Everywhere you look – from fashion runways to Instagram feeds—bold, chunky silver earrings (like those pear-shaped drops at Bottega Veneta’s Fall 2023 show), stacked bangle bracelets and all manner of silver chains are having a moment. The good news: with silver jewelry, the price is right when compared to gold jewelry. The bad news: there’s lots of jewelry out there that looks like it’s silver but is in fact some other metal of a lesser quality. 

Most of the time, the lesser metal is not going to detract much from the appearance of your jewel—it will likely present as a shiny white metal or a matte white metal with an antiqued patina (picture vintage Southwestern jewelry). 

The issue is that the mystery “silver” metal content may cause your skin to have a reaction. It might mean that it’s not as valuable as an authentic silver piece (and certainly its price should reflect that). It might mean that it loses its luster more quickly, is more prone to breakage, or requires a special care and cleaning method. 

These are all good reasons to check if your jewelry is the real deal. Ahead, we’ll share easy do-it-yourself, at-home tests to help you determine if the silver you own or are looking to buy is the real deal, silver plated, or another metal entirely (such as aluminum, chrome, or stainless steel, which are all used in jewelry).

What is Silver Jewelry Made Of?

Did you know that silver jewelry is rarely 100% silver? This is because silver on its own is too soft and brittle to be used for jewelry-making. To make silver jewelry more durable and less prone to scratches and dents, silver is often alloyed (mixed) with other metals, such as copper, zinc, or nickel.  
 
The most common alloy used in jewelry is sterling silver, which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% another metal (often copper). Sterling silver jewelry is the best quality you can get—look for a stamp of “925” somewhere on the jewel for confirmation (more on that later in this post). 

Other alloys that may be used in silver jewelry include fine silver (99.9%) and Brittania silver (95.8% silver). Keep in mind that fine silver, while lovely, is more prone to damage.

What Are The Types of Fake Silver Jewelry?

If the jewelry you’re interested in purchasing is not marketed as sterling silver, don’t be afraid to ask the seller to specify whether the metal is silver or something else. What might that “something else” be? Keep reading…

Silver-plated jewelry

Unlike sterling silver and pure silver, silver-plated jewelry isn’t made of silver at all. In fact, it’s made of different base metals, such as brass or copper, and then painted with a sterling-silver coating. Silver-plated jewelry isn’t durable and will chip, flake and tarnish easily. If your silver jewelry is imprinted with “EP,” “EPNS,” or “Silver on copper,” you will have confirmation that it’s silver-plated and not sterling. If there are no markings at all, it’s also likely to be silver-plated.

Tibetan silver jewelry

Despite the name, Tibetan silver is neither silver nor from Tibet. Rather, this is a type of costume jewelry made from inexpensive silver-colored metals like tin or nickel. Many Tibetan jewelry pieces feature spiritual symbols and mythological animals and have a matte and muted “vintage” silver appearance.

Nickel silver jewelry

Nickel silver jewelry, also known as German silver or Alpaca silver, contains 0% silver. Rather, these pieces are formulated from a mixture of copper, zinc, and nickel. If you have an allergy to nickel, this type of silver jewelry should be avoided. 

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