Sterling Silver & Silver Plate

[arpie]

Hi guys

Hoping someone will be able to help me with this one!! Without a hallmark, how do you tell the difference between Sterling Silver & silver plate?

Seems you can scratch it & add a drop of Nitric Acid to the scratch ..... but I don't have any Nitric acid & don't particularly want to scratch it either!

Any sure fire ways an amateur can tell the difference??

Thanks

Roberta

[RAYp]

Hi guys

Hoping someone will be able to help me with this one!! Without a hallmark, how do you tell the difference between Sterling Silver & silver plate?

Seems you can scratch it & add a drop of Nitric Acid to the scratch ..... but I don't have any Nitric acid & don't particularly want to scratch it either!

Any sure fire ways an amateur can tell the difference??

Thanks

Roberta

Hi Roberta as you have decribed is the only way it can be tested. Cheers RAY

[Flightmanager]

Silver plate should be stamped with the letters EPNS ( Electro Plated Nickel Silver ) . Sterling silver should have a hallmark stamped on it , or at the very least the Lion passant . This mark indicates a purity of silver of 92.5%.

To make a test solution for Silver , Rx

10 grams potassium dichromate salts with ¾ oz. nitric acid plus ¼ oz. distilled water.

To test for silver: file a notch in the piece to be tested and apply a drop of the above solution. Sterling silver turns cloudy cream. In plated ware, the base metal will turn green.

Ross

[arpie]

Thanks Ray & Ross - hehehe, I found that site too! The pieces I have only have numbers underneath (not 925 or similar), not the lion or any recognised hallmark, but looks good quality & the design of early 1910-20's.

They do not attract a magnet (which I understand is a good sign ....)

May just have to take it to a local jeweller who manufactures their own jewellery & see what she says!

Thanks for that

Roberta