925 sterling silver to date remains a great investment when buying silver items like jewelry. It is sturdy, durable, scratch-resistant, and is widely known for its longevity, hence has remained an iconic material. Thanks to its many pros and beauty, con artists have realized that they too, could imitate 925 sterling silver and make a fortune out of its high demand.
It’s quite unfortunate to imagine that you could be ripped off by cons after buying cheap sterling silver knock-offs, but the worst part has to be the fact that you may never recover your money. That said, if you think you’d fall into this category of unsuspecting customers, then this article is for you. ElfWholesale.com help you to understand it fully so you will escape any potential scams from fake 925 sterling silver sellers.
First things first, what Is 925 Silver?
By now, most people know that most products made from precious metals are alloys or mixtures of one or more metals. The same case applies for sterling silver even though most adverts claim that jewelry and other pieces that they sell are 100% silver. While you may think that it is a rip-off, this is done to improve the quality of the material. Silver by itself is a soft material, but with the additional materials like copper, it becomes sturdier, therefore resistant to damage.
Sterling silver or 925 silver is ‘silver’ that comprises of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of stronger metals like copper. This makes it more stable. In fact, even the purest of silver has at least 0.1% of additional materials such as copper for improved stability.
The Value of Your 925 Sterling Silver
There are various ways to price jewelry, but the easiest way is usually by determining the silver content and craftmanship employed on a piece of ornament. Though this is done by sellers, knowing how to price your sterling silver could help you know the value of the scrap metal of your jewelry just so you know what the base price should be. With an online sterling silver calculator, which we have on our website, all you need to do is to enter the weight of your piece of 925 silver jewelry and let the calculator value the base price for you.
Advantages of 925 Sterling Silver
Unlike pure silver, 925 sterling silver is increasingly durable and resistant to scratches. Since it has a lower amount of silver, it is also affordable and is, in fact, less expensive than platinum, gold, and other precious metals used to make jewelry. Finally, one very unique advantage is that 925 silver is very malleable. This means that it can be molded into a variety of shapes, which enables jewelers to make intricate and unique custom pieces of jewelry for relatively low prices.
Disadvantages of 925 Sterling Silver
Though copper makes 925 string silver more durable, stronger, and scratch-resistant, it comes with a share of disadvantages. First, it is an allergen. People who are allergic to copper could react and those with existing skin conditions find copper irritating, thereby aggravating their condition. Copper also gets oxidized with time, after which it looses is luster or shine. This makes 925 sterling silver jewelry tarnish after copper darkens, but to prevent this, regular cleaning will be of great benefit.
Identifying Sterling Silver Markings
One of the main ways to spot sterling silver is through markings that are easy to spot. The pieces made in the U.S. will often be marked: “sterling”, “star”, “.925”, “925”, “S925”, or “925/1000”, . Additionally, the manufacturer or country of origin may be included. Old British Sterling silver pieces are different and as such contain unique hallmarks and images such as lions. Despite this, some fake sterling silver pieces could still be marked, so how do you spot a fake?
How to Identify Fakes
For accuracy, the nitric acid test should be performed. Simply take the piece of jewelry then make a small dent into it to avoid misleading results from silver-coated jewelry. From here, place a drop of nitric acid on the small dent. The acid should change its color when it’s real silver. If it remains the same,… well. This way, you ascertain the legitimacy of a piece of silver. You could alternatively use a testing stone by rubbing a small part of your silver onto the testing stone to create a mark and then put a drop of acid on the stone.
Where to Buy
925 Sterling silver is available everywhere in local jewelry stores that deal in silver and other precious metals. You could also find online retailers available on Amazon and other sites.
Conclusion
925 sterling silver is durable, affordable, and gorgeous! All you have to do is make sure that you are buying the real thing and not a fake!
