How To Tell If Silverware is Sterling Silver or Plated

I have a few videos on being able to tell gold and silver jewelry from junk on youtube. Some of these videos have quite a few views. I haven't ever done a video on how to tell if silverware is real or not. Every so often, I find a bag of silverware at second hand stores.

I like that usually these bags are slightly loose and I can move the silverware around and see if there are any real sterling silverware in the bags. The problem with figuring out what is real with silverware is that magnets don't work on telling if the silverware is real.

Silverware is usually made by a mixture of metals that aren't magnetic so the magnets aren't helpful in order to find out if the silverware is sterling. 

If you purchase a bag of bulk jewelry, it is about $20. I was able to buy a large bag of silverware for $20. In the end, five or six of the pieces were sterling silver and larger than any piece of jewelry so for the money, I got massively more silver per dollar by purchasing the silver that way. I also have all the plated silver to recycle so that increases the value. 

If you can't see any writing on the silver, there are a few things to look for in trying to tell if it is real or not. If you rub the item and your fingers turn black and the items shines up easily, it may be silver. 

If there is a pattern on the item, is the pattern deep and clear? If the item is sterling, any letters or patterns printed on the item are very clear as silver is soft so it stamps easily and has clear edges. If the item has a pattern but it is muted and not so clear, it is usually plated. Take a look at the stamp in this spoon verses the serving tongs. 

Also, looking at the back stamps of the sterling pieces, you can clearly read the stamps, even if they are small letters, it is clear. If the items aren't real sterling, sometimes the stamps are surface deep because the metal is harder to stamp. 

Usually, you can just look on the back stem of the silverware and read what it states to see if it is real. However, as time moved forward, the stamps got less descriptive and more confusing. If the stamp on the back of the stem says EP, plated, plate, nickel silver, elec plate, or triple plate, it is not of much value. 

If you see a circle on the back base of the spoon, then it is usually plate. If there is a wear spot on the back of the fork or spoon that is a little golden in color, or an area that is a dull grey verses the shinny silver around it, it is plated. Check out the pictures and watch the video to see what I am talking about. 

Rarely, there is no writing or stamps on the stem but it may be written on the bowl of the spoon and or top of the spoon back, especially in decorative spoons. It may be stamped .925 or ster. sterling, su, silver, st silver etc. 

If you look at a spoon and it has a gray color and isn't magnetic, try and rub it with your finger, if it turns your finger black, polish the areas where the markings may be. Several times the stamps are invisible and it isn't until you polish the area that you can find the markings letting you see what the item is made of. You can still use a magnet as some stainless steel item can be plated and they would be magnetic but for the most part, that won't always be helpful. 

Hopefully the video will help you figure out about your silverware and answer any questions you may have. 

Have a Blessed Day!