AKICIF: Materials science

[bohemiancoast]

I have a large hideous object. How can I tell if it is (a) solid silver, (b) silver plate, or (c) base metal? When I acquired it I was told it was silver plate.

Comments

[timill]

Look for stamps. If it's plate, I'd expect to find one saying EPNS. Silver would have a hallmark. Base metal - could have anything or nothing.

[adela-terrell.livejournal.com]

EPNA also goes a REALLY funny colour when it gets old, not black like silver at all.

[drplokta]

If it's truly hideous, it's solid silver. If it's really pretty nasty, it's plate. If it's only moderately offensive, it's base metal.

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

All of the other suggestions are more sensible, but this is the one I agree with the most.

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

Take it to nearest jeweler?
EPNS vs hallmark is good idea too.

FF

[sraun]

Well, you could try determining it's density - weigh it, then weigh it suspended in water, divide A by B to get density, compare to density of silver. That should rule in or out solid silver (oh - cross check vs. silver and sterling silver - I think they have slightly different densities). You should be able to tell if it's silver plate or something else by how it tarnishes. Silver plate tarnishes to a nice black, just like solid silver, base metals usually go to some other color.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Sterling will usually have a hallmark and a makers mark somewhere on it, and possibly a number like 925 or 84 (the latter if it's Russian, I think) Silverplate may or may not have either.

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

It's USian and I can't find any marks of any kind. It is truly hideous.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

The USian democratic sensibility is such that truly hideous objects were produced even for the masses, so hideousness may not be much of a guide. With plate, I find that it's quite common for high-spots or large flat ones to begin to wear through to the underlying metal -- overzealous polishing will do that and a different metal color will begin to show through -- so if it's been much polished in the past and has not begun to wear through to a bronze/brassy color, it might be solid. Or, it might be fairly thick plate.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Have any nitric acid handy? From silvexonline:

To test for Sterling silver with Nitric acid, drop a small amount of acid on the sample. If it turns a creamy color, it is Sterling silver. If it turns green, it is not Sterling silver and could be silver-plated brass, nickel silver or other low quality silver alloys.