Apart from the 925 stamp, is there another way of knowing that a sterling silver item is in fact genuine?

There is also simple test which allows you to verify whether a sterling silver is genuine or not at home, and it is commonly referred to as "the magnet test". All you need to do is place your suspected silver item next to an ordinary magnet, just like the one stuck on your refrigerator door. If the suspected silver item does not cling to the magnet, then you can rest assured knowing that your item is most probably genuine sterling silver. However, if you notice that the silver item actually clings to the magnet, then it is a clear cut sign that your tested sterling silver item is in fact a counterfeit. That is due to the fact that a magnet could only attract metals which contain certain magnetic atoms in their chemical composition, such as iron. Hence clinginess to the metal indicates that the supposedly "silver item" is in fact made up from iron particles instead. If you are on the hunt for some sterling silver jewelry, it is actually advised to carry a small magnet in your pocket. That way, you will be able to test the different silver jewelry items in the store as you browse along and thus avoid getting tricked into thinking that you are getting genuine sterling silver jewelry when in fact you are not.

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Yes, there is a simple chemical test which verifies whether a suspected silver item is indeed sterling silver. What jewelers do is first file off a small and unobtrusive part of the suspected item. Then they place the silver sample in a special dish and pour a few drops of Nitric acid on the sample. If the suspected silver item composes of lower quality metals such as brass or nickel, the sample will actually turn green upon application of the nitric acid. However, if in fact the silver is of good sterling quality, the sample will turn to a creamy color instead. Therefore, using nitric acid is an easy and fast method of determining whether a piece of jewelry is indeed sterling silver. However, it is not recommended at all to carry out this test alone at home, as nitric acid is extremely toxic, corrosive and strong. If you happen to suspect the authenticity of a certain sterling silver piece you own, it is best advised to give your item to a professional jeweler who would be able to do these kinds of tests for you.

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