Easy and Practical Tips That Help You Tell Silver Plated Items from Sterling Silver ones

Buying sterling silver rings can be an investment. Silver is a precious metal and sterling silver items can increase their value over time. However, there are a lot of silver-looking items in the market but aren't pure or sterling silver rings at all! These may be silver-plated jewelry or silverware.

To the untrained eye, sterling silver rings or items may look exactly like silver-plated pieces. Silver-plated pieces are similar to silverware because their outer body is covered with silver. However these items are not pure silver but can be made of either copper or some other metal.

To make sure what is being purchased is a sterling silver item, remember the following tips:

1. Inspect the markings – Sterling silver rings and other items have markings such as "925," "sterling," or the hallmark logo of a lion. Silver-plated items do not have these markings but are marked with the manufacturer's name or "EPC" or "EPNS." Not all items are marked this way but typically, sterling silver rings and items can be distinguished from silver-plated items by inspecting the product closely for these markings.

2.  Value – Another tell-tale sign of an item's being pure silver is the value. If it is a little too cheap, there is a great likelihood that the item is not a sterling silver ring but a silver-plated item instead. Sterling silver pieces are priced about four to five times more expensive than silver-plated items since their bodies are made of sterling silver and not some other alloy or lesser valued metal.

3.   Inspect the edges – Since silver plated items only have coverings or the top layer made of silver, one can inspect the edges to see if there are gaps where the body of the piece of jewelry or silverware will show. This can show if there are two different layers of metal. If one can't see layers, the item may be sterling silver and not just silver plated.

4. Quality – This characteristic of a sterling silver ring or sterling silverware can be tested over time if one has already purchased the item before inspecting it of its purity. Compared to sterling silverware or pieces of jewelry, silver-plated items tarnish over time. These change colors and are not as lustrous as before. Sterling silver pieces may get a little dirty but with some polishing and cleaning, will shine and look as good as new.

5.   Nitric acid test – For a more thorough test for an item's purity, nitric acid can be used. Protect the hands by wearing gloves and drop some nitric acid on a part of sterling silver rings or the object being tested. If it isn't sterling silver, the spot will either turn brown or green. If it is sterling, the area will be cream colored.

Determining the quality of a piece of silver item can be easy if one knows of these signs and techniques. This way, each purchase of sterling silver rings will be for real and no one gets disappointed with the quality of their silver items.