How to differentiate silver from alpaca

Silver is one of the most valued metals, especially for the production of jewelry and cutlery. However, in many cases we sell pieces made in alpaca that we pay as if it were silver, when in fact it is a cheap material with different attributes. Do not you want to be fooled ?, In .com we explain how to differentiate the silver from the alpaca by paying attention to some details.

one

The 999 silver, which indicates that the piece is made with 99% silver, is of the best quality we can find. With a bright and neat color, almost similar to white, these pieces are usually marked with the number that indicates their purity. We can also find the 950 or 925, very popular in the market.

The denomination 800/100 is also considered genuine silver, however below this number any other denomination is no longer considered quality silver.

two

One of the first keys to differentiate silver from alpaca is to feel the weight of the piece. Silver is a heavy metal when compared to others of lesser quality such as alpaca or copper, which are usually quite light. So if that thing you want to buy is too light, it's certainly not silver.

3

The acronym SS is another important signal. The pieces made in silver have it, while those that have just a silver bath, may have been made in cheap materials such as alpaca, has the acronym SP

4

The color of the alpaca, similar to steel, is another signal that betrays this material over silver. The 950 and 925 silver has a very bright and striking appearance, in an almost white tone. On the other hand, the 800 silver is of a brilliant but more yellowish tone. In any case, the appearance differs a lot from an alpaca imitation.

5

When in spite of all these signals you still have doubts, it is best to use a magnet. Quality silver will not stick to the magnet, while other cheap metals will. This way you will get out of doubts quickly.

In addition, we recommend you never buy high-value items supposedly made of silver, without being completely sure that it is the material, so it is better to have the evaluation of an expert on the subject.