Any tips for spotting silver vs silver plate without markings?

[BrutalBeck]

A makers' mark is the most definitive way of telling the difference. Plated silver usually never has a mark while pure (or close to pure) silver usually does, especially if the piece is worth anything.

 

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[jerseyben]

Now you guys are literally just repeating what has already been said, over and over again.

 

[BrutalBeck]

Lol. . . No kidding eh? I am going to start using my computer for this site. My phone isn't showing my posts as quick as I thought. Nothing like beating a thread to death and not knowing it.

Eureka!!

 

[cyberdan]

Theres a really cool youtube vid from a girl who has found a neat way to tell silver and gold from plated silver and gold.

That video is just way too much work for use at a yard sale.
Now to beat a dead horse. If it's not marked it's probably not silver when it comes to serving pieces.

 

[diggummup]

SMELL TEST

if it isn't magnetic, rub it a little with your thumb and smell it

Silver plated items sometimes have a sour copper or sulfur smell

While not everything that smells sweet is 92.5% silver, this is a good way to rule out many items

I use the same test for the women I date.

This is still the best reply on this thread. LOL

 

[jnkhntr]

Now you guys are literally just repeating what has already been said, over and over again.

Sterling flatware will bend with very little effort, while plate is quite stiff. After some practice you get a feel for sterling. I do this test first and if it doesn't feel right there's no need to even look at the markings. Sorry, saw a little life in the HORSE and thought I'd give it another wack!

 

[randazzo1]

One last caveat - I have notice an alarming increase in counterfeit sterling jewelry. Usually marked only 925 or 925 China. i have not yet encountered a piece marked "Sterling" that was not actually sterling. The counterfeit 925 I've encountered always has that extra brightness commonly associated with argentium sterling but It's really just a thin silver plate over copper. I'll post some of my disappointing finds. You would think the weight would have been a give-away --- but in my zeal to get a bargain -- I don't always let the left-side of my brain do the work. Don't even have to waste the acid -- as you run it on the touchstone - the copper shines through.

Also - while I'm on the subject - I've gotten to the point now where I won't buy anything marked Tiffany unless its very old. There is so much counterfeit TIffany marked T&Co 925. I've had 7 pieces this summer alone come through my hands.

 

[clorox]

Yeah, I've found a few things marked 925 that I'm pretty sure aren't silver. I've also found a couple things marked sterling that look and feel more like stainless steel. I've also run across some of that fake Tiffany junk. The fact that the markings were screen-printed rather than engraved should have been a giveaway, but I, too, sometimes let a potential bargain get in the way of my critical thinking skills!

And generally, real silver stuff is of a much finer workmanship than plate or imitation silver. Sometimes I find it a little tough if I've been wading through mounds of plate and don't have anything to compare it to, but when you run across a sterling piece the differences are glaringly obvious.

I also sometimes get a little fooled by tin and pewter. Tin stuff is often made out of sheets that are then rolled and stamped; I don't think I've ever seen any sterling pieces made that way. Pewter is tougher for me, especially if it's smooth and polished (think a very plain candlestick). Fortunately it's almost always marked as pewter.

 

[FekNeim]

I use the same test for the women I date.

I'm surprised any women ever let you get close enough to touch them.

They probably don't have to be close enough to touch before they can smell you.

 

[jerseyben]

I'm surprised any women ever let you get close enough to touch them.

They probably don't have to be close enough to touch before they can smell you.

You joined this forum to resurrect a thread from 3 years ago to insult a poster who hasn't logged in in over 2 years?

 

[DFW_THer]

You joined this forum to resurrect a thread from 3 years ago to insult a poster who hasn't logged in in over 2 years?

Hilarious. Some people just don't have a clue.

 

[cyberdan]

You joined this forum to resurrect a thread from 3 years ago to insult a poster who hasn't logged in in over 2 years?

I got a bigger kick out of your post.

 

[diggummup]

You joined this forum to resurrect a thread from 3 years ago to insult a poster who hasn't logged in in over 2 years?

She must have failed the smell test recently, so it hit a nerve and she couldn't resist!

sorry but they asked for that one!

 

[Baltimore]

The internet is a wonderful place.

 

[Lost&Found]

The internet is a wonderful place.

What is the Internet? Never heard of it.

 

[Beachkid23]

For me I have good eyes at this point in my life. If I don't see Sterling or 925 or any other marks that look weird I usually don't buy it. if the prices are astronomical like more than $20 usually don't buy it. If the people tell me at Sterling or if it's silver I usually don't buy it because normally it's not. If I looked at my current surroundings and I see a bunch of trash the chances of them actually having something that is sterling, they usually don't. Yes there could be a needle in a haystack but normally it's not something good. Silver has a smell that I can identify pretty well. Google sterling silver compote. Or sterling silver just in general. Even on eBay you can see what has sold you will get a feel for it. Especially on them candlesticks. When you flip them over and they are opened up then they are probably play did. But if they have a solid bottom in though felt they normally have waited bottoms. I only have information I have learned from here and local antique stores plus completed listings on eBay.

 

[cheech]

I found that by tapping on the item sometimes you can tell the difference Sterling has a different sound than plated does and I always try to bend the item a little to see how flexible it may be as Sterling flexes a little easier in my opinion to other base metal plated silver

 

[billjustbill]

I'll have to second this suggestion. A small Neo-super-Magnet will let you move on fast, marked or not!

I found a table spoon marked "800" out in a garage at an estate sale. It wasn't priced, so I put it in my cardboard collection box the sellers provided. The checkout lady charged me a quarter for it. When I got home, the super magnet I have stuck to it like a pound of steel washers.... Now it works great at spreading Ortho's Orthene fire ant dust....

Bill

 

[mugsisme]

One last caveat - I have notice an alarming increase in counterfeit sterling jewelry. Usually marked only 925 or 925 China. i have not yet encountered a piece marked "Sterling" that was not actually sterling.

I have a bunch of bangles sitting right here on my desk. I was going to list a huge bangle auction. 3 of them are hallmarked Taxco. 2 sterling. I've been collecting them from various jars for a while. I got nervous, and did a scratch test. Nothing. I took them to my jewelry, who xrayed them. They were copper and whatever else they mix together to make it look like silver.

Hope it's OK I replied, since someone dug this thread up. (It is a hilarious thread though.)

 

[jerseyben]

I have a bunch of bangles sitting right here on my desk. I was going to list a huge bangle auction. 3 of them are hallmarked Taxco. 2 sterling. I've been collecting them from various jars for a while. I got nervous, and did a scratch test. Nothing. I took them to my jewelry, who xrayed them. They were copper and whatever else they mix together to make it look like silver.

Hope it's OK I replied, since someone dug this thread up. (It is a hilarious thread though.)

Are you saying that you have 5 bangles that are marked either Taxco or sterling that are not actually 92.5 % silver?

I am not sure but I would imagine that just because it is marked Taxco does not automatically mean sterling.

In my opinion, the Taxco stuff does not actually need to sterling to have value as jewelry as it is still hand made by jewelers and is revered for its specific style.