I have never had this question before (up to a certain point, of course). Well, what's so difficult! There is a test, so everything is in order. But no, as it turned out. Fraudsters are not stupid, so they will not miss the opportunity to expose product test, even if there is almost no silver. Plus, samples appeared relatively recently, so on the antiques them at all it can not be. Once I got burned, so I share the information that I always use now.

How to distinguish fake silver at home

This is where I needed the knowledge of physics, which I hated at school. The main thing physical property of silver is his high thermal conductivity. There is no other metal similar in appearance to silver, which would change its temperature at the same rate. Therefore, we simply omit the decoration into hot water and evaluate what is going on.

This also includes products with silver: just silver plated thing fast won't heat up. One of the most effective ways to determine authenticity is small scratch. If there is spray layer, then he will be erased.

Personally, I feel sorry for specifically scratching things, albeit with good intentions, so I bought lapis pencil. The thing is small, convenient to carry, helps with a bang. If the dash remains in place dark trail, you have real silver.

How to spot fake silver in a store

I don’t like to look stupid at all, so I can’t imagine how I will heat the ring in a jewelry store, breathe on it, draw dashes on it. And the seller is unlikely to like the idea of ​​scratching the product in the store. Therefore, in order not to make experiments at home, get upset and run to swear with scammers, you should learn to distinguish silver from a fake. before the purchase.

In order to understand what kind of animal is in front of us, you need to pay attention to:

• color;
• the weight;
• tactile sensations.

Professionals just need to look at the product to determine the authenticity. Real silver is very very shiny. By the way, he often rhodium plated for protection against oxidation and mechanical impact. Such coverage does not rub off and does not leave marks.

Often they try to sell aluminum under the guise of silver, so keep in mind that silver is much denser and weighs much more than aluminum.

After you take a silver item in your hands, its temperature quickly compares with body temperature. But if you supported the thing and noticed a small coating on your hands, then know that a large amount of zinc was mixed there.

In general, the most the right way protect yourself from fake - buy jewelry in large specialized stores. And if there is even the slightest suspicion of authenticity, then it is better to refuse the purchase.

Silver jewelry and products made from this metal are very popular. Silver is cheaper than gold, but its appearance is no worse. The metal is considered noble, has a calm silver hue. It is especially suitable for girls and boys, as well as people with blonde hair and eyes. Therefore, it is not surprising that silver has so many fans. But often buyers get into trouble when they find out that the jewelry is not real.

Since such cases have become more frequent, it will be useful to learn how to distinguish silver from a fake. Moreover, in addition to jewelry made of this metal, people order interior items or accessories for decoration.

Silver items

Before purchasing a product

To understand whether this product is silver or not, look at the reverse side of the jewelry or accessory. If a thing is made legally, it must have a stamp and a sample on it. They are located side by side in the form of an imprint. AT different countries the stamp can be of different shapes, but the sample of the product must be indicated in numbers. The higher the sample - the more silver in the alloy from which the thing is made.

If the jewelry was ordered from a jeweler, take the trouble to get documents that confirm the sample of the metal and guarantee the quality of the product. In other cases, when it is not known how genuine the jewelry is, there are several ways in which you can determine whether this thing is silver or not.

What can be sold under the guise of silver:

• aluminum;
• bijouterie;
• brass;
• zinc;
• nickel silver (copper, nickel, zinc);
• other low grade alloys.

Ways to determine a fake house

Test your decoration simple ways checks:

• If, after wearing a silver item for a long time, a trace remains on the skin, most likely the jewelry is made of zinc.
• The method with a magnet is unlikely to help. So obviously silver is not forged. Fakes in today's time are skillful, so this simple method will be powerless.

• Immerse the silver item in boiling water. The fact is that silver quickly conducts the body, so it will become very hot in 5 seconds. But a low-quality product will remain warm.
• Scratch the jewelry with a regular needle. If there are no traces left, it is silver. If the top layer is worn off at the site of the scratch, this is a brass product.
• Silver bends easily and does not spring. But it is better not to use the method if you want to save your thing.
• A piece of chalk will also help identify a fake. If you run it over the decoration, black marks will remain on the chalk. The chalk didn't change color? Then you have a fake in your hands.
• Real silver must react with halogens and iodine as well. It is enough to apply a few drops of a regular pharmacy product and the decoration will darken. Jewelers use this method to artificially age silver. Such a thing becomes like an antique. Please note that it will be difficult to wash the iodine. If the jewelry has become cloudy, has acquired dirty stains, most likely, you have a substitute for silver - nickel silver.
• Determine silver by smell this moment it makes no sense, since there are a lot of modern flavors that are added to fakes in order to hide the cheapness of metals.
• Sulfur ointment, which is sold in a pharmacy, will also help in this matter. It is enough to apply it on a thing made of silver, and it will darken somewhat. But the trick will not react in any way to such manipulation.
• A lapis pencil, which is rarely found in home medicine cabinets lately, can also help out. But after passing it over the decoration, it should not change color or leave marks. A lapis pencil also distinguishes gold objects from fakes.

Checking silver with iodine

Of course, all these methods of determination are designed for home conditions. They are imperfect and do not allow to accurately confirm the authenticity of the product or indicate the sample.

In order to find out all the details - you can bring the jewelry to the jeweler or appraiser. There, the thing is manipulated with the addition of nitric acid and potassium bichromate: the solution is dripped onto the product and the degree of color change is determined. Normally, it should acquire a reddish tint. Depending on the intensity of the resulting color, a sample of the product is determined.

In addition to manual methods, there are also automated methods for determining authenticity. A special device with a sensor has been developed that shows not only the metal from which the thing is made, but also its sample. Remember that the most common sterling silver is 925.

As you can see, there are evaluation methods of different complexity and cost. Choose the method that suits your situation. If you are interested in learning for yourself about the authenticity of the jewelry, do some simple experiments at home. But if you are interested in selling the item, you most likely need documentary evidence, which can only be obtained from jewelers.

You will need

• jewelry magnifier
• Hot water
• electric lamp
• Magnet
• Rubber gloves, pipette, nitric acid

Instruction

First of all, you should pay attention to the labeling of the product. It will definitely stand on modern factory products, designer silver jewelry must also be marked in the assay office, but not all artists follow these rules. On products Russian production you can meet the following samples - 960,925,875,830,800. All of them indicate the percentage of silver in the alloy. So in a product marked 875 contains 87.5% silver. An alloy with 80% silver content is mainly used for cutlery. Silver 925 samples around the world are called sterling (sterling).

Other countries have different alloy standards, so products from abroad may have different numerical samples, in addition, some countries use markings such as STERLING, STER, S/S, SILVER. Don't forget about labels. Samples of hallmarks of famous masters and large firms are known to everyone who is interested in silver. On silver items produced in the Soviet Union, a five-pointed sign was used as a hallmark; on antique silver, a leopard with a raised paw can flaunt. If you are buying an antique piece of silver from your hands, take an interest in the hallmarks available and check them through specialized sites. Depending on the country, era, master, there are hundreds of hallmarks, samples, brands and their combinations.

Pure, among metals, has the highest coefficient of thermal conductivity. Therefore, the higher the sample, the cleaner, the faster the product heats up. You can dip two spoons into hot water - cupronickel and, presumably, silver, the second should heat up faster. The ring, earrings, chain, from jewelry, become hot very quickly, they are even recommended to be removed before a bath or sauna so as not to get burned.

Another property of silver is the highest light reflectivity. Put the silver item under a bright light and make sure it reflects it better than a cupronickel or metal spoon, or the same as other silver jewelry of the same standard. Do not forget to remove, if it does not contradict the artistic decision, the patina from the control silver item, which will certainly muffle the inherent bright shine.

The following test is very popular - if you rub a silver item with a clean, soft, light cloth, dark spots will remain on it. Its effectiveness is questionable for a number of reasons. First, contrary to popular belief, silver is not oxidized by oxygen, but actively reacts with sulfur-containing compounds, which, in varying amounts, are present in environment and natural secretions of the human body. The amount of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur produced by the body is different for everyone, which is why there is a myth that silver “anticipates” the owner’s illness and darkens. Secondly, as a rule, silver alloys contain copper, but it just enters into an oxidation reaction with oxygen contained in the air. Accordingly, the purer the alloy, the less oxidation and, accordingly, the lower the efficiency of the "fabric" test. And the last, third. Manufacturers, who are well aware of the properties of silver and its alloys, protect products from oxidation by coating them with a thin layer of nickel to maintain their marketable appearance. clear varnish, galvanic rhodium plating or a thick layer of special wax.

Do you want to determine what the owner of the antique store is trying to sell you? You were given a new chain, but you doubt its quality? You do not know how to identify a silver coin from a fake? It is not necessary to carry the product to the laboratory for a silver test. confine ourselves available means to test silver at home.

Authentication of silver items

It is difficult for an ordinary consumer to distinguish a fake from precious metal. Unscrupulous traders are often disguised as silver jewelry sell cupronickel. When creating a fake is often used incomprehensible material, on the surface of which a thin layer of noble metal is applied, as is the case with gold. This technical method is called silvering.

In store when buying

Checking can be carried out before making a purchase, in the store itself. To do this, do the following:

• Look at the test. Silver products are marked with a brand that shows the metal content in the alloy, because silver is not used. in its purest form. The stamp should have numbers from 800 to 925. Everything else is a fake.
• Appearance. The original reflects light well and is silvery. white color. If the metal has not been cleaned for a long time, it becomes covered with pinkish stains. Even in a similar state silver products do not leave yellowish or dark marks on the skin.
• Hold the product in the palm of your hand. Silver conducts heat and heats up instantly. If you put a spoon made of this metal into a glass of hot water and then touch it, you can get burned.
• Worth weighing. This is a very dense metal, so objects made of it are quite heavy.
• Recognize with sound. Tap another piece of silver on the item. The original must be published ringing and ringing sound.

If, after the tests, you find it difficult to understand whether it is silver or not, then do not rush to buy, because there is a risk of becoming a victim of scammers.

Checking with iodine and vinegar

Do you have an old piece of jewelry in front of you, or have you not tested the purchase in the store? Silver can be tested for authenticity with iodine. Apply a drop to the metal and rinse immediately.

If the jewelry is genuine silver, a dark spot should appear on the iodine-coated area. Something is unlikely to happen with a fake, but it depends on the metal that is in front of you. Be careful and don't spill too much solution otherwise you risk damaging the product.

Noble metals are resistant to vinegar. Pour a little diluted vinegar into a glass and dip a silver item into it. No changes will occur to the original, and a fake may cause a reaction, become lighter or darker, or become stained.

Methods for determining the authenticity of a coin

If a bracelet, ring or coin is suspicious, apply one of the methods below using improvised means:

• Rub the coin with chalk. If dark marks remain on it, then the metal is real.
• Apply bleach to the surface. The substance is an oxidizing agent that causes browning noble metals. Before that protect your hands gloves.
• Sulfuric ointment. Apply it to a coin, slightly worn with sandpaper, and after 15 minutes wipe it with a napkin. If a stain appears, then the product is genuine. If there is no stain, then you have stainless steel, nickel, high-quality aluminum or cupronickel.
• Draw over the product with a lapis pencil. The silver coin will be covered black footprints, and a fake will not change its color and appearance.
• Apply some nitric acid to the surface. Foam Green colour point to a fake.
• A solution obtained by mixing equal parts of nitric acid and potassium bichromate is also used. When it hits the metal, the composition should leave brown-red traces.

How to distinguish silver from cupronickel

Often cupronickel is given out for silver items. In addition to special tests, a magnet can be used to detect fakes. It's better to check large items or ingots. Noble metal should not be magnetic.

Many metals have properties identical to silver, so testing is best done along with other methods that will help you find out if it is genuine or not:

1. Needle. The method is good if you suspect that the thing is silver plated. Scratch lightly with a needle. Nothing will happen to the original. A thing with a thin layer of silver will be covered with scratches, as the needle will remove a layer of precious metal.
2. Weighing. Weigh a coin or other product twice, dry, and then wet. Calculate the difference between the indicators and divide the weight of the dry product by this number. If the result is approximately 10, then you are dealing with silver.

If, after all the methods carried out, you still doubt the authenticity of the product, then contact a specialist.

Attention, only TODAY!

A real silver product is easy to distinguish from a fake and the article will help us deal with all the nuances. Let's get acquainted with the most effective ways determining the authenticity of silver.

Stamp and test

Each product with a high content of precious metal has 2 hallmarks - the name of the manufacturer and the assay mark. Their presence indicates that the product is sold legally in the country.

The hallmark is placed on:

The state stamp consists of several elements:

• Right profile of a lady in a kokoshnik;
• The letter cipher of the state inspection of assay supervision in the lower left corner;
• Try;
• Standard frame.

Pay attention to the shape of the frame, it is an oval with cut sides. Let's say that the image is circled, and the sample is printed side by side in a rectangular frame or an oval frame with cut edges.

Foreign-made jewelry may have other marking methods adopted by the laws of the country of manufacture. For example, the traditional English brand is a walking lion, French products were stamped with the head of Minerva, a wild boar, a crab.

In order for the soft noble metal to gain strength, impurities of other metals are added to the alloy, usually copper, tin, nickel. Therefore, a sample is necessarily put on the finished product - a number that reflects the percentage of the content of the noble metal. The most common silver samples are 750, 800, 875, 916, 925, 960 and 999.

For creating jewelry most commonly used are 960 and 925 samples:

• 925 silver is called sterling, it does not lose its original appearance for a long time, does not darken even with prolonged wear.
• The 800th test is considered a coin alloy, used in the production of coins, cutlery, quickly loses its presentation.

A personal name is an abbreviation that allows you to find out the manufacturer, place, year of manufacture. May contain letters and numbers. Antique items are decorated with the initials of the master.

If there was no sample, this does not mean that you are faced with a fake. Perhaps in front of you is 800 sterling silver. Products from it are allowed to be produced without an imprint. Some silver imitations are stamped with the MNTs stamp, which means "magnesium-nickel-zinc". The fake sample is applied unevenly, it is easy to recognize if you have a sample.

Thermal conductivity

Among all metals, silver has the highest thermal conductivity, that is, it quickly changes temperature under the influence of the environment:

• Put a cool ring on your skin, it will instantly take its temperature.
• Immerse the chain or necklace in a container of hot water, and then immediately remove it. Jewelry will not have time to change the temperature.
• An ice cube will do the trick. If the item is large enough, place ice from the freezer on top.

Physical Properties

• Consider the quality of the coverage.
• Sterling silver must be white, with a bright polished sheen.
• Blackened stylized antique and it doesn't shine as brightly.
• Antique jewelry becomes covered with a black and gray coating over time. If the plaque is red or brown, you have another alloy in front of you, for example, brass or cupronickel.
• Silver can be matte, but it shouldn't have any tint. A reddish tint is a sign of a large amount of copper in the alloy.
• Throw a ring, earring or coin on the table.
• When falling, a sonorous sound should be heard melodic, clear sound.
• Silver spoons you can knock on each other.
• Copper fakes knock dully, cheap alloys make a metallic sound, like small coins.
• Rub the object with your palm.
• Counterfeits with an admixture of zinc leave dark marks.
• Silver plating can be rubbed gently to see the background color.
• Put the jewelry in a glass of water for a few days. Genuine silver will remain pristine, but fake will rust.
• Smell. This method requires you to have a sample.
• Those who had silverware, remember their special, specific smell.
• If there is a coating, scrape it off. Melchior, like other copper alloys, smells like copper.
• Taste it.
• At brass, cupronickel, uncoated nickel silver will have a metallic aftertaste.
• Noble metals are tasteless.
• Weigh. There are reference manuals for numismatists that contain data on ancient and modern coins. Weigh your sample, compare the resulting weight with the indicated one.

Checking with improvised means

If after examining the product there are doubts, you can conduct several tests using improvised means:

Be careful, traces of iodine are very difficult to wash off the surface of the jewelry. Most likely, the stain will remain forever.

Sulfuric ointment:

• Apply ointment.
• After 30 seconds, wipe off with a cloth or tissue. The place of application should darken.

Sulfur ointment is one of the most proven and safe ways checks. It is used against skin inflammation, so it can be applied without gloves. Sold in any pharmacy.

Lapis pencil:

• Wet the tip of the pencil.
• Put in a small drop.
• If the drop turns black, this is a fake. Lapis is composed of silver nitrate and does not react with either silver or gold.

Once lapis was widely distributed, but now it is not sold in all pharmacies. This is an outdated remedy for cauterizing warts and papillomas, if it gets on open skin, a black spot will remain for a long time.

• Take stationery chalk, rub the decoration with it.
• Postpone.
• Check the result after a few minutes. If the chalk turns gray, this is a real noble metal.

Bleach:

It is believed that if you pour a small drop of bleach and wait a few minutes, the product will react with acid and darken. But a lot depends on the composition of the bleach. Silver is a low-active metal, so household chemicals may not have any effect. Imitation can be irrevocably spoiled, especially with chlorine.

Vinegar:

According to the electrochemical activity series of metals, silver is an inactive metal, therefore it does not react with 9% vinegar. Most alloys will not react with such a weak acid without heating.

Copper is also a low-active metal, so vinegar will not damage products with a high copper content. Cupronickel cutlery is even recommended to be soaked in acid if a plaque has formed.

Needle:

• Make a deep scratch with a needle.
• Take a close look at whether the color of the core differs from the coating.
• A yellow or red tint indicates that a coating has been applied.

Magnet:

• Take a strong magnet and pass it over the surface of the object.
• Silver has almost no magnetic properties, but a fake made of steel or nickel will immediately attract.
• It should be noted that metals with a high copper content are also non-magnetic.

Nitric acid:

This option is only suitable for those who are familiar with chemistry.

• Under the action of nitric acid, a violent reaction occurs with the evolution of gas, silver dissolves, an aqueous solution of silver nitrate and nitric oxide is formed.
• Such an experiment should not be carried out at home.

• The most reliable way to determine whether your jewelry has jewelry value, you can call checks with iodine, sulfuric ointment, lapis pencil, needle, chalk.
• Iodine is not safe for the product stains remain for a long time, they are almost impossible to wash.
• The lapis pencil is very handy, the reaction comes quickly, but it will have to be specially ordered, since it is not sold in all pharmacies.
• Using a needle, you can find out if a spray has been applied, but the scratch can no longer be reduced.
• Chalk does not damage the product.
• The blackouts remaining after the sulfuric ointment can be wiped ammonia or put in soda solution. Another option is to boil it with a piece of ordinary aluminum foil.
• Not everyone can determine the taste, sound or weight of silver. In addition, this requires a large sample, such as a ring or a coin.
• Checking with a magnet will not give the desired result if the base material of the alloy is copper. So, cupronickel, brass will not be attracted to a magnet.
• Bleach and vinegar were useless, nitric acid is not suitable for home use.

The most reliable chemical test is a professional probe. The simplest set for testing precious metals costs less than 1000 rubles. It can be purchased at jewelry workshops, some pharmacies, online stores.

Reacting with silver, the substance becomes blood-red, blackens or turns green on a fake. The reagents are convenient, they penetrate through the coating of any thickness. Be careful, the probe is very caustic and may irritate the skin.