How to identify sterling silver

What sterling silver is

Fine silver is too soft for most rings and flatware. Sterling adds other metal, usually copper, so the piece can be worn or used. The standard share is 925 parts silver per thousand.

Marks that usually mean sterling

Number stamps

925 is the most common millesimal mark for sterling. Some older pieces use 925. Some use 92.5. Coin silver, a different standard, is often 900. Fine silver may read 999. Those are not the same mix as sterling.

Word stamps

Sterling and Ster are word marks for the same 92.5 percent standard. British pieces may also carry a lion passant with other assay marks. A maker mark next to the purity mark names a workshop. It does not replace the purity mark.

Marks that are not sterling

Nickel silver, German silver, and alpaca are names for copper-nickel alloys. They contain no silver. EPNS and silver plate describe a thin silver layer over another metal. Overlay and clad are similar surface words. Color alone is a poor test. Many white metals look similar in a drawer.

How to check a piece at home

Start with the stamp locations: the inside of a ring, the clasp of a chain, the pin of a brooch, the foot of a dish. Use a loupe or the zoom on a phone if the mark is small. Do not file the piece or use household acid. If there is no mark, stop there and bring it in.

What we look for

We look for 925, Sterling, and related hallmarks, then weigh the silver at the counter. Plated lots and mixed metals are sorted in front of you. Condition does not stop us from looking at the piece.