It's a measure of the silver's purity, on a scale of 1 to 1000. I.e. it is 999/1000, or 99.9% pure.
If it does not say .999 on it somewhere, then it is probably not silver.
Real silver can have many different markings, ranging from 750 to 999- depending on the piece, common marks are : 800, 900, 925, 950. Or on bullion (bars, coins.) 999.
It's not really a coin, it's a bullion piece sold for its silver content and not for spending. The current price of silver is about $17 per ounce.
Plata is silver, 999 refers to the fineness. It means pure silver.
".999 silver" does not signify the weight. It signifies the purity. .999 is the same as 99.9%. But silver bullion comes in half-troy oz rounds, 1 troy oz rounds or bars, 5, 10, 12, 20, 50, 100, and 1000 troy oz bars. 12 troy oz=1 troy lb. 1 troy oz=31.1034768 g, as opposed to the oz, which weighs 28.3495231 g.
Only the U.S. bullion Silver Eagle coins contain .999% silver.
If you're referring to the silver American Eagle bullion rounds, then no. They're all .999 silver.
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.
it would depend on the size and weight of the pendant
If it does not say .999 on it somewhere, then it is probably not silver.
Real silver can have many different markings, ranging from 750 to 999- depending on the piece, common marks are : 800, 900, 925, 950. Or on bullion (bars, coins.) 999.
There are several silver bullion coins that prominently display the term "silver bullion" on them. Examples include the Silver Bullion Coin from the Royal Canadian Mint, which features the words "SILVER BULLION" along with a maple leaf design. Another well-known option is the American Silver Eagle coin, widely recognized as a popular silver bullion investment. While not explicitly labeled as "silver bullion," its one troy ounce of .999 fine silver content makes it a sought-after investment choice. Keep in mind that there are other silver coins available for bullion investment, even if they don't have the specific term "silver bullion" on them. These coins typically have high silver purity and are widely accepted in the precious metals market.
7-4-11>>> The coin is actually an American Silver Eagle bullion coin that is made from one ounce of .999 pure silver.
These "coins" are really bullion pieces sold for their silver content. The "999" means it is 999/1000 of an ounce of pure silver. At current (07/2008) prices that's worth about $18.
If it's a 999-fine silver bullion, it would be worth approximately the spot price of silver or around $13.
It's unlikely to be an antique because silver bullion coins did not come onto the market until the 1980s and 90s. One oz. of silver is worth about $14 at today's rates.
The stamp on any ring identifies the metal, not the gem. The number 999 indicates nearly pure silver.