• Know the Difference between Pure Silver, Silver Plated & Sterling Silver Jewelry
Different types of silver have varying characteristics. Knowing the difference between them will help you make an informed decision as to what type of silver jewelry best suits your needs and lifestyle. Silver-plated jewelry is the least pure of all types and is created by covering metals like copper or brass with a thin layer of silver. Pure or fine silver, on the other hand, is 99.9 pure, but this variety of silver is very delicate and cannot be molded into jewelry as it can get a dent. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and is considered the best for making silver jewelry. Most high-quality silver jewelry is made from sterling silver. It’s also the most durable of all types of silver.
• Look For the Mark
When buying sterling silver jewelry, always look for the.925 or STERLING stamp as it is the sign of authentic sterling silver. Do not buy a silver sterling jewelry piece that doesn’t have the 925 stamps, unless you trust the seller. Some authentic sterling silver pieces may not carry the mark, but you cannot let a seller use them to fool you into buying fake silver jewelry. The mark won’t be easily visible but look on the inner side of a ring or the clasp of a necklace to spot it. An important thing to note here is that other varieties of sterling silver are also available, with less silver content. However, 925 sterling silver is the best, so do not go for any other variety.
• Confirm the Authenticity with Physical Tests
When buying silver jewelry from a physical store, experts recommend performing a few physical tests to ensure its authenticity. These tests are pretty simple, do not take much time, and won’t do any damage to the jewelry, so there is no harm in giving them a try:
- Use Your Nose Long The easiest way to check the authenticity of sterling silver is to bring it close to your nose and take a deep breath. Does it stink or have a weird smell? If it does, look for another seller because 925 sterling silver doesn’t stink. The smell comes from the presence of copper in large amounts.
- Do a Sound Test Tap the piece of silver jewelry you’re considering buying with a metallic object. If it produces a high-pitched sound and vibrations that take a few seconds to stop, congratulations, you have found real silver.
- Do the Rub TestTake a piece of white cloth when going shopping for silver jewelry and use it to test the authenticity of jewelry. Simply rub the piece of jewelry with the cloth and see if it has left any black or grey marks. Only real silver produces these marks because of the oxidation it goes through when exposed to air.
- Use a Magnet To do the magnet test, simply run the magnet over the silver jewelry. If it’s authentic silver, it won’t stick to the magnet. If it does, it’s either not silver or contains a large amount of any other metal.
It may seem strange sniffing the jewelry or bringing out a cloth and magnet from your pocket or handbag at the jewelry store, but it’s worth doing these tests before purchasing silver jewelry. Just because silver jewelry is affordable doesn’t mean you buy it without ensuring its authenticity and quality. After all, you’re spending your hard-earned money, and you have all the right to make sure you’re spending it in the right place.
• Ensure the Reliability of the Seller
Instead of buying from the first store you come across, take your time to do research and find a reliable silver jewelry seller. Ask around for referrals. Ensuring the reliability of the seller is more important when you’re buying silver jewelry online because of the inability to physically inspect and test the metal. Unfortunately, the online world is filled with scammers, and there are many people selling fake jewelry in the name of silver. Always check user reviews and ask the seller if they provide any guarantee for the authenticity of their products.
Buy Authentic 925 Sterling Silver Jewelry from Silver Bene
We’re a leading wholesale supplier and seller of sterling silver jewelry with over 25 years of experience. We’re based in China, but we offer worldwide shipping. We only deal in sterling silver jewelry and guarantee that all our jewelry pieces are made with 925 sterling silver. Don’t take our word for it. Take a look at the reviews shared by our customers. You can also check out customer reviews on Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress to find out how much our customers trust us and love our products. We bring you 40 new items every Monday to make sure your style game is always on point. Keep checking our website to make sure you do not miss out on the latest designs.
