Is it really silver?

Are they store bought and fairly new? If so, they will have the 925 hallmark on them if they are indeed sterling.

Carol in SLC My new stuff:

Ok, how do I tell by having one destoyed?

marisa2

Send it to be assayed. I've had some of my Bali in every other shipment assayed to make sure it was sterling.

What does that mean? Where can I get this done?

Thanks!

marisa2

It means it's sent to a company that will melt the metal and identify what it's made from via spectroscopy (every element has a characteristic "peak" in spectroscopy). Check with a local jeweler, they may be able to get you a good deal with whoever they use. It's expensive, though, and unless you have a *lot* of those earhooks, it's probably not worth it.

Are they tarnishing any? If they look like they are getting tarnished or dull, try this to tell if it is silver. Line a small pan with aluminum foil, put the earring hook on the foil and sprinkle a good amount of baking soda on top of it. Pour boiling water over it (don't try this with beads). This will cause some bubbling. Lean over and smell the steam. If it smells like sulfur then it is silver and should become a brighter silver. I use this test on some of the necklaces I find in the Salvation Army junk jewelry box. I do find some sterling silver and some very interesting base metal chains. Go ahead and buy some silver stock and use the questionable findings for your personal jewelry or gifts to relatives. Good Luck,

How about Archemedes' test? That was for the purity of gold, not silver ... but could the principle be used for silver?

Is it possible to get its volume by water displacement, and then weigh it and compare its weight with an equal volume of silver you -know- is sterling? Or could a plated base metal potentially have the same weight per unit of volume as silver does, making the test inconclusive?

Deirdre

Yes, it's possible.

Good idea...might be hard to do with french ear-hooks, whcih mass basically nothing :)

marisa2

How about doing it with a -group- of earwires, and an equal (by water-displacement) volume of known-silver components? Might give more accurate 'average' measures.

Deirdre