Is my silver real?

Look for a stamp

• Sterling: STERLING, 925, .925, or STER. Sterling is 92.5% silver.
• Fine and coin silver: .999 or FINE on bars and rounds; COIN on older American pieces (about 90% silver).
• Lower purity: 800, 830, or 835 on older European silver.
• Silver plate, not solid silver: EP, EPNS, EPC, A1, "silver plate", "quadruple plate", or "Sheffield". See how to identify sterling.
• No silver at all: "nickel silver", "German silver", and "alpaca" are copper, nickel, and zinc.

Tests you can do at home

• Magnet: silver isn't magnetic. If a strong magnet grabs the piece, it isn't solid silver. But many fakes aren't magnetic either, so passing proves nothing alone.
• Ice: silver conducts heat better than any other common metal. An ice cube set on a silver bar or coin starts melting almost at once, much faster than on steel or a plated piece.
• Tarnish: silver tarnishes dark gray to black over time. Rub a tarnished spot with a soft white cloth: real silver leaves a black mark.
• Wear: on plated pieces, the plating wears through on high spots and edges, showing yellowish or coppery metal underneath.
• Weight and size, for coins and bars: compare with the official weight. A 1 ozt silver coin weighs 31.1 grams; 90% U.S. coins are listed on our silver coin guide.

Tests to leave to a professional

Acid testing and scratching can damage a piece, and they can mislead you on plated items. Coins and bullion are verified on arrival, and scrap is paid on the silver recovered after melting. If you're not sure what you have, send photos of the piece and any marks first.

Identify your metal: Is my gold real? · Is it gold-plated? · Gold stamps · Is my silver real? · Sterling marks · Is my gold coin real? · Platinum or white gold?

We pay more for silver than pawn shops and jewelers, at a published percentage of the Kitco bid. The best place to sell silver