I really need to know how to tell if a piece is truly sterling or if it is just silver plated? I did the white cloth test and it did turn black. I read on line also that a magnet would not stick to sterling silver. Is that true? It is stamped with the #'s 05601 D4 23 and the words Reed and Barton and Regent and the elephant for the year 1952.
By Tangie from Springville, AL
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All of the sterling silver I have ever seen has sterling engraved on it. This is a beautiful tray.
In the USA, The National Gold and Silver Marketing Act does not require precious metals to be marked with quality. However, if a quality mark is used, the mark must be accompanied by a manufacturer's hallmark that is a registered trademark or the name of the manufacturer.
Sterling silver always (without exception) will be labeled with the word sterling so since yours does not include that, it is silver plated. Silver plate can wear off whereas sterling is solid (sterling knives have hollow centers). All silver tarnishes whether it is sterling or plated.
Anything after approximately WWII will be stamped. Before then, metals weren't required to be labeled, according to the company that valued my great grandmother's silver for my insurance.
Not true. Other countries Use different markings.
This is widely known to be false . Many older pieces have hallmarks meaning Sterling silver without the words or .925 mark which itself is often unaccompanied by the word Sterling . The lion passant and also the crown hallmarks often mean Sterling Silver and / or other grades of silver even pure silver with no copper at all .
There are many, many, many markings for Sterling silver. I have seen and sold items with some of the more common ones, including a " lion passant" mark and a mark Mexican 95, but there are hundreds if not more out there.
The best way to verify if you have silver is to take it to a no obligation jewelry store or place like treasure hunt. They can test/validate actual vs plated. Good luck with your pieces!!
Albeit most of the time sterling made in the USA is marked sterling or 92.5 or 925. Sometimes 94 or 95. The remainder is commonly copper alloy that allows the silver to be more hard and less pliable. However not all solve is marked sterling. In fact, most sterling silver is marked with symbols or initials from its maker especially sterling from other countries from many years ago 80 to 300 years ago very little was marked as sterling outside of the USA as each country/manufacturer had their own standard and/or markings to identify its quality. Therefore, if you cant really tell, you should do your own research on the markings or ask a professional whos familiar with the various markings/symbols used.
Not sure where you got that information but to say 'ALL'Sterling silver is 'DEFINITELY' stamped couldn't be further from true, also I'm going to assume that since you believe that you also believe any silver that Is stamped is 'DEFINITELY' real? This is also not true.
I agree with Hate Litter, the tray is beautiful. My suggestion is to go to the Replacements, Ltd, out of Greensboro, NC, website and you can email them and send a photo of the tray. They will look it up for you and either call you or telephone you with what they find. I have done this many times and they are so nice to deal with.
I have lots of sterling silver pieces but also have some very beautiful and heavy silver plated pieces that I use right along side my sterling. As long as it looks good to me, I use it. Good luck!
Take it to a good jewerly store and they will tell you. If you want it appraised they will charge for that service.
Magnets will not stick to sterling, but they also do not stick to aluminum, pewter, tungsten, platinum, brass or copper as well as alloys of these.
I was watching show that was verifying antique sterling silver vs silver plate & the man said to sniff the tray. Sterling silver has a sweet smell but plate has a bad almost rancid smell up close.
If your tray also has a C encircling an A, that symbol began being used in 1945 and indicates it is silver plate over a Copper Alloy base metal.
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