Because Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver, the common purity mark used today is “925.” Most vintage Sterling Silver pieces have the older marks: “STERLING,” “STER,” or “STG.” Some modern jewelry today will use “STERLING” either with “925” or without it, usually in conjunction with the makers mark.

What are sterling silver hallmarks?

A stamp indicating the purity of the silver is called the assayers mark. The mark for silver meeting the sterling standard of purity is the Lion Passant, but there have been other variations over the years, most notably the mark indicating Britannia purity.

What is the mark for sterling silver?

(925): Sterling silver (925): This is the standard for silver, identifying a silver item that is at least 92.5% silver mixed with copper to give it strength. Marks on these pieces include 925 or Sterling. Any mark indicating a higher silver content, such as 950, would also qualify as sterling.

Is all sterling silver marked?

The vast majority of items made from sterling silver contain a quality mark, a stamp placed in a discreet spot that denotes its purity. These marks will say . 925 or 925 or S925 or sometimes Sterling. Along with the quality mark, a hallmark (the makers registered mark) must also be placed on the piece.

How can I test sterling silver at home?

If you are also testing silver bars at home, a sliding test with magnets can be used to find out if it is real silver. You can conduct the test by angling the silver bar at a 45-degree angle and slide the magnet down the surface of the bar. The magnet should slide down slowly.

What do the marks on silver mean?

A silver object that is to be sold commercially is, in most countries, stamped with one or more silver hallmarks indicating the purity of the silver, the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith, and other (optional) markings to indicate date of manufacture and additional information about the piece.

What does EP mean on silver spoons?

Many silver plated items bear the marks EPNS that stand for Electro Plated Nickel Silver or EP for Electro Plate.

How do you price sterling silver?

To determine the value of your piece, take the total ounces of silver and multiply that by the current spot price of silver. You can usually find this value online at financial statistics websites or precious metals dealers. At the time of this writing, the current value of silver is $16.56 per ounce.

What is the stamp for sterling silver?

stamp 925 The stamp 925 is used to identify genuine sterling silver jewelry, which contains 92.5% silver. Sterling silver is an alloy, or combination of metal types.

What is the marking for sterling silver?

925 In the United States, sterling silver is classified as containing 92.5% or more silver, which is why you might see “sterling” or “925” stamped at the bottom of an authentic sterling silver piece. Thats the key identifier that a piece is sterling silver.

How can you tell if something is silver without hallmark?

Rub a clean white cloth over the item and then examine the cloth.If you see black marks, the item is either silver or sterling silver.If you do not see any black marks, the item is less likely to be made from sterling silver.

What does quadruple mean on silver?

something borrowed. Quadruple plate silver is an item or object that has 0.0012 inches of silver coating on them. Typically, items that are silver plated have a coat of 0.003 inches of silver on them. But items that are quadruple plate silver have 4 times that amount of silver coating.