The best and trusted way is by chemical test
Based on the mark and purity of the silver it may be. If it's .925, it's much more valuable than silver plate. Of course the age of the IS piece could have a dramatic effect on the price the item will go for.
The purity hallmark of sterling silver is 925 (92.5% silver and 7.5% copper) Some sterling silver jewellery items also have sponsors initials, lion or anchor hallmarks. If the jewellery is not hallmarked, an acid test can be used to verify the silver content.
There are various chemical (and other) ways to test the purity of silver... however, you wouldn't want to do this for bullion as it could diminish the value. Legitimate silver bullion will be marked ".999 Fine" and will have information such as the mint or maker. Stick with well known brands such as Englehard or Johnson-Matthey if possible.
You test it by checking the melting point
Silver can be tested by the use of the silver acid test if it is pure silver. The chemical analysis test can also be used to test silver.
Based on the mark and purity of the silver it may be. If it's .925, it's much more valuable than silver plate. Of course the age of the IS piece could have a dramatic effect on the price the item will go for.
Silverplated ware is marked "silverplate" or "plate". 985 indicates a high purity solid silver alloy.
test tungsten purity
"925" refers to the purity of the silver.
925 is the purity of the silver. 92.5 % fine silver which is Sterling Silver. The extra % is other materials added for strength and usability. 925 means it is sterling silver. The c could be a makers mark or could indicate that it is sterling plate.
It is quadruple silver plate. It's still silver plate, but better quality silver plate.
Yes, Real silver with a pretty high purity is 800 silver. Your silver item is made of 80% silver and 20% alloy, as shown by the purity level of 800. It is simple to determine an item's purity using this numbering system. Another illustration is 900 silver, which is 90% silver.
silverplate!
It sounds like a purity mark, indicating that the item is 82.4% silver. It's an unusual purity.
The purity hallmark of sterling silver is 925 (92.5% silver and 7.5% copper) Some sterling silver jewellery items also have sponsors initials, lion or anchor hallmarks. If the jewellery is not hallmarked, an acid test can be used to verify the silver content.
There are various chemical (and other) ways to test the purity of silver... however, you wouldn't want to do this for bullion as it could diminish the value. Legitimate silver bullion will be marked ".999 Fine" and will have information such as the mint or maker. Stick with well known brands such as Englehard or Johnson-Matthey if possible.
835 is the purity hallmark of European silver, which is 83.5% silver and 16.5% copper.