There is a lot of information on how to check silver at home. We list the methods of home testing, dividing them conditionally into three types: mechanical, using chemical agents and the so-called indirect methods: determination by touch or by smell. Of course, not all options provide one hundred percent confidence in authenticity. However, they can not always be the absolute guarantor of the stigma of silver. Cases of fakes met in the last century.
The most accessible of mechanical methods is scratching. Draw a thin needle on the inside of the product: if the trace does not change color, you have silver, and if the strip has become reddish-yellow, then this is brass, topped with a thin layer of silver. You can make a file. The method is reliable, but requires great care to avoid damage to the product. If you are a lover of antiques and are not averse to purchasing antique silver at the flea market, a method using a needle is suitable in this case too.
Owners of a subtle sense of smell, capable of not only smelling the nuances of smell, but also remembering them, can determine the metal by the specific smell of silver.
The easiest way is to hold a silver item in your hand. Being a good conductor of heat, this metal will immediately heat up.
Taking the silver thing in the palm of your hand, twist it with your fingers. The remaining trace suggests that silver is contained in minimal quantities. If your skin is clean, then you are holding a quality product.
You can check the metal using ordinary chalk. Use a small pinch of chalk powder to rub the product. If the chalk has darkened, then in front of you is a silver product.
Silver is not attracted to a magnet. To verify the authenticity of the metal, simply bring a piece of magnet to the item being checked.
You can check silver with acids or iodine. A small drop of iodine will leave a dark spot on the metal. However, for the purpose of precaution, in this case it is better not to experiment ourselves, but to contact specialists.
Tips on how to test silver at home using simple household tools can be found in various sources. Here are the most popular ones:
- Place an ice cube on the inside or outside of the item. You can use a teaspoon. Silver is a good conductor of heat. Keep track of time. A silver teaspoon cools in 5-10 seconds, silvered in 30 seconds.
- Take a small amount of French mustard. Then warm it. You can even on a lighter fire. Put on the product. If the silver is genuine, then the mustard stain will darken. You can remove it with vinegar.
In addition to specific methods of how to check silver at home, pay attention to such information: if the seller emphasizes that it is nickel-plated silver (or the label contains such an inscription), then the word "silver" is conditional. This product may contain precious metals in small quantities or not at all.
Varieties such as German or Indian silver appeared in the West in the 1880s. German silver is now called an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. Copper in its physical properties is very close to silver. It is added even to pure silver in order to increase elasticity. Specialists call this process alloying.
Fortunately, we live in a world of constantly updated technology. Even knowing several ways to test silver at home will not replace testing with a special reagent, the so-called silver test, which is on sale.