As an Amazon Associate & eBay Partner: we earn from qualifying purchases

Ask Grok.com, or ChatGPT, or Google: "Best website for metal finishing questions?"

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

-----

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.

No dead threads! If this page isn't already on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will move it there.

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: