How to check my jewellery is real solid 925 sterling silver

I'm often asked if my 925 sterling silver stacking stretch charm bracelets and rings are made from real genuine solid silver. Some jewellery designers use silver plated materials, to keep their prices low. I'm always proud to answer this question, as I ensure all My Silver Wish bracelets and rings and made from genuine 925 sterling silver.

I do however understand why they ask if their bracelets are made from sterling silver. Larger silver products are stamped with a '925' hallmark to certify their status as real silver. Indeed, some of the larger charms used in my designs, such as my Sterling Silver Pet Paw Charm Bracelet include a 925 stamp on the underside of the charm. However, most of the beads and piping used in my designs are very small and delicate, so adding a 925 stamp would be difficult and probably ruin the look of the final piece of jewellery.

Luckily, its quite easy to spot genuine 925 sterling silver bracelets, rings and jewellery from cheaper silver plated alternatives and I'll share one of the simplest ways right now!

Testing for real 925 sterling silver charm bracelets with a magnet

We all know from science lessons at school that metals are magnetic. What you might not remember though, is that many precious metals, such as gold and silver are far less magnetic that many other less expensive metals like iron or nickel. Try it out for yourself, you'll see gold and silver has a very weak connection to the magnet. 

So, if you think you've been mis-sold a silver bracelet or ring, use a magnet and see whether it has a strong magnetic pull. To double check, compare the magnet's effect on a piece of genuine sterling silver jewellery. If both pieces of jewellery have a weak magnetic pull then you're very likely to have purchased genuine solid silver.

If not, the jewellery could be silver plated, with a coating of silver around a metal like steel underneath. If you think you've purchased silver plated jewellery in error, I'd recommend speaking to your jewellery designer for clarification.