Guide
How to test silver.
No single quick test proves a piece is silver. Each one rules out some fakes and misses others, which is why dealers combine them, and why only a destructive assay settles the purity for certain.
Updated October 28, 2026
The tests compared
| Test | What it shows | What it misses |
|---|---|---|
| Magnet | Rules out iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt | Copper, brass, tungsten, and most other fakes |
| Ice | That the metal conducts heat very well | Copper and aluminum, which also melt ice fast |
| Ping | Whether a coin rings like a genuine one of the same kind | Anything without a known genuine coin to compare |
| Specific gravity | The average density of the whole piece | Mixes of metals built to match silver's density |
| Acid | Whether the spot tested is silver, and roughly how pure | What's under the spot; it also marks the piece |
| XRF | The metals at the surface, and their percentages | Anything below a thin surface layer, such as a plated core |
| Sigma verifier | Electrical resistivity, through the coin or bar | Copper, which reads close to silver; jewelry |
| Fire assay or titration | The exact purity | Nothing, but it destroys a sample |
Start with the easy checks
Look for a stamp (see silver stamps), check the weight and size against the official figures for coins and bars, and try a magnet. If a piece passes all three, it's worth a closer look; if it fails one, it isn't solid silver.
The definitive tests
Refiners and assay offices measure silver purity by destroying a small sample: potentiometric titration, the international reference method for silver alloys, or fire assay. The LBMA, which sets the standard for the bullion market, says it knows of no non-destructive test it can endorse as definitive. When we buy scrap, we pay on the silver recovered after melting, so you're paid on what's actually there.
Sources
- LBMA, Good Delivery rules and governance.
- International Organization for Standardization, ISO 13756:2024 and ISO 11427:2024, determination of silver in silver jewelry alloys.
- Sigma Metalytics, Precious Metal Verifier manuals and 2026 resistivity reference guide.
- Densities from the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics via the University of Waterloo, and alloy densities from Stuller.
Silver tests: How to test silver · Specific gravity · XRF · Sigma verifier · Magnet · Acid · Ice · Ping · Is my silver real? · Silver stamps
The highest payouts for your silver, at a published percentage of the live Kitco bid.
Your silver
You're paid on what's really there.
Coins and bullion are verified on arrival, and scrap is paid on the silver recovered after melting. Send photos for a free written estimate.