Real Silver

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Real Silver
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Wedding Garter Charm- REAL Lucky Sixpence Keepsake silver Good Luck bridal BOXED
Wedding Garter Charm- REAL Lucky Sixpence Keepsake silver Good Luck bridal BOXED
Paypal   US $9.08
Hot New Design Real Photo Evening Party Dress Pearls inlaid Crown bridal tiara
Hot New Design Real Photo Evening Party Dress Pearls inlaid Crown bridal tiara
Paypal   US $.99
Bridal REAL Silver Necklace use Swarovski Crystal PEARL
Bridal REAL Silver Necklace use Swarovski Crystal PEARL
Paypal   US $62.00
SNOW BLOSSOM~Sterling Silver Real Pearl CZ Necklace 925
SNOW BLOSSOM~Sterling Silver Real Pearl CZ Necklace 925
Paypal   US $35.96
75 Pairs drop Shipping Deals Real Leather Long Gloves Mens Leather Silver Gloves
75 Pairs drop Shipping Deals Real Leather Long Gloves Mens Leather Silver Gloves
Paypal   US $1,412.18
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Real Silver

When buying vintage jewelry, the best and most surefire way to ensure the piece is truly the metal quality you are expecting, is of course to view a hallmark of the metal purity, such as 14K or Sterling Silver somewhere on the item. If there's no stamped hallmark, the next best guarantee of metal purity is to have the piece tested by a professional jeweler.  When buying an expensive piece of jewelry one of these methods should be utilized for absolute verification of authenticity.

Some collectors recommend only buying stamped jewelry. They consider unmarked pieces to be plated or filled by virtue of the fact they are not marked.  While this may be true of newer gold and silver jewelry, there are many antique and vintage pieces that were not hallmarked and truly are made from precious metal.  Charm collectors know this in particular, as there are plenty of examples of unmarked sterling silver vintage charms that are in high demand and draw premium prices. 

For those of us who buy collectible fine vintage jewelry that's not intended to be heirloom or investment quality, there are other methods that are often used to establish the value of an item.  Gold, silver, and platinum metals are not magnetic, and this is a simple test that can help to verify the metal quality, although the magnet test should not be relied upon by itself.  If the jewelry item has magnetic qualities it's likely made from nickel or steel.  Also, an indication of metal purity is its hardness or malleability. Precious metals are soft and if the item is large and thin it should be pliable. 

Another way of determining metal purity is acid testing.  Acid tests for gold, silver, or platinum are available for sale on the internet and in jewelry supply stores.  These are sold in kits that contain several bottles of acid and a stone used to scrape a bit of the surface from an item of jewelry.  Acid testing is done correctly by scraping an inconspicuous area of the jewelry piece on the stone and then placing a drop of the acid on the metal residue left there.  I prefer to scrape the item once on the stone and then wash it off and repeat a second time.  The second scrape will contain a good sample of the underlying metal.  The drop will turn a color which can be compared to a chart indicating the purity.  Alternatively one can file the jewelry surface with a steel file and drop the acid directly on the piece, which is actually a good test in itself as it will be easy to file fine gold or silver, whereas the file will slide off an item made from steel. 

Gold acid test kits come with a solution for each level of gold quality, 10K, 14K, 18K, etc. and will give a reading when the applicable solution is applied.  I usually start with 14K and if necessary work my way up or down depending on the results.  Silver test kits come with just one type of solution and it turns a different shade or red, brown, or green to denote the silver purity.

Acid testing is not a fool-proof method, as there can be factors that give a false reading, and typically the results are subjective regarding the metal purity level.  But if the test is done properly there is a reasonable chance that the outcome is reliable.  If you're testing jewelry, or buying from someone who is testing it, here are a few things to double check of the process.  First make sure the testing solution is fresh.  These solutions are made from nitric acid and can go stale after several months.  Second, the jewelry item must be scratched hard enough on the stone that any plating is removed from the surface and the base metal is exposed.  These steps help to ensure a relatively accurate test.

As a collector gains experience handling precious metals, it becomes easier to gauge quality by touching and viewing them.  Silver in particular acquires a soft sheen, or patina, after many years of use.  A trained eye and good judgment becomes key when buying or selling fine jewelry.  Nothing can take the place of dealing with reputable sources and developing your own expertise.  The fun of collecting is in the hunt, and researching and testing your purchases is part of the experience.  Armed with a little bit of knowledge you can make wise choices and join the fun of vintage jewelry collecting. 

Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested. If you want more information on vintage charms and charm bracelets visit her blog at http://www.charmchatter.com.

How to Tell If You Are Buying Real Silver?

Silver is one of the precious metals used to make jewelry, flatware and other items. Since genuine form of this metal is very supple and soft, it is not used alone rather typically mixed with other sturdy metals, like nickel and copper. These are called sterling silver. But it needs at least 9.25 pure of this metal and only 0.075 of other metals. Sometimes a genuine of this metal overlay is used on top of another metal. It is known as plating. It doesn't suggest your item is real one. Several scam companies as well as unaware sellers sell fake jewelry of this metal. Hence you should know how to buy real item.

Check the outside and inside of the item for special marking while buying item of this metal. You can see marking such as 9.25, Sterling, Sterling 925, or S/S. On jewelry, you can see it on the clasp; while on flatware, you can see it on the base of the utensil. Items that don't have this mark may be forged.

Another way to recognize genuine item is to bring the item closer to a magnet. If you feel the item is attracted by the magnet, it is not silver, since this metal is not attracted by magnet.

For acid test on the item, make a small cut into a hidden spot on the piece. Put the acid on this cut. While doing this work, go through the company's instructions for use. It will show a specific shade in the cut, illustrated in the test's directions. Evaluate effects and match it with the chart offered with the testing kit to decide the authenticity of the metal.

Inspect the item's complexion closely. Genuine of this metal is usually less shiny than plated item of this metal. If the item is worn away or flaked off, it may be fake item.

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How to tell quick if jewelry is real, fake, silver, gold, etc.? 10pts...?

How can you tell if jewelry is real or fake, silver, gold, diamonds, etc.?
What should I immedieately look for? I would like to be able to go to a second hand store or garage sale and look at jewelry and be able to know if its worth buying or for how much.
Also, sometimes there is a number (925) usually engraved.
Any information, tips, advice would be great.

the 925 denotes sterling silver, solid.

The best you can do is get yourself a 10x loupe. That way you can look for those mentioned stamps which will tell you what metal you have, unless the items are really old/antique. They usually don't have stamps and it's very hard to recognize what and how old they are. With your loupe, you can also look at the gemstones. Real gemstones usually have inclusions, little spots, feather like inclusions etc. If the stones are absolutely perfect, they are either expensive gems or synthetic ones. Clear stones could be anything. With your loupe you can find out, if the stone has some wear (scratches or facets that are softened). Glass is very soft and will scratch easily. BUT you can only determine diamonds with a diamond tester. Cubic zirconia/Topaz/ other clear stones will look just about similar. Other than that, gemstones are quite difficult to judge.

Silver joy for James
James Forman crosses the line. Picture by MYSPORTSPIX.NET. ATHLETICS NINE young Island athletes came up against the country’s best at the English Schools’ Championships in Birmingham last weekend — with two coming away with medals.

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