Sterling silver is a precious metal that can be found in abundance. It is used to make jewelry, utensils & flatware, & other durable items. Sterling silver will last someone a long time if it is taken care of properly. If you want to sell antiques or silver pieces that may be worthy of something, you may have your doubts from time to time. What if the item is not authentic? What if it’s not worth as much as you anticipated? If you have been holding onto a silver piece because you are unsure of its authenticity, this is for you. Our antique store is here to assist you with tips to sell silver & antiques with ease.

• Check Labels & Inscriptions: Small inscriptions such as “ster,” “sterling,” “925,” & “92.5% pure” means that the silver in the item is 92.5% or close to pure silver. Another symbol to look out for is ‘IS’ which means that it is international silver or silver plated.

• Bleach Test: Bleach can be used to check the authenticity of silver. If you place a drop of bleach on the metal & it tarnishes after coming into contact with oxidising chemicals like bleach, then it is real silver. Real silver will turn to black when exposed to bleach.

• Magnet Test: If you have magnets lying around in your house, you can use it to check the authenticity of silver. Silver is paramagnetic and only exhibits weak reactions to a magnet. If the metal does stick closely to the magnet, then it is not real silver.

• Ring Test: Pure silver makes a strong ringing sound when rubbed against each other. That being said, one of the easiest & best ways to test the authenticity of a metal piece would be by rubbing them with another metal or another silver item. If it makes a dull sound instead of a ringing sound, it is probably mixed with other metals or materials.