How to test if silver is real: magnet, ice, ring and acid

Where to start

Test	Cost	What it shows	Weakness
Marks and look	Free	What the maker claims	Stamps can be faked
Magnet	Free	Rules out steel and iron	Many fakes are not magnetic
Ice	Free	High heat conduction, as silver has	Thin or plated pieces; aluminum also conducts well
Ring	Free	A clear tone on solid coins and bars	Unreliable on jewelry and flatware
Acid kit	About $15 to $25	A color that matches silver purity	Strong chemical; needs care
XRF test	Often free at a shop	Metal content	Needs a visit

1. Marks and look

Look for a stamp such as STERLING, 925 or a UK hallmark. Use the hallmark identifier to read it. Check for worn spots where a different color shows through: yellow or copper under the surface means plate. Real silver tarnishes to gray or black. It does not turn green or flake.

2. The magnet

Silver is not magnetic. Hold a strong magnet, such as a neodymium magnet, to the piece. If it sticks, it is not silver. If it does not stick, nothing is proven: brass, copper and aluminum do not stick either. A clasp or spring on a silver piece may be steel and stick, so test the main body.

For a solid bar or coin, the slide test is better. Tilt a plastic ruler or board to about 45 degrees and slide the item down next to a strong magnet. A silver item slows down, because the magnet pulls currents in the metal that resist its movement. Compare it with an item you know is silver.

3. The ice test

Silver conducts heat better than any other metal, so an ice cube placed on a flat solid piece melts quickly, as if it were on a hot plate. Put a cube on the piece and one on a steel or brass plate of similar size at the same time. On real silver the cube should melt clearly faster. It works best on bars, rounds and thick flat pieces. It does not work well on thin jewelry or plated items, and it cannot tell sterling from fine silver.

4. The ring test

Balance a coin or round on a fingertip and tap it with another coin, or drop it on a hard table. Silver gives a long, high, clear ring. Base metal gives a short dull sound. Use it for coins and rounds only. Flatware, jewelry and cracked or worn pieces do not ring reliably.

5. The acid test

Silver test kits use an acid that reacts with the metal to give a color. Read your kit’s chart, because the colors vary by brand. On most kits a bright red mark means high-purity silver, a darker red means sterling, and green means base metal under a thin layer or a base metal throughout.

1. Wear gloves and eye protection. Work over a sink or a tray, in a room with fresh air.
2. Pick a spot that will not show. File a small notch through any plating, so the acid reaches the metal below.
3. Put one drop on the notch and read the color within a few seconds against your chart.
4. Rinse the piece and wipe the area with water. Do not mix kit acids or store them near other chemicals.
5. Keep the acid in its original bottle, closed and out of reach of children. Follow the kit’s own instructions for throwing away used acid and wipes.

If acid touches skin or eyes: rinse right away with running water for 15 minutes, take off any contaminated clothing or jewelry, and get medical help. Read the kit’s safety sheet before you start.

Do not use acid on a piece that may be an antique or a collector item. The mark is permanent and lowers its value. Take those to a dealer.

If it passes

If the marks agree and two or three tests point to silver, work out what it is worth with the scrap silver calculator. Weigh only the silver, in grams, and take off stones, glass, wood or weighted parts. Compare two buyers before you sell: see where to sell gold and silver. Antique and signed silver can be worth more than its metal, so check before you sell by weight.

Sources: silver density and thermal conductivity from standard reference tables (CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics); the FTC Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries for the sterling and coin silver definitions. Prices of kits and tests are typical retail figures and change.