Silverbugs: Neoxian's guide to testing your silver
Hello all, a few posts ago, @me-tarzan asked me what I do to test to see if my silver is real. Here is my answer!
The first thing to do is be sure to purchase your silver from a reputable dealer. I'll recommend:
- http://www.jmbullion.com
- https://www.providentmetals.com
- https://sdbullion.com
- http://www.apmex.com
- https://www.amagimetals.com
I'm sure there are many other great ones. Beware buying from Ebay or some market like that, be sure the seller is highly rated. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is, test test test!
Once I get my silver (or gold) I do these things:
Step 1: Weigh it
It's good to make sure your silver weighs as much as it is supposed to. You may as well right? It's an easy check and there is no real reason not to do it.
Step 2: Magnet test
Another test I like to do that's pretty easy is the magnet test.
I use a neodymium magnet which are super cheap and easy to come by, and chances are, you may already have one stuck on your refrigerator.
The magnet should not stick to your silver piece. If it does, that means there is something ferrous in it and that would not be good at all. But the magnet should have a small attraction to the silver, and you can see that by letting the magnet slide down the silver when held at a steep angle.
Magnet should slide down slowly..
You can slide the magnet down a control object, like a book held at the same angle, and you'll see it slide down much faster.
Step 3: Sigma Metalytics Precious Metal Verifier
For the next test I break out this handy little gadget made by Sigma metalytics.
http://sigmametalytics.com/
This device uses electromagnetic waves to test the metallic properties of the piece. It can test gold and silver of various purities as well as platinum and palladium (and others).
This coin checks out!
Step 4: Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge
Ok, here is where I break out the big guns. For my larger and more valuable bars I'll test them with an ultrasonic thickness gauge.
This device can measure the thickness of many types of material using the power of sound! You just need to know how fast sound travels through the substance you are testing. Sound moves through silver at 3650 meters per second, which I've set here (for gold it's 3240 m/s)
Measure your bar with a digital caliper. This one is about 25 mm.
Grab yourself a bottle of Thera Sonic Conductive Gel.
Squirt a blob of this onto your silver bar. (It won't hurt the silver.)
25 mm, seems legit!
There are some other tests you might do, like water displacement, the ice test, or the ring test. I don't usually do these.
I hope this helps all your silverbugs out there!
Logo by @vlad!
Logo by @papa-pepper
Have you ever recieved any that was not real?
💋 @halo 💋😇
Hi Halo! Good question, no, to date I have not discovered any fakes among my collection. Again, I think that if you purchase from a reputable dealer, then you are 99.99% likely to get the real thing and have nothing to worry about. I just tend to be a little paranoid and check everything all the same. I've actually been thinking of buying some fakes just to see how they might fail these tests.
Contamination can occur at reputation dealers .
When they buy back stuff
Thank you for this post and your reply. That would make for a good follow up to this post.
Looking foward to seening it.
💋 @halo 💋😇
Thanks neoxian how much does something like this cost and do you feel this device is acurate .
Hi @me-tarzan! This device will set you back about 800$ or so. I do like mine and would recommend it. However, I would still keep doing the other tests and would not 100% rely on just this tool. It is another tool in your toolbox.
https://sdbullion.com/gold-and-silver-purity-testing-scanner-sigma-metalytics
About 1k
Some dealer may have XRF device you can use, give you verification of % metals content.
Seriously.
Thanks for quick testing guide. That is very helpful tips.
There are so many fakes out there. Good guide some basic testing at least not with expensive equipment. Thanks
Thank you for this interesting information. I sell quite a few silver pieces online, I would love one of those gadgets :)
Nice post @neoxian.
Those are a real pro tools! Hehe!
I'm a silver invester too but do not have all that professional equipment.
I usually use the ice proof to test the silver also.
I am thinking of buying the New SIGMA, it has a broader application for bars and ingots, and has a few more features...
Of course this means I must then start buying as a dealer, in order to justify the cost of the investment 😎🥇🥈🥉😎
GREAT POST, this actually pre-dates SSG by a year or more? I know it predates my account on Steem!
Thanks for the info :)
I'm not a silver bug, but this was a fascinating read.