How Do You Test Sterling Silver At Home?
Today, many people who own objects made of silver prefer to test these items themselves, to avoid paying a substantial fee for this service to a commercial jeweler. If you have silver and want to test its authenticity, you can do this fairly easily yourself. Check your item for markings. Use a magnifying glass if needed. Pure sterling silver has markings such as: “sterling silver,” “ster,” or “sterling.” You may also see numbers such as 925; these numbers indicate the amount of pure silver the item contains. Keep in mind that a lack of markings does not always indicate a fake. Next you can perform the magnet test. Hold the magnet near the item; if the magnet attracts the item, then you do not have genuine silver. Magnets do not attract silver. Jewelers will also use nitric acid for testing silver. If you choose to perform this test yourself, be sure to handle the nitric acid with caution. For example, always wear gloves and goggles. Find an inconspicuous spot on the silver item and pla
