Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Can big silver bracelet have no markings to ID?

tinsmith

tinsmith

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Sorry but couldn't post a pic. Looks like a big bracelet might have been made by an independent craftsmen. No markings/stamp anywhere on this thing. The 705 VDI and sound rings silver! High sounds and numbers! Also a bit of that blueish black tarnish on backside.
Is there any other way to tell it's silver? I'm actually affraid to stroll into a jeweler. I have no jeweler I know and trust to help.
 
People laugh at this, but, if you spit on it and rub some aluminum foil where you spit, you get a strong sulfur smell from silver. Be careful not to scratch it with the foil. And I guess plating would probably give off the sulfur smell, too.
 
If it looks Native American or Mexican, very good chance it's pure silver. Lot's of people have made silver jewelry, pretty easy to work. Little more complicated to work the other metals, then plate.

Now, if it's kind of simplistic, or generic, probably mass produced, cheap and flashy. Really difficut to simply look at stuff these days, and tell with all certainty. Even a good, mostly honest jeweler would need to do some actual testing. Size and weight might give him some strong ideas.
 
HarveyH48 said:
If it looks Native American or Mexican, very good chance it's pure silver. Lot's of people have made silver jewelry, pretty easy to work. Little more complicated to work the other metals, then plate.

Now, if it's kind of simplistic, or generic, probably mass produced, cheap and flashy. Really difficut to simply look at stuff these days, and tell with all certainty. Even a good, mostly honest jeweler would need to do some actual testing. Size and weight might give him some strong ideas.
Click to expand...

Thanks Harv, I had to edit this post. I thought I saw brass color in a small scuff with the better eye loop earlier. Now I really think it was light hitting it. I can't find the brassy color now. I lost patience and cut into it! Cuts pretty easy but harder than gold and all silver!!!
 
SueK said:
People laugh at this, but, if you spit on it and rub some aluminum foil where you spit, you get a strong sulfur smell from silver. Be careful not to scratch it with the foil. And I guess plating would probably give off the sulfur smell, too.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sue, hey that's a cool trick to ID silver. I'll have to try It.
 
Yeah! ok here some pics.

No patience here. Cut into the back edge with a pocket knife. Ok, feels good. Not as soft as gold but cut a couple .050 deep small gouges on back edge fairly easy. Maybe comparable to cutting brass. Just a tad softer feel. Still not sure here. From the front it looks sort of mass produced. The back though has some anomolies like a raised area .300 long by .075 width that was an accidental drip with 5 or 6 random dots pressed into the raised area all of the same silver looking material. Looks hand worked to me and feels heavier than costume cwapola. Oh by the way, it was a shallow find in a park. I may post that story in finds but wanted all your great opinion . As I've said before I don't know a jeweler but recently heard horror stories about local jewelers.really burning people saying the stones had little to no value. Convincing a poor young girl her grammas ring was very low value and later selling to another for a few K.

Threw my 37 merc find on it for some perspective.
 
Get a test kit for gold and silver on Ebay pretty cheap.
Could ask a jeweler to test for silver with understanding you arent interested in selling.
 
I would have to say that's silver, judging by the stone .still a guess tho. have it tested.
 
Mntnclmbr said:
Get a test kit for gold and silver on Ebay pretty cheap.
Could ask a jeweler to test for silver with understanding you arent interested in selling.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I didn't even think of that. Never used a test kit but it must be simple. We should all have one anyway after reading recently that even gold jewelry isn't allways marked.
 
I agree with the others. Looks very nice to me. Def silver I think.:yes: have found a lot of native silver up here not marked as well as a couple of nice gold rings no markings but jeweler tested.
Congrats
Doc
 
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