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A silver item is normally made of a solid alloy of silver. Pure silver is too soft for use in most items that are subject to average wear (e.g. jewelry), so it has to be combined with a small amount of a harder metal such as copper. The fraction of silver is measured by a quantity called fineness. Normally it's expressed as a 3-digit number, and may or may not have an explicit decimal point. Regardless, it represents the amount of silver as a decimal fraction. For example, "925 fine" or ".925 fine" means that 925/1000, or 92.5% of the alloy is pure silver while the remaining amount is another metal or metals.
Because solid silver alloys can be very expensive, it's common to make an item such as a serving dish or silverware out of a less expensive "base" metal and then simply coat it with silver in an electrolytic bath. It still has the overall appearance of silver but because you're only paying for a coating, the item will cost less. Also if the item is subject to a lot of wear the base metal may be chosen for extra hardness; then it may be possible to have it replated if the silver coating wears off.
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What is the difference between oxidized silver and sterling silver?
Oxidized silver is not necessarily sterling silver but sterling silver can be oxidized. Oxidation is a finish on silver, otherwise known as tarnish. Sterling silver can tarnish and silver plate can tarnish, too.
Is alpha plate real silver?
i have a 925 silver bracelet that is italian
How can you tell silver plate from sterling silver?
When looking at silver jewelry, the hallmarks is key, .925 silver is the standard silver quality (sterling silver).99% of silver jewelry will have a hallmark, I have a lot of it so I recognize it instantly. More often that not, silver plated jewelry will have a hallmark that says .925 pltd or plated this is the easiest way to tell. Another way to tell is if you look at the jewelry itself you can sometimes see copper or another coloured metal around edges and places where the jewelry is exposed to oil from skin or the plating is eroding. These are the best ways to tell.Hope this helps!All of the above are true but to know if the item is sterling or silver plated if it is unmarked, you will need to test it. There are electronic and acid testers on the market specifically for this purpose. If it is jewelry then you can ask a jeweler to test it for you. When using acid testers, it is advisable to test in an inconspicuous place on the silver, otherwise, the acid will ruin the finish of the jewelry if it turns out to only be silver plated. We at YearsAfter (see the related link) test our unmarked sterling silver jewelry and it takes about 6 seconds. It's very easy but if you are using acid, please be careful and follow the instructions.
Is Sheffield silver pure silver or silver plate?
Sheffield silver refers to a type of silverware produced in Sheffield, England. It can be either solid sterling silver or silver-plated. Solid Sheffield silver items are made of pure silver, while silver-plated pieces have a layer of silver over another base metal.
How can you tell real silver form silver plated?
My grandfather taught me many years ago that for antique silver, true sterling has a "sweet" smell, while silver plate gives off a very faint sulfuric odor. I do not know if this is true for modern silver or not.
What is difference between oxidized silver and sterling silver?
Oxidized silver is not necessarily sterling silver but sterling silver can be oxidized. Oxidation is a finish on silver, otherwise known as tarnish. Sterling silver can tarnish and silver plate can tarnish, too.
What is the difference between oxidized silver and sterling silver?
Oxidized silver is not necessarily sterling silver but sterling silver can be oxidized. Oxidation is a finish on silver, otherwise known as tarnish. Sterling silver can tarnish and silver plate can tarnish, too.
Silver bowl stamped sterling it is made by Rogers with an anchor on each side is it silver or silver plate?
If the bowl is stamped "sterling," it is genuine sterling silver, not silver plate.
Is Stratford Silver co Special silver plated or sterling?
silver plate
Did the standard silver co ltd Toronto produce silver plated or sterling silver dishes?
They did both genuine sterling and sterling plate, the genuine flatware and dishes will be marked Sterling.
Is Meriden b silver sterling or plate?
meriden b company is a sterling silver (hallowware) manufacturing company that made sterling silver pieces. They were established in the 1800's Can you always trust the 'sterling' mark on this company's silver?
Is a spoon marked international deep silver sterling or silver plate?
A spoon marked "International Deep Silver" is typically silver plate rather than sterling silver. International Silver Company produced silver-plated items under this brand, indicating that the spoon has a base metal with a thin layer of silver applied to it. In contrast, sterling silver is made of 92.5% pure silver and is usually marked with "sterling" or "925."
What is the difference between tinplate and galvanized?
The primary difference between tin plate and silver plate is in what they are made of and their application. Tin plate is usually applied via electroplating and silver plate is applied via Tollen's reagent.
Are the silver presidential spoons sterling silver or silver plate?
I was told they are silver plated. I have a set of 37 I am looking to sell.
Is silver stamped sola 100 sterling?
No this is dutch mark for silver plate sola is maker
What year did Wallace begin silver Sleigh Bells?
Wallace began producing Silver-plate sleigh bells in 1971. In 1990, Wallace began crafting gold-plated sleigh bells as well. Then, in 1995, they produced both a silver-plate and a sterling silver and a gold plated version for the 25th anniversary of the production of sleigh bells. Since 1995, they have produced all three bells as part of their annual collection.You can determine the silver-plate from the sterling bells in two ways:If it is silver-plate, the annual number of the bell will be higher. For instance a 1995 silver-plate bell is a 25th edition while the sterling version is the 1st edition.The sterling bells will be stamped "Sterling" on the bottom of the bell.
How can you tell if a 1883 FBRodgers piece is silver or silverplated?
FB Rodgers was a manufacturer of silver plated products and did not produce any sterling. To tell if a piece of silver is sterling or plate, the word sterling or .925 or 925/1000 must be stamped somewhere on the piece. If it is not, it is plate or some other material.
