How to tell if silver is real?

First of all what exactly silver is:

Silver is precious shiny grayish-white metal.

Is Silver used only for Jewelry?

Silver not only used for jewelry making but also used in currency coins, to make ornaments, jewelry, high-value tableware and utensils (hence the term silverware) and as an investment in the forms of coins and bullion.

Silver metal also used industrially in electrical contacts and conductors, in mirrors and in catalysis of chemical reactions. Its compounds are used in photographic film and dilute silver nitrate solutions and other silver compounds are used as disinfectants and microbiocides (oligodynamic effect).

While many medical antimicrobial uses of silver have been supplanted by antibiotics, further research into clinical potential continues.

What is 925 Sterling Silver exactly?

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually nickel or copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. And mainly used for Jewelry making. 

Sterling silver vs Silver plated

Poor knowledge of silver by consumers and not being able to know how to tell if silver is real created huge market all around the world for the fake silver jewelry.

I do not like to point any particular country for these practices but almost all over the world fake silver jewelry market storming like a monster. Millions of online consumers get cheated and they never get the value for the jewelry they are purchased as 925 silver. Because they didn’t know how to tell if silver is real.

One of the biggest online markets for the cheap silver jewelry is E Bay. Many outlets even some factories trying to sell their silver called jewelry through the E Bay.

I am not just jumping out and making this statement. But as being silver jewelry manufacturer almost 35 years I should have some knowledge and connection to make this kind of statement.

Online fact regards to sterling silver vs silver plated

This covers not only silver jewelry but How to tell real silverware and how to tell genuine silver as well.

This not only applies how to tell if silver is real matters but this goes same for the How to Tell If Its Real Gold?

I come across for a while ago, many consumers throwing and shouting negatively about the E Bay policies to allow those sellers to sale non silver jewelry as sterling silver jewelry.

Even some honest trader in E Bay end up writing article about How to tell if silver is real? I mean this is in E Bay website. His sale must be suffered allot.

Sadly it seems to goes to deaf ears. Sterling silver vs Silver plated jewelry always has been issue for the online shoppers.

And those practices start mainly on Asian country like China. Then it jumped on the other countries as well.

There is big case still going on for few silver jewelry manufacturer company in Bangkok.

They exported millions of dollars worth jewelry years and years.

Then suddenly one of the distributors in Europe gets complain from one of their wholesale customer. This Europe base company takes matter seriously and investigates.

They start checking all their new and old stock. They spend thousands of dollars to make proper laboratory check up with certificate. Results comes out shocking, none of the jewelry comes out as sterling silver.

These buyers (importers) are one of big name in the game. Their orders are huge compare to individual small business buyer. Because of the big quantity order, one manufacturer cannot handle whole order for the limit

of time for completion, so it passes around to other manufacturer to help them out.

Oh boy, when I heard this story first hand from one of my associate ( making business with Bangkok jewelry} I was shock and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This law suit involved lots of companies and I did not

hear what the outcome was.

This practice took Asia by storm. After the increase of silver price few years ago many small manufacturer couldn’t have capital to buy silver and keep stock. So they try with silver plate…

No complain arrived yet… !!!!!

So they give green light for mass production.

 

So how to tell if silver is real or plated?

I think greed by manufacturer followed by consumer as well. Let me explain what I mean by that.

This is the experience I had so far in our silver jewelry retail shop in Bali.

Let’s say a gram of silver 1.20 US. And let’s say you like one of the ring with nice stone on it.

This ring weigh is about 7 gram. Just silver cost of that ring makes 8.40 US right!

Then let’s say another 2 dollar for the stone, it makes total 10.40 material cost to produce this ring. Right!!

So how can manufacturer or wholesale supplier can sale this ring at the price of 2.US - or under cost price????

Where is cost of making that ring?

Where is the profit for the manufacturer?

This is a number one logical calculation to know if it is silver or plated.

You see greed of manufacturer pass on the bargain hunters.

They can’t have a cup of coffee at their home country at that price. but they jump on it to purchase that  ring as they think they are buying silver ring.

What else we can do to not get cheated when we buy silver jewelry?

Many years ago I mention in one of my blogs or article, I can’t remember exactly when it was. I said carry small fridge magnet with you when you going for shopping for silver jewelry.

Because, silver doesn’t get attracted to magnet like normal metal or stainless metal do. Because at that time many small outlets were selling 925 stamped galvanize metal jewelry as 925 sterling silver jewelry.

It worked very fine for the consumer at that time. This knowledge by the consumer sent many small silver jewelry outlets in bankruptcy for sure.

But later on, they come out with other method to cheat consumer. They are learned very well from consumer even they didn’t know themselves magnet magic.

So they start to search what metal they can use and it won’t sucked by magnet!

It has to be cheap as galvanized metal. Copper was slightly more expensive then brass and nickel was the same price as other metals and doesn’t get sucked by magnet.

So they start to produce with brass and some others start to use nickel they had left over from early days when sterling silver jewelry was booming.

Some of them had technology to do silver plated some of them didn’t. The one had they sell them as sterling silver in the market. The one didn’t have the facility to do silver plating they have to give the job who can.

But they realized silver plating was costing so much and they profit margin was almost worthless.

Here it comes ALPCA

So they come up with the idea of “ALPACA” , no it is not the animal we know as alpaca. This is similar to silver plating but much cheaper and much easier to apply on any metal.

Difference was silver plating look like silver but alpaca look like shining white star. It is almost the color of chrome basically.

And those dishonest manufacturers load the market with alpaca as sterling silver jewelry. And many tourists took advantage of the cheap jewelry sold with 925 stamps on it as a sterling silver.

When they get home and try to polish their already darken color jewelry it get darker and darker
.

Who are the ones suffer from this practice most?

Of course Consumer and real silver jewelry manufacturer.

After millions of people get cheated by those sellers why should they trust to others, right?

And that’s why Bali silver jewelry suffering a lot over the last years because of these practices. And today this practice still continues every corner of Bali
.

For us, as a real silver jewelry manufacturer, time to keep those bastards honest.

We are not against to Alpaca jewelry or silver plated jewelry at all.

But we are against to selling Alpaca or silver plated jewelry as real sterling silver jewelry.

And that’s all about this article. Later on I will give you more tip and hints on how to tell silver real or not.

Also in my next post I will post out names of those retailers or suppliers in Bali. Also I will do some video to educate consumer regards to fake silver as well. It just takes bit time.

So we are going to buy silver jewelry! 

How to tell if silver is real?

There are many methods to do and tell silver is real or not.

Some of the methods are not very practical at all, it requires testing kit or some kind of tools. But I will only go through with practical ones.

-        Use Fridge magnet. If the jewelry stacks to magnet it is not silver. But don’t get full by it also it can be other metal doesn't stack to magnet.

-        Color. Yes silver color always more grayish than alpaca.

-        Alpaca almost chrome color and unusually shiny compare to real silver.

-        Weight. Yes real silver much heavier compare to alpaca.

-        Don’t get full by 925 stamps. 925 stamps don’t mean always sterling silver. All those experts tell you on the net, to look for 925 stamps. That practice might apply in developed countries like UK – USA and Europe but not in Asia.

-        Especially some of the Asian countries have no such a law, to have license to have 925 stamps like other developed countries.

When I see western tourist in Bali mainly from Australia, they always ask where the 925 mark on the jewelry is. It is such a naive act and they think Bali same as Australia.

- If you are polishing your silver jewelry and more you polish it gets darker, it is definitely not silver at all.

- If the silver jewelry extremely cheap priced or if you think real bargain stay away from it. No business can sale real silver jewelry for under cost price. Unless if that jewelry is stolen and someone wants to make quick bucks from it.

-        The Ice Test: In addition to having the highest electrical conductivity of any element, silver also has the highest thermal conductivity of any metal. If you place an ice cube on silver, the ice will begin to melt immediately. Obviously, ice will melt if placed on anything at room temperature, for example, but if placed on silver it will melt much more quickly and impressively. Try it!

PS: This ice testing technique is new to me. I found on the net and love to try when I go to work.

Also last two at below as well

-     You can also check if silver is real by soaking it into a water and lemon solution. If the silver fades, it is fake. If it does not, then it is real.

-        An easy way to tell if silver is real is to rub a little diluted bleach on the item. If it does not turn a dark black like color, then it is not real.

This how to tell if silver is real or not basically. Also there are hundreds of videos on YouTube regards to how to tell if silver is real. But most of those videos talking about 925 stamps to tell if silver is real.

Bottom line is:  Always buy your silver jewelry from reputable store. If you don't know just ask other trades in the area.

Don’t get shy to ask if they have certificate to proof their silver jewelry is 925.

Always make clear, if it is not silver you will bring back and want your money back.

Never by buy silver jewelry on the street stand.  Because they are the main distributors for the whole scam it is quite hard to find one really sells silver jewelry.

And don't push your luck. Always remember this, Silver is commodity. Silver price same as anywhere else in the world. What makes Asian countries cheaper for shopping jewelry is labor cost and manufacturing. Nothing else.

After all Indonesia developing country and you might not find any consumer protection like at your home county. Especially when you don’t speak the language it can be really hard.

But always remember, either of you cheated by silver jewelry or money exchange or anything else, there is tourist police and their only job to protect you from those scam artists. If you mention police as by name to any retailer wants to cheat or making hard for you to refund your money, I highly recommend to contact Tourist police. Indonesian retailer pretty scare to get involve with police.

I do hope this article it might help you out the questions you might had in your mind for the silver jewelry.

We would love to hear from you if you had any bad experience buying silver jewelry either online-E Bay or especially in Bali. Please gives us name of any retail stores selling non silver jewelry as silver jewelry. So we can protect others and bring our good reputation back.

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