A quick test for the level of silver for the regular consumer.
There are many 'types' of silver out there. Some of those are not really as much silver as you would expect. A recent example was ' Tibetan" Silver, which was passed as a great inexpensive silver, when in testing only had a 1% or lower silver content. In the United States, only an object with a rating of 90% (900) can be sold as silver. Sterling silver is a standard at 92.5% (925). Fine silver is 99.9% (999). Coin silver is 90% (900). Britannia Silver is 95.8% (960). Argentium Silver comes in 2 varieties Sterling Argentium 92.5% (925) and Argentium 960 which is 95.84% (960). There are too many more to list them all in this discussion.
Not having access to a High tech testing. laboratory, we came across a home tech method of testing. The fact is, the lower in actual silver content, the quicker and blacker the object will tarnish. We at Nightwisp use a combination of Fine silver, Sterling Silver and the Argentium Silvers, which we get from reputable dealers.
The Low Tech Test:
- Take a known piece of Stirling Silver (as a control) and the piece in question.
- Wet them.
- Place them on a plate with cut in half a hard boiled egg. (or any other high sulfur content item.)
- Leave it stand under a glass dish turned upside down and watch.
The lower the silver content the quicker it tarnishes.
- Take the tarnished items and boil the in a dilute solution of sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. This is called a soda/carb test.
Only silver of of 900 content or better will revert back to a white silver surface.
If it goes salmon color then its a high copper alloy.
Stainless look will be nickle silver or stainless.
You can observe how black did the tarnish go and how long it took by comparing you know piece and unknown piece. Also observe the color that the object has after the soda/carb test. The blacker the tarnish the lower the Silver Content, how white it reverts after the soda / carb test is also an indication of silver content.
Please note the soda/carb test does not harm the metal. The soda/carb test is a process often used to clean and remove tarnish from silver.
Sodium Carbonate is also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystal.
Sodium Bicarbonate is also known as as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and bicarbonate of soda.
Not having access to a High tech testing. laboratory, we came across a home tech method of testing. The fact is, the lower in actual silver content, the quicker and blacker the object will tarnish. We at Nightwisp use a combination of Fine silver, Sterling Silver and the Argentium Silvers, which we get from reputable dealers.
The Low Tech Test:
- Take a known piece of Stirling Silver (as a control) and the piece in question.
- Wet them.
- Place them on a plate with cut in half a hard boiled egg. (or any other high sulfur content item.)
- Leave it stand under a glass dish turned upside down and watch.
The lower the silver content the quicker it tarnishes.
- Take the tarnished items and boil the in a dilute solution of sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. This is called a soda/carb test.
Only silver of of 900 content or better will revert back to a white silver surface.
If it goes salmon color then its a high copper alloy.
Stainless look will be nickle silver or stainless.
You can observe how black did the tarnish go and how long it took by comparing you know piece and unknown piece. Also observe the color that the object has after the soda/carb test. The blacker the tarnish the lower the Silver Content, how white it reverts after the soda / carb test is also an indication of silver content.
Please note the soda/carb test does not harm the metal. The soda/carb test is a process often used to clean and remove tarnish from silver.
Sodium Carbonate is also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystal.
Sodium Bicarbonate is also known as as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and bicarbonate of soda.
