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Silver items

I have some silver items that I want to sell on eBay but don't know if they're silver plated or sterling. How can I tell the difference? Any info. will be greatly appreciated.

Hilda Valdez
plating shop employee - San Benito, Texas, U.S.A.
2006

"Hand-Held X-Ray Analyzer"
(scrap sorting & alloy identification)
x_ray_alloy

on eBay or Amazon

(affil link)

Talk to the lab manager, Hilda. Your shop may have an X-ray fluorescence device that can give the composition of the item in question. Other than that, weight is probably the easiest indicator. Try Archimedes' experiment and determine the density of the item in question and compare it to the density of pure silver.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Ted is available for instant help
or longer-term assistance.

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