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Sound and Fury |
I have some jewelry that says it's sterling, but I need to be certain whether it's sterling, something less, or not silver at all. Are test kits like this on Amazon useful? Is there a better way? https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000OVHWLK/ I don't mind much if the piece gets damaged, I just need to know what it is. "I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." -- Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address, Jan. 11, 1989 Si vis pacem para bellum There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Feeding Trolls Since 1995 | ||
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| Dances With Tornados |
Any local jeweler will most likely test it at no charge, as well as a gold and silver shop, however I do understand wanting to buy a kit and learn. Other than that, looks like a decent kit. | |||
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Caribou gorn |
Yes those are useful. My Dad buys and sells gold and silver and uses a similar kit. I'm gonna vote for the funniest frog with the loudest croak on the highest log. | |||
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| Non-Miscreant |
What was the old saying "All that glitters is not gold" Or the same with silver. They've developed a new trick....plating. Surface testers can tell you what that surface is, or with some skilled testing, approximate the percentage. But what's below is still a question. A few years ago a guy at a gun show had some silver dollars. Impressive until he picked them up with a magnet.  Unhappy ammo seeker | |||
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| Muzzle flash aficionado  |
You can't even be sure with gold any more, because tungsten has almost exactly the same density as gold (and is a lot cheaper). Both are very dense, so x-rays don't help. To be certain about a gold bar, it is necessary to actually penetrate the surface ad take an internal sample. flashguy Texan by choice, not accident of birth | |||
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| Sound and Fury |
I used the acid test on the pieces in question, and all appear to be silver and not plated. The acid etched them white and turned red. But I still need to know if the pieces are 92.5% or something less. How do I determine that? "I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." -- Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address, Jan. 11, 1989 Si vis pacem para bellum There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Feeding Trolls Since 1995 | |||
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A Grateful American |
Get a stopwatch and a torch. Hold the piece in one hand, start the stopwatch at the moment you put the piece into the flame. When you drop it, stop the watch. Post the time here. Someone will need to tell you what the time elapse means. Silver is high heat conductive, so it may not be 100% accurate, but it will get you close. If you video and post, it will earn you an "epic post" spot... "the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב! | |||
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| Ammoholic |
You sir are a rascal!  | |||
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| Sound and Fury |
Nice try, but you can't fool me. If I have the piece in one hand, and the torch in the other, how will I start the stopwatch? "I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." -- Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address, Jan. 11, 1989 Si vis pacem para bellum There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Feeding Trolls Since 1995 | |||
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| Ammoholic |
Ah, you don't have the torch in a hand. If it is a Bernz-o-matic or similar propane torch it will stand up just fine on the base of the bottle. If you use an oxy-acetylene torch, you may need to put the torch body in a vice or jerry-rig some sort of stand. Let us know how it works out. | |||
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Member |
Ya wouldn't penetrate a Tungsten bar like you would a gold bar. | |||
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safe & sound |
Back when I bought and sold metals I was pretty good at identifying silver simply by holding it. I guess when you deal with enough of it you pick up on how it feels. They do make an acid test that is inexpensive, just like the larger kit you posted. Scratch it deep (to go through any plating) in an inconspicuous place. Drop of acid, and watch for the color change. I rarely used the stones. | |||
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