Six Essential Tips for Buying Silver Jewellery

Do you want to feel confident when you buy new silver jewellery?

Even though silver jewellery can be beautiful, it isn’t always easy to find pieces that meet high-quality standards. Whether you’re buying locally or online, you’ll find hundreds of vendors selling jewellery made from silver. Because of this, it can be difficult to determine whether or not the products you’re buying are authentic.

Thankfully, there is a way to confirm that you’re purchasing jewellery that was made by actual artisans. And the use of silver isn’t just limited to jewellery, many beautiful gift items made from silver are available, like christening gifts or julep cups. You’ll be able to buy pieces that you can pass down to your children and grandchildren.

These are some of the best ways to make sure that the silver you’re buying is authentic.

1. Pay Attention to the Price

Sterling silver is considered to be a precious metal, and because of this, it’s very valuable. If you want to make sure the silver you’re buying is real and high-quality, just take a look at the price tag.

2. Speak with the Vendor

You won’t always have the opportunity to speak with the vendor selling silver jewellery. However, if you have the opportunity to do this, you should take advantage of it.

Whether you speak to someone in person or over the phone, you’ll have the chance to ask important questions. You can learn about where the silver is sourced from, how it is priced and the hallmarks of the pieces. If you think about what you want to ask ahead of time, you’ll get plenty of valuable information.

You should also check to see if the store you’re shopping with has a brick and mortar location. If it does, it’s far less likely that the jeweller is running a scam. You’ll have a higher chance of buying quality silver jewellery pieces.

3. Check the Hallmarks or Specifications

If you’re buying authentic silver, you’ll be able to spot hallmarks that show it’s real.

These markings tend to be located in a discrete area, and they aren’t always easy to spot. In fact, you may not be able to see them without bright lights and a magnifying glass.

If you’ve bought silver already, you should examine your silver more closely to see if it’s authentic. If you’re buying real silver, it will say either .925 or STERLING somewhere on the piece.

4. Use Tests to See if a Piece Is Authentic

Want to make sure you’ve bought real silver jewellery? There are a number of simple physical tests you can conduct to make sure a piece is authentic.

You don’t need to be concerned; none of these tests will damage your silver in any way.

One test you can do involves a magnet. Since silver isn’t magnetic, your magnet shouldn’t latch onto it. If the piece does connect with the magnet, it’s likely that it’s made from another metal, like nickel.

If you want to conduct a test like this, you’ll want to make sure the magnet you use is sufficiently strong. A basic household magnet might not be strong enough to determine whether or not your jewellery is magnetic.

5. Have Your Pieces Appraised

Not sure if your jewellery is real? You can bring it to a jeweller to have it appraised. An expert will be able to determine whether or not a piece is real.

Just be aware that appraisals aren’t always free. Find out what an appraisal will cost you and decide if it’s worth spending money to confirm that your jewellery is real.

6. Be Careful If You’re Shopping Online

You’ll find many online retailers that sell precious metals like silver. There are a lot of benefits to shopping online, but you’ll still want to be cautious about it.

A shop is more likely to be trustworthy if it has a brick and mortar location. You should be able to find the location of the retailer store on the website.