How many of you bought jewelry online, or findings to create your own jewelry, just to discover that it was not what was advertised? 
It has happened to me twice until now. The first time I was buying (quite constantly, I have to say) necklaces from an online shop based in Israel. They were advertised as sterling silver, even stamped 925 to mark it as such, but when they started changing color too easily, I discovered they were all in fact silver plated. It resulted in having to contact all the clients who had purchased them from me with the information.
The second time it was ear wires and clasps from an ebay shop, based in Hong Kong. That was a bit more unpleasant, since I made a pair of earrings for myself with them and they caused quite a painful reaction. The seller was nice enough to admit the mistake and give a full refund.
Let’s have a look at the types of materials you are most likely to come across while shopping online (and offline, for that matter) and a few tips on how to test if what you have bought was sterling silver or not.
Silver Plate
Silver plate is the process of bonding an extremely thin layer (measured in microns) of silver to a base metal; most commonly used are copper, brass, white metal, or nickel.
This layer of silver is so thin and nearly impossible to recover from the item without expensive means, and is not worth the cost of recovery due to the small amount of silver that can be recovered. Silverplated flatware and hollowware are very common, and very inexpensive, with the exception of rare or limited production items, and items made by well-known and respected manufacturers.
If your item has EP, EPNS, Silver on Copper, or other terms marked on it, then it is electroplated silver, it is not sterling. EPNS stands for electroplated nickel silver. Manufacturers are not allowed to use the word “Sterling” on plated items, so you will never see the term “Sterling Plated”. However, some unscrupulous sellers, especially on Television ads and on various online shops, will use the term “Layered in Precious Sterling Silver” or “sterling silver plated”. This is an advertising ploy used to get you to buy their product, thinking it is Sterling Silver. It is not Sterling! It is simple silver-plate.
Vermeil
Vermeil is sterling silver with a gold plating. Again, there are some differences between gold plating, and real, quality vermeil. Real Vermeil is sterling silver with real gold bonded to the sterling, and it is usually quite thick. It is not electroplated, but layered and bonded to the sterling. Good quality vermeil will last a lifetime, meaning the gold will not wear off.
It is the type of jewelry you can hand down to generations. You will usually pay a little more for vermeil than plain sterling, but you know you are getting real sterling, and not a thin, gold plated copper item. Vermeil jewelry is good quality and worth looking at for investment. Vermeil is also always marked as .925 or Sterling.
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver, which is why it is so much more expensive than plated items. Sterling silver can be melted and the pure silver recovered rather inexpensively. Sterling silver is traded in troy ounces, a troy ounce being equal to 31.2 grams. A troy pound consists of 12 troy ounces.
Testing Silver Purity
1. The simple and the first line test is a piece of magnet. Silver, along with platinum and gold, is not attracted to magnet. Put a sterling silver item close to the magnet, if the magnet is attracted, it is not sterling silver, perhaps it is stainless steel. The clasps are an exception of this method, because they have a steel spring inside and therefore will be attracted by the magnet.
2. Use a soft and white cloth for rubbing the jewelry. If there are black marks on the cloth, then the jewelry is a real sterling silver. The reason for this is that real 925 silver oxidizes with air exposure. That is why silver jewelries tarnish in time and shows black marks when being polished. But if the item is platinum plated, this method is not applicable.
3. Use an ice cube to test the purity of your silver. This process works best with smaller pieces, such as silverware. Take a small ice cube, and place it on your silver item. If the entire utensil cools down within 10 seconds, you are working with real silver. If it takes closer to 30 seconds, it may be silver plated. This test is not the most scientific, but it will be a broad indicator and will help you decide easier.
4. Take a match and press it against the metal surface to be tested and then light it on fire with another match. The sulfur is extremely hot as it combusts and it will certainly combine with pure silver when ignited in this fashion.
It will not however mark nickel, steel, or chrome or any other shiny metal the way it marks silver (a black stain). Again this dark metal is silver sulfide it will not wipe away with your finger and must be cleaned off the metal with another agent.
5. One of the most common and oldest testing methods is the acid test. I have seen my mother do this a thousand times, on various silver antique decorative pieces, while she had an antique shop.
This process is done by taking a sample filing from your item and applying acid to it.
Sterling and pure silver will not change the color of the acid, which is usually red. If the acid turns brown or changes color, then the item is not Sterling. It may have some silver content, but it is not the Sterling standard.
If you attempt to test your items yourself, make sure you take a sample from well below the silverplate. Silverplate will show a positive test for silver if you apply acid directly on to it. You must make a deep groove in the piece so you are below the plating before you can apply your acid. This is the most accurate way to test silver by yourself, as this is the method most jewelers use.
6. You may also use a testing stone to perform this test, as it will not leave a dull mark on the piece you are testing.
In order to use a testing stone correctly, you must scratch the piece on the stone, and again, make sure you scratch deep enough below the surface to get an accurate test.
You must also be sure you are using fresh acid. Acid that is over 9 months old will deteriorate and will not give you a correct test, even on pure silver. Buy fresh acid from a reputable dealer.
7. Another method of testing is to send your item to a foundry or smelter.
While they will absolutely be able to determine the purity of the silver in your item, it may also need to be damaged or melted to get an accurate assay. This method is usually used when you are scrapping silver and wish to have it destroyed for the monetary value.
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