"Silver" on a label can mean anything from solid sterling to a thin coat of silver over brass. Plated pieces look the same on day one. A few weeks later the coating wears through at the edges, the colour turns yellow, and sometimes your skin turns green. Here is how to tell what you are buying before that happens.
First, what the numbers mean. Pure silver is too soft to wear, so jewellers add a little copper for strength. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal, which is why it is written 925 or 92.5. It is the standard for good silver jewellery all over the world.
Five checks you can do at home
1. Look for the stamp
Real sterling is usually stamped 925, 92.5 or S925. Look on the clasp, the back of a pendant, the post of an earring or the inside of a bangle. A stamp is a good sign, but stamps can be faked, so use it together with the checks below.
2. The magnet test
Silver is not magnetic. Hold a strong fridge magnet against the piece. If it pulls firmly towards the magnet, the metal underneath is something else. Small springs inside clasps can contain steel, so test the main body of the piece, not the catch.
3. The cloth test
Rub the piece gently with a soft white cloth. Sterling silver slowly darkens with air, so a piece that has been sitting for a while often leaves a faint grey mark on the cloth. Plated metal under a protective lacquer usually leaves nothing.
4. Watch how it ages
Real silver darkens evenly to a soft grey, and that darkening polishes off. Plated metal wears through in patches, usually at edges and points of contact, and shows a yellow or reddish metal underneath that does not polish back.
5. A price that makes sense
Sterling has a real metal cost. A heavy "silver" bracelet priced like a plastic one is almost certainly plated. Ask the seller to state the purity on the product page or the bill. If they will not write it down, that is your answer.
What not to do
You may read about scratching a piece, using acid or rubbing it with bleach. Do not. These can damage real silver and harm pearls and stones set in it. For a costly piece or an inheritance, a jeweller can test the metal properly in a few minutes.
Our silver
Every Nakoda Silver piece is 92.5 sterling silver, set with real freshwater pearls, and the purity is written on every product page. You can see the metal clearly in the Hexagon Pearl Pendant Set and the open Twin Baroque Pearl Cuff.
Silver darkening is normal, not a fault, and it wipes off. Our care guide shows how, and real vs fake pearls covers the other half of the question. When you are ready, see all ten pieces.