You may have noticed that you have a piece of gold jewelry with the stamp on it. Is it fake? Not necessarily. If you have a gold piece with a mark, it's most likely sterling silver underneath gold plating. You'll normally see this kind of stamp on a gold vermeil pronounced as "ver-may" , meaning that it's sterling silver that has gold plating.
In the U. If you don't see any marks indicating that it's plated, then you can always have it tested. Jewelers test your piece by applying acid to a small piece of material taken from your jewelry.
From this, they can determine the gold's karat and help you find out if the piece is gold plated. Sterling or silver is timeless. Additionally, if you like silver, you can build out your collection for a relatively affordable price - especially when compared to gold or platinum.
Close menu. So, as you can see: silver is sterling silver. Conversely, metals that contain less than Remember how sterling silver and silver are the same thing? One of the best things about sterling silver is that it can be styled with anything. From casual dinners to formal occasions, sterling silver adds that classy touch of shine that elevates style without overpowering it.
Here are some popular types of sterling silver jewelry:. Pendants: Jewelers and designers use sterling silver as an elegant and reliable metal casing for pendants to hold jewels and stones. Necklaces: Sterling silver is often used for necklace chains and pendants. Earrings: Often, earrings are made with cheaper metals which cause irritation and can lead to bleeding and infection. Bracelets: Add a touch of shine with the flick of a wrist with a gorgeous sterling silver bracelet.
In fact, this word is popularly used as a label, when in fact silver should always be clearly identified with a hallmark representing its standard grade and quality. With that information in mind, always look for the hallmark as jewelers and artisans are legally obligated to stamp their pieces for potential buyers. Inexpensive metals like nickel or brass can cause infections, especially with earrings. Browse our sterling silver jewelry collection to find the perfect new piece to add to your jewelry box.
Sterling Silver Jewelry. Sterling Silver vs Silver You might be wondering what is sterling silver? Durability and Purity of Sterling Silver The reason sterling silver requires the mixture of other metals is because naturally, pure silver is soft.
Like many jewelry markings, the stamp is something which those outside of jeweler circles may find mystifying. We will answer the question — what does a mark mean when stamped on jewelry? Sterling silver is an alloy that is made of Jewelry can also benefit, particularly rings and bracelets which are more often exposed to getting dented or scratched than pendants or earrings.
The vast majority of sterling silver contains copper as the alloying material. That said, there are plenty of other additives that see use but still meet the sterling standard. In order for a silver to be classified as sterling silver, it must meet at least a So, as you can see: silver is the same thing as sterling silver. Sterling silver allows for easy working, while still maintaining the majority of white shine that typifies the precious metal. While many of the European nations have their own stamps, numbers are becoming more common to indicate purity in the interest of international trade.
Usually, you can simply add a decimal beforehand in order to figure out what the numbered stamp means. A stamp would, for instance, indicate that the metal was fine silver instead of sterling. Beware of silver jewelry that is not stamped! The absence of a unattested fineness mark means the metals are not identified. Frequently such product takes a cheap base metal and plates it with a thin layer of silver.
Though rarer these if probably used are also authentic notations of sterling silver. This also represents silver. See the above chart. The precious metal trade is rife with fraud to this day, but a savvy customer can get along without getting ripped off in the meantime. If there are no silver stamps on the jewelry then this may indicate the jewelry is plated. It may be best to have such a piece tested. Jewelers do such tests by applying acid to a very small piece of material taken from the jewelry.
Silver is a precious metal and its authenticity should be verified. A Nitric Acid Test is typically used to check if silver is pure or plated. To do so, jewellers file a small part of the item in a discreet area where it cannot be seen. Jeweller then apply a few drops of nitric acid. If the area turns into creamy white, the silver is pure or sterling.
If green, it is probably fake or silver-plated.
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