Choose Your Sterling Silver Gifts Wisely
Having your best friend’s birthday round the corner and worried what to gift? Cracked that crucial corporate bid after months of intense hard work and wondering what’s the best gift you could give to signify the start of a new business relationship? Fret not, this article is specially for you. Sterling silver is the answer to all your questions. Buying silver sterling can be a confusing experience. If you have seen your parents buying gold or you yourself have been buying gold for years now, you know what we are talking about. Sterling silver is not pure silver but an alloy made up of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals. Though not the purest of silver still its price fluctuates as it is a precious metal. Hence, when you wanting to buy that special sterling silver gifts for your loved one make sure you follow the below pointers before placing a bid on the item.
Search: First things first always check for a silver sterling hallmark on the item you intend to buy. It is essential to understand that all precious metal items are marked/stamped by a hallmark which symbolizes that purity, type and authenticity of the item. If your item claims to be of sterling silver and doesn’t have a hallmark on it then it is more likely to be a silver plated piece rather than being sterling silver. With the help of a magnifying glass you can inspect the item for the hallmark. Also, different places have different markings. For example, the sterling silver item if order from the UK would have a sign of lion stamped on it along with a town mark, a date letter and sponsor mark. France’s hallmark has the head of Minerva or a vase stamped on sterling silver items. All these things are variable and depend from item to item.
Listen: Secondly, gently tap the item with something to check for the sound. If it produces a bell-like ring, then most probably you are purchasing the right material for your loved one. Sterling silver if tapped gently, will produce a high-pitched tone which lasts for 2-4 seconds. The best item for the sound test is a metal coin. In case you don’t hear a ring, slowly move out of the showroom. This is not the best place to purchase authentic sterling silver items. One thing to keep in mind while conducting the test is that you don’t use extreme pressure for doing it as it might put a dent/scratch on the sterling silver Gifts item.
Smell: Thirds most important aspect for checking if an item is sterling silver or not is by smelling them. Seriously, silver when smelt doesn’t have any smell attached with it. Carefully bring the item close to your nose and smell it for few moments. If you find a strong scent, then most probably the item contains excess amount of copper. Generally, copper is a common alloy which makes us sterling silver but the proportion is much less. If mixed correctly, any sterling silver item should not smell.
Examine: While all the other test are a sure shot way to let you know which item is sterling silver and which is not. But still if one is confused then they can examine the malleability of the item. Silver sterling is a very soft and bendable metal. It can be blended with hands alone if done with pressure. If it doesn’t then chances are that the item is less likely to be silver or sterling silver.
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