92.5%, and the proportion of copper is 7.5%. This is where the numbers on the silver test come from - 925.
3. When buying a silver item, you need to find a sample on it - 925, not lower. Such a mark indicates the high quality of the product and is a guarantee that it will not darken over time.
4. A tag must be attached to the product with data on the fineness, weight, stones and their size (if it is a decoration), as well as the manufacturer.
5. Zinc should not be present in a quality silver product. The tag should be labeled "ZinkFree". Zinc negatively affects the skin, leaving dark marks on it, and reduces the durability of silver. Silver objects with zinc darken faster during use.

Silver items are forged much less frequently than gold items. But they are still counterfeited. Let's find out the quality of silver items based on the chemical properties of this metal.

The quality of the precious metal in a product purchased in a store is rarely questioned. It's another matter if the jewelry was bought by hand or on the market. Here you have to believe only the seller's word of honor.

In the latter situation, the question often arises: how to quickly check the available silver for authenticity specifically at home, that is, using improvised means? Let's talk about this in detail.

Visual inspection

In most cases, a close examination of a piece of jewelry makes it easy enough to identify a fake without resorting to other, more laborious methods.

First of all, manufacturers must indicate the sample on any product. To see the brand, you will need to arm yourself with a magnifying glass, because it is very small.

Standard silver samples are:

• 999 (bank metal, not used for jewelry);
• 960 (not very common);
• 925 (most popular);

At the same time, counterfeiters have learned to very accurately forge stamps, so you should not rely on the presence of a sample alone. Be sure to rate the quality of the work. Links of chains or, for example, bracelets made of silver are always soldered, because the metal is soft and bends easily. The same is true for locks.

In the presence of inserts made of stones, the method of fixing them will tell a lot. In real jewelry, they are attached with paws or held in place by a solid border. In jewelry, rhinestones are often simply glued to the base.

Used silver jewelry usually has a lot of scratches. On the new one, they also appear quite easily. And some of them are very deep. On fakes, the damage is always superficial - alloys similar to silver are much harder.

Still a genuine object, if drawn over the paper, leaves an inconspicuous gray line. Tin or lead have the same property, but the trail will be much darker. From cupronickel, no marks appear at all.

Magnet

As practice shows, very often iron-containing alloys are used to imitate silver. Therefore, it is not difficult to detect a fake in a matter of seconds by attaching a magnet to it. As you know, precious metals do not attract. We recommend using this test option first.

However, do not relax if the jewelry did not react to the magnet in any way - there are many cheap alloys very similar to silver. Therefore, at the next stage, it is worth applying one of the methods described below.

Iodine

The methods used to determine the quality of precious metals are very different. But among them, the most reliable is the use of ordinary iodine, which is stored in every home medicine cabinet.

It is generally known that, on contact with silver, this element forms a salt with a fairly characteristic yellow color. The named compound is insoluble in a liquid medium.

There is only one problem with this test - a black spot remains on the object forever, which can only be eliminated mechanically, that is, by polishing. Therefore, it is necessary to choose an inconspicuous place on the back of the decoration.

We carry out the check, guided by the following instructions:

• the product is degreased with alcohol;
• on its surface we apply a drop of iodine (with a pipette or cotton swab);
• after drying, rinse with water.

If you have a real silver object in your hands, then a permanent dark spot will remain on it.

Sulfuric ointment

Sulfur is one of the few chemical elements that react with silver. Checking at home is easy to carry out using any pharmacy ointment where it is the main active ingredient.

The procedure is as follows:

• the object, as in the previously described case, is degreased;
• a small lump of ointment is applied to an inconspicuous area;
• leave for 3-5 hours;
• washed with a cotton pad.

Again, a dark spot will remain on the silver, exactly repeating the contour of the stroke.

Rye bread

This method has been practiced for more than one century. It is suitable, by the way, not only for silver, but also for gold.

The test is performed like this:

• knead the crumb until smooth with your fingers;
• they stick it around the checked decoration;
• stand up to three days;
• carefully remove with dry hands.

Precious metals will not suffer in any way from prolonged exposure to the acid contained in rye crumb, but cupronickel or other alloy will greatly tarnish. To be sure, take a photo of the product before testing, and then compare the photo and the original.

Application of reagents

Today it is not difficult to buy special reagents, with the help of which jewelery stores are used to test items made of precious metals for authenticity. Chlorine gold is the active ingredient in them.

It is necessary to use the reagent skillfully. In this case, you will need:

• make several thin scratches on the back of the decoration (for example, with a file);
• then a solution is dripped onto them;
• further, depending on the color change, determine the type of metal.

So, in particular:

• pure silver will give a dark green tint;
• aluminum - yellow (darkens quickly);
• tin is black.

Acetic and nitric acids

Both acids are extremely corrosive, so wear gloves while working. To find out if you own a silver item, do this:

• scratch the product with an awl or needle;
• drip it with acid.

If there is no reaction, add a little brine. On a silver item, the liquid will quickly turn whitish.

The formation of greenish foam will tell you that you have a fake in your hands.

An important point: it is necessary to use only concentrated acids.

chalk

For the test, use regular white chalk used in schools. They just need to rub the product. If it is made of silver, then a dark gray speck will appear on the surface of the bar, because the precious metal is very soft. The absence of a trace indicates a fake.

At the same time, this method cannot be called very accurate, since chalk also easily gets dirty in contact with tin, lead and aluminum.

Ice

If you put a cube of ordinary food ice on a silver jewelry, it will melt very quickly, as if heated. This is because the metal has a uniquely high thermal conductivity.

Would you like to determine exactly what this cute antique shopkeeper is trying to sell you, or maybe you got a new silver chain that you doubt the quality of? Thinking about how to test silver at home? No, we will not suggest that you carry the product to the laboratory for spectral analysis. Instead, we will try to limit ourselves to all the means available, which, most likely, will be at your fingertips and with you.

The simplest tool that can detect a fake is a magnet. If the product is magnetized, it means that it is definitely not made of noble metal, as the negligent seller is trying to convince you. Silver, like gold, does not have a reaction to a magnet, but, unfortunately, in the opposite scenario, you cannot be 100% sure that you have the purest silver in front of you, so this method is more suitable in order to dismiss an outright fake, and it is better use in conjunction with the tips below.

Temperature

Taking a silver spoon in your hands, you will feel that the product very quickly acquired your body temperature. This is due to the high thermal conductivity of silver, which gives suspiciously long-term coolness to counterfeits from other metals.

You can also go the other way around and place an ice cube on a coin or tray, for example. If it melts abnormally quickly, then you have real silver in front of you, if not, it is better to refrain from buying.

Sight, sound and smell

Not everyone can recognize silver by these criteria, and it is also difficult to call that method accurate. But if you had silver dishes, say, as a child, then most likely you remember this specific smell. Real silver items have a delicate and sonorous sound, somewhat reminiscent of crystal, and if you throw a coin on a metal tray, it will sing in a completely special way. There are also no yellow or pink tints in new or well-maintained silver, although they can appear if the metal is not properly cared for.

Handy reagents

If you have no desire to listen, smell and look closely, then the authenticity of silver can be determined using bleach, sulfuric acid or iodine. To do this, put a barely noticeable spot on the product with a cotton swab and watch its reaction. Is the product starting to darken around the perimeter of the spot? Then in front of you is a silver or at least a silvered thing. No? Then there is no silver smell here.

And you can also check the authenticity without fear of ruining the thing by rubbing it with chalk. In this case, chalk should turn black upon contact with silver.

Footprint on hands

It is worth doubting the authenticity of the product if, after a long holding in the hands, it left a mark on them. Pure silver, in which there are no impurities, will not leave any plaque on your hands.

Internet or numismatic reference books

A great way for numismatists is to compare the weight of the coin in the reference book with the actual weight of the product offered for purchase. Due to the difference in density, it is very easy to identify a coin made of other metals, even if it is silver plated and looks exactly like a real one.

Scales for hydrostatic weighing
1 - mesh (perforated) glass; 2 - a vessel with a drain for water; 3 - a glass with shot for balancing the mass of the mesh glass in water; 4 - weights

The easiest way to determine the authenticity of a product is by determining the density of the material. To do this, you need to first weigh a dry coin. Then pour water into a glass, zero the scales and determine the "wet" weight of the coin. Now we divide the "dry" weight by the difference in two dimensions, and if the resulting number is in the region of 10.5, then this is real silver, since the metals used for fakes do not have a similar density.

At home, you can try using a food grade electronic scale, but it must be fairly accurate to determine the authenticity of a coin or jewelry.

Chemical test

If chemistry is not alien to you, get a chemical silver authenticity test. This is one of the most accurate ways to determine the backing quality of a silver-plated product. For the test, you need to either make a fairly deep scratch on an inconspicuous area of ​​the product, or rub the product against a touchstone. Now we drip acid onto a trace on a stone or a substrate in a scratch and look at the color: the brighter the shade of red, the purer the silver. So, a light brown color indicates 800 silver, and green - already 500. The rest of the colors will give out the most popular metals for silvering: yellow corresponds to tin or lead, dark brown to brass, and blue to nickel. Now you can definitely be sure of the composition of the product, not only on the surface, but also inside.

As you can see, it is not necessary to bend or saw a silver spoon to determine authenticity, even if you have not found the hallmark. Use these tips, and you will significantly reduce the chance of running into a fake.

Silver is a noble and highly demanded metal in our area, which we constantly encounter in our daily life. Despite the fact that it is counterfeited less often than gold jewelry, the question of how to check silver for authenticity is still relevant. Below you will learn about the most effective counterfeit detection methods.

What you need to know about silverware

The first thing you need to find out about the present is that it always has a sample. A kind of stamp is put on the silver product, and it is not always 925 standard. A similar figure is most often found in the CIS.

In each country, there can be a sample from 800 to 999. To find out more precisely about an item on hand (especially when it comes to an ancient and valuable item), you can always find what a particular stamp means.

A master of his craft will always be able to distinguish real silver by its appearance:

• like some other noble metals, silver perfectly reflects light, from which you can notice a strong shine on it;
• it has a peculiar silvery-white tint;
• if you do not take care of silver for a long time and do not clean it, it seems to be covered with a dull dark film and acquires a pinkish tint.

By eye and touch

Are you unsure of the true value of your jewelry or silverware? Then you should definitely familiarize yourself with the methods described below, which will help you learn how to check the authenticity of silver at home. Despite their simplicity, they are quite effective.

With careful consideration, it is not particularly difficult to determine the authenticity of silver. Here are some simple options:

Shade	It is quite simple to distinguish the rubbed ordinary cupronickel dishes from silver ones. Under the slightly whitish top layer, metal of a different color begins to show through. For example, chrome will give off a light blue, nickel alloy - a barely noticeable yellow tint. Silver, on the other hand, will not lose its color, remaining white both outside and inside.
Temperature	You can also determine the authenticity of an accessory with your own hands, just by touch. Since silver is, like, an excellent conductor of heat, it heats up very quickly and takes on your body temperature almost immediately. This method can hardly be called accurate, but people who are familiar with precious metals definitely know how to use it.
The weight	Distinguishing silver from aluminum is simple - just rely on their weight. The first material is much denser, and therefore heavier than ordinary aluminum. The product made of silver will be immediately felt in the hand.
Plaque	If the product is made of zinc, it will definitely leave a subtle plaque on your hand (if you hold it for a long time). Of course, this does not happen with silver.

Other ways to check

If you don't trust your tactile sensations, you can use more detailed methods. How to identify real silver?

Option 1. Magnetic experiment

You can use a magnet to determine the value of the metal in front of you. This experience is based on the fact that real silver does not magnetise.

So all you need to do is hold the magnet over to the item being tested - if it doesn't respond to the item, chances are it's true silver. However, keep in mind that if you can get a super-powerful magnet, even this metal will react a little to it.

It is worth remembering, among other things, that there are many non-magnetic materials similar to silver. So such a test will not give 100% probability and should be carried out in conjunction with other tests.

Option 2. Slip test

This option is best suited for inspecting ingots. And it will also need a magnet. You need:

1. Install ingot on a flat surface with an inclination of 45 degrees.
2. Put on an ingot the magnet so that it can slide down.
3. On real silver, the magnet will slide very smoothly.

Someone may notice some inconsistency, because it was stated above that silver is non-magnetic. The thing is that in this case, the direct magnetic field of the magnet itself will create a braking effect that will contribute to deceleration.

Option 3. Ice check

Ordinary ice will help to check the authenticity of silver at home. Just don't stick it out of the freezer until you experiment.

This option is best suited for bars and coins, but it does not work correctly on small accessories.

1. Take the ice out of the freezer.
2. Put it down on the tested metal product.
3. Being on real silver, the ice will melt as if it were placed on something hot.

Option 4. Iodine-sulfur test

There are not many precious metals that are affected by other substances. For example, if you anoint true silver with iodine, a stain will remain on its surface.

It is worth noting that this method should be used with extreme caution, as there is a risk of damaging the jewelry dear to the heart. For its implementation, it is worth using a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of iodine, apply the product to an inconspicuous area and rinse it off immediately.

A sulfur-based ointment can also cause a similar reaction. You can buy it at the pharmacy. You need:

1. Rub the product lightly fine-grained emery paper.
2. To apply a small amount of sulfuric ointment on an inconspicuous area.
3. Leave the remedy for about 10-15 minutes and carefully examine its surface.
4. Dark spot indicates silver on the product. On ordinary stainless steel or nickel, there simply will not be such a stain.

Option 5. Chemical test

Another way to find out silver at home is to use a special chemical test. Do not be afraid, you yourself will not have to "chemistry" - everything you need can be bought at the pharmacy. Be careful when using this method, otherwise you risk damaging the surface.

The instructions for using the chemical kit are as follows:

1. Wear protective gloves to neutralize the skin of the hands from chemical burns.
2. Find the most inconspicuous spot on the product and scratch it a little. This can be done with a thin needle or metal file.
3. Apply purchased acid in place from which part of the layer has just been removed.
4. Evaluate the results of the test... You can analyze them according to the scale presented below.

You can learn even more useful information on how to identify silver without going to the experts from the video in this article.

Conclusion

Now you know several effective ways to test silver at home. With them, you will always be sure of the authenticity of your favorite accessories. And if some points seemed unclear to you, ask clarifying questions in the comments.