Cleaning up my closet – home testing silver

Springtime, time for cleaning up one’s closet. Everybody has somewhere a piece of antique silverware… wow, it rhymes 🙂 But is the precious grandmother’s piece real silver? One can always go to the specialist to have it tested, but as a hobby silver jewelry maker you would really like to do it yourself at home.
I found these two pieces in my closet: a silver-colored brooch hallmarked 835 and a piece of flatware probably used for holding napkins. The latter really intrigued me, because of a possibility to use it in a handmade jewelry piece. So I decided to test it with available home testing methods and the brooch as a reference.

Here is my test protocol for home testing silver

Step 1 Visual examination

Both of the pieces feel the same (in strength, density, weight) and look the same (same silver shine). Since I know that silver content in flatware can be anything from 750 up to 800 – 820 – 825- 830 – 835 – 850, the tested piece can be anything in this range, containing up to 25% metals other than silver. It can also be silver-plated or nickel silver – an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel.

Step 2. Is the piece solid or coated (silver-plated)? 
The answer can be easily obtained by scratching the surface (in the place where it is least seen). I did it using an abrasive tool – and the result was clear. There was no coating, it was one piece.The shine on the scratched surface was ‘silvery’. On the other hand, the metal felt much harder than sterling silver I normally work with. That was already the first  “sign” that the piece was not silver.

Step 3. Testing.  Among all techniques found on the internet for home testing silver at home I have chosen the two available:
a) Magnet and

b) Liver of Sulfur.

The reason for the choice was that I don’t have nitric acid (and this stuff is very corrosive too) at home. I don’t trust the “ice” method either.

The result was the following. Both pieces did not stick to a piece of magnet. And both pieces reacted with the LOS, by forming a tarnish when heated.

 Step 4. Analytic table. What metal could it be, other than silver?

P.S. The above piece has been tested with test fluid and the final verdict is: NOT silver.