First, be wary of “silver” jewelry that is dark in color or doesn't look like other silver jewelry you've seen. There are shady characters out there who will sell you “silver” rings when they don't contain any silver at all. More often than not, the sellers get away with this underhanded practice because the color of the ring is technically silver – but they won't tell you that's the only thing silver about the ring. Unless the ring is stamped or has the brilliant white shine of a nice piece of silver jewelry, insist that the seller verify whether or not the ring contains any real silver.

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925 STERLING SILVER SPIN SPINNER RING Sz 6 1 2 M 1 2    US $39.27

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Amethyst Citrine Morganite Blue Topaz 925 Silver Ring    US $10.02

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Another thing to know is that “silver plated” jewelry is not the same as sterling silver jewelry. “Silver Plated” means just that – that the ring or necklace contains an outer plating of silver – and who knows what's underneath. With advances in technology and an electroplating process, the silver plating on some jewelry is so thin that it can be scratched off to reveal the metal underneath. Since silver is a very affordable precious metal for jewelry, most “silver alloys” and “silver plated” jewelry should be avoided in favor of sterling silver.

Also understand that sterling silver is not pure silver – which is a good thing in this case. Sterling silver actually contains 92.5% silver, with more durable (but less valuable) metals mixed in. The reason for this is that pure silver is too soft to make lasting and durable jewelry, so the extra metals actually help in creating a more functional ring or necklace that's both timeless and beautiful.

So there you have it, while most silver rings and jewelry are in fact sterling silver, that's not always the case. The good news is that once you've seen a beautiful piece of sterling silver first hand, the unique appearance of this brilliantly white metal is such that it'll make identifying other pieces of silver jewelry (and spotting fakes) that much easier.

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185 ct Blue 925 Sterling Silver Ring size 8    US $9.99

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Citrine Peridot Morganite 925 Silver Ring R0796    US $6.49

STERLING SILVER 925 FILIGREE SWIRL BOHO 9 R1 2 RING NEW    US $14.62

Pink Kunzite 925 Sterling Silver Gemstone RING R0812    US $5.99

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The first and easiest method is to compare the silver jewelry with another piece that you know for a fact is real silver. Silver polishes nicely and provides a brilliant shine with a white tinge. Once you've purchased a few pieces of real (usually sterling) silver jewelry, you'll be able to identify most other real pieces of silver just by looking at them. Silver rings and jewelry also have a specific “feel” to them. They aren't too light and not too heavy. While this isn't 100% reliable, it can still help when sorting out the real silver jewelry from the fakes.

Ok, maybe comparing a prospective piece of jewelry with known silver isn't the easiest method. If you have good eyesight or a magnifying glass, it may be easier to look for markings on the silver. Most sterling silver will have a marking that tells you what it is. This may be the standard mark for sterling, a unique “maker's mark”, or the numbers “925” (sometimes stamped as “.925”). If the ring or piece of jewelry is stamped with “925” or the word “sterling”, you can be pretty sure it contains 92.5% silver and is indeed real sterling silver jewelry. I would recommend carrying a magnifying glass (or small jeweler's loop) whenever inspecting jewelry as the markings (if any) are sometimes very tiny and difficult to read with the naked eye. If you are buying silver rings or jewelry online, make sure that quality photos are included. Today's digital cameras can take great close-up images of silver jewelry, showing without a doubt any marks that are stamped on it. If the images don't show any markings, ask the seller if the piece is stamped and if they will send you close-up pictures of the markings. While sterling silver jewelry is not always stamped, most of it is and is a reliable way of ensuring you're getting what you pay for.

One more method of determining if a piece of silver jewelry is real silver or not is known as the “ring test”. This is more difficult to learn and takes some practice but with enough time and patience, it can be used to successfully determine if that jewelry you're looking to buy is real silver or not.
The “ring test” is so called because of the distinctive sound silver jewelry makes when it comes in contact with a hard surface. The easiest way to check the sound silver makes is to hold it a few inches above a table or suitable surface and then drop it. The problem with dropping silver pieces is you may damage them if there are fragile design elements and most silver sellers will frown on this. So instead, you can hold the silver loosely in one hand, then tap it with your fingernail of the other hand. This will produce a similar result, while not as loud and distinctive as the drop test.
All real silver produces the same distinctive ring sound when dropped or tapped and while not the most desirable or easy to learn test, it can still help determine if that piece of jewelry is real silver or not.

Of course, there are other tests that can be used to determine if silver is real or not (like an acid or chemical test). But the tips above are quick and simple and work in most all cases in most any situation. Hopefully after reading this you're better prepared to identify real silver jewelry and well on your way to building a quality silver jewelry collection.

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Sterling Silver Celtic Bracelet Bangle Irish Jewelry    US $42.01

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